For early learning and childcare services (including childminders)
Telling us about Protection
We have updated our protection procedures and made changes to how we manage protection notifications (previously called allegations of abuse). As you will know, some changes were introduced in April 2025, and we have since made further minor updates. These improvements will help ensure we receive accurate information and reduce the need for unnecessary follow-up where details are missing.
As part of these improvements, we have clarified when a service should notify us of a protection concern relating to a child.
Services must notify us when:
- A formal protection concern has been identified and
- The service has made a protection referral to the lead agency.
This applies even if the incident did not occur within the service, provided the service made the referral to the lead agency. For example, a referral being made in response to a child disclosing an incident that happened at home. Where the incident did not happen within the service, please only share a brief overview of any key information. Do not share personal details of other people involved (such as family members).
Services do not need to notify us when:
- The protection concern occurred when the child was not actively receiving a service, such as when the child was at home, and
- The service did not make the referral to the lead agency.
- Or, where there is additional information being shared concerning the safety and wellbeing of a child that is already under child protection or information that is part of a cumulative picture.
For example, we do not need to be notified that a protection referral has been made about a child by a third party or if a child using the service is under child protection.
Protection notification changes
Where you receive an email receipt from submitting a referral to a lead agency, you can attach a copy of this to the notification. However, please do not attach any photographs or copies of protection referral forms to the protection notification. If additional information is required, the inspector will request this directly.
The confirmation field indicating whether a protection referral has been made to the lead agency (Yes/No dropdown box) is now mandatory.
- If a referral has been made, you are now required to provide the name and job title of the staff member who submitted it.
- If a referral has not been made, you must provide an explanation.
These changes will provide us with robust assurance that concerns are being referred appropriately.
Providing accurate information supports our commitment to keeping people safe and maintaining the highest standards of practice. It is important to be aware that knowingly submitting false information to the Care Inspectorate may result in a report to the appropriate professional regulator.
Protection is one of our core assurances. This means that we look at this on every inspection to ensure that services are keeping people safe.
Incident notifications – children leaving premises
Our current guidance for Early learning and childcare services: Guidance on records you must keep and notifications you must make, highlights the importance of providing detailed information where an incident has occurred in your service. Recently we have had a particular focus on incidents of children leaving premises or being unaccounted for. Having reviewed the information you have shared with us, we can see that in many cases, service processes are working well to identify and respond to risk, ensuring children are kept safe. To take a proportionate approach to these cases, we thought it might be useful to provide some further guidance to support the definition of “serious adverse risk.”
It is important to recognise that any incident could become serious, so all incidents must be recorded and reviewed to reduce future risk. These records will be reviewed during inspections or through other regulatory activity, including complaint investigations.
You do not need to submit a notification only if all the following conditions are met:
- The child’s absence was identified due to staff vigilance and effective procedures.
- Staff realised the child or children were missing within 5 minutes.
- The child or children were found safely within the registered premises.
- The child or children were physically unharmed.
If all these criteria are met, a notification is not required.
Due to the higher level of risk, you must submit a notification for any of the following:
- A child has been left unaccounted for in an outdoor space.
- A child has exited the premises or designated outdoor areas.
- A child has accessed unregistered or restricted areas of the premises (e.g., kitchens, cleaning cupboards, staff rooms) where risks may be present.
From the information received through the notification process, we can see that children are more likely to go missing at times of transition. It is therefore particularly important that at these times staff are alert to children’s whereabouts and can account for all children.
This includes:
- Drop off and pick up times.
- Movement between outdoor and indoor spaces.
- Movement from main play areas to dining areas for snack and mealtimes.
- Unexpected movement such as fire alarms/drills when children may hide.
We hope this information is helpful to provide some assurance and clarity should you require to make a notification. We are currently updating our Guidance on records you must keep and notifications you must make, to reflect the changes that are being made with the introduction of our new digital systems and will include these changes into the latest version when published.
Read moreFor children and young people's services
We have updated our protection procedures and made changes to how we manage protection notifications (previously called allegations of abuse). As you will know, some changes were introduced in April 2025, and we have since made further minor updates. These improvements will help ensure we receive accurate information and reduce the need for unnecessary follow-up where details are missing.
As part of these improvements, we have clarified reporting arrangements for children and young people placed in a care service outwith their own local authority.
- In Scotland, the primary lead agency for child protection is local authority social work services. They have lead responsibility for inquiries related to children at risk of significant harm, assessments of children in need, and overseeing Child Protection Plans in their local authority area.
- If a protection incident occurs in the host authority’s area, services must inform the host authority, as they are responsible for safeguarding within their jurisdiction. Services should also inform the placing authority.
- If a protection incident occurs in the placing authority (including historical allegations), services don’t necessarily need to contact the host authority. However, where services identify a protection risk that may impact a person whilst in the host authority, they should share relevant information with the host authority. This is based on agreement about the best interests of the child/adult in line with protection legislation and guidance.
- If a protection incident occurs in a third authority area, for instance not the host or placing authority, services must also report the concern to that third authority. In such cases, the lead agency will be the authority where the incident occurred.
Where you receive an email receipt from submitting a referral to a lead agency, you can attach a copy of this to the notification. However, please do not attach any photographs or copies of protection referral forms to the protection notification. If additional information is required, the inspector will request this directly.
The confirmation field indicating whether a protection referral has been made to the lead agency (Yes/No dropdown box) is now mandatory.
- If a referral has been made, you are now required to provide the name and job title of the staff member who submitted it.
- If a referral has not been made, you must provide an explanation.
These changes will provide us with robust assurance that concerns are being referred appropriately.
Providing accurate information supports our commitment to keeping people safe and maintaining the highest standards of practice. It’s important to be aware that knowingly submitting false information to the Care Inspectorate may result in a report to the appropriate professional regulator.
Protection is one of our core assurances. This means that we look at this on every inspection to ensure that services are keeping people safe. We are currently updating our Guidance on records you must keep and notifications you must make, to reflect the changes that are being made with the introduction of our new digital systems and will include these changes into the latest version when published.
Read moreFor adult's services
We have updated our protection procedures and made changes to how we manage protection notifications (previously called allegations of abuse). As you will know, some changes were introduced in April 2025, and we have since made further minor updates. These improvements will help ensure we receive accurate information and reduce the need for unnecessary follow-up where details are missing.
Where you receive an email receipt from submitting a referral to a lead agency, you can attach a copy of this to the notification. However, please do not attach any photographs or copies of protection referral forms to the protection notification. If additional information is required, the inspector will request this directly.
The confirmation field indicating whether a protection referral has been made to the lead agency (Yes/No dropdown box) is now mandatory.
- If a referral has been made, you are now required to provide the name and job title of the staff member who submitted it.
- If a referral has not been made, you must provide an explanation.
These changes will provide us with robust assurance that concerns are being referred appropriately.
Providing accurate information supports our commitment to keeping people safe and maintaining the highest standards of practice. It is important to be aware that knowingly submitting false information to the Care Inspectorate may result in a report to the appropriate professional regulator.
Protection is one of our core assurances. This means that we look at this on every inspection to ensure that services are keeping people safe. We are currently updating our Guidance on records you must keep and notifications you must make, to reflect the changes that are being made with the introduction of our new digital systems and will include these changes into the latest version when published.
Read moreJob profile and person specification
Job title: business support assistant - corporate support
Job location: Dundee HQ
Responsible to: corporate support officer
Job purpose
To provide comprehensive, confidential business support to a range of corporate teams and heads of service across the organisation, as well as general office business support within the Care Inspectorate’s head office, in line with Care Inspectorate policies and procedures.
This job description is a broad picture of the post at the date of preparation. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties, and we recognise that jobs change and evolve over time.
Principal working contacts
- Heads of service
- Senior managers
- Corporate support officer
- Directorate teams
- Executive and committee support manager
- Care Inspectorate colleagues
- External agencies and suppliers
- Members of the public
- Key accountabilities
Key accountabilities
- Provide business support to Care Inspectorate colleagues ensuring a high level of quality, consistency and confidentiality in line with organisational policies.
- Prepare information and correspondence in a clear and concise manner ensuring accuracy and compliance with corporate style.
- Undertake specialist activities and/or projects, in accordance with procedures or instructions, to support the effectiveness of the various corporate functions and the Care Inspectorate as a whole.
- Prepare all correspondence and any information relating to the work of Care Inspectorate using relevant IT systems.
- Process requisitions, orders and invoices using the organisation’s purchase ordering processes and systems.
- Schedule meetings and events.
- Distribute meeting agendas and related documentation according to deadlines.
- Attend meetings in order to prepare action records.
- Process low value monetary purchases using the Government Procurement Card
- Input, maintain and extract data and information within the Care Inspectorate’s digital and manual systems.
- Provide general office business support as required as part of the office team. This may include:
- Reception cover
- Stationery management
- Checking travel and subsistence claims
- Supporting the online room booking system in relation to setting out rooms for meetings and events
- Ad-hoc office based tasks when required.
- Carry out your duties in accordance with our Health and Safety policies, procedures, guidance, practices and legislative requirements, taking responsible care for your safety and that of others who may be affected by what you do or fail to do while at work.
Relationship management
- Ensure productive and smooth working arrangements and protocols with all internal and external stakeholders.
- Develop and maintain constructive and co-operative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure effective and efficient business support.
- Work within hybrid teams, including occasional travel as required by the job across Care Inspectorate offices/event attendance.
- Contribute to the continuous development of the Care Inspectorate and manage change effectively and creatively.
- Promote the principles of partnership working throughout the organisation and embrace this as the agreed way of working.
- Promote a positive and inclusive working environment which supports continuous professional development.
- Ensure effective communication of Care Inspectorate’s work with people who experience care.
Other duties
This is not a contractual document. We will expect the post holder to carry out any other duties to the equivalent level that are necessary to fulfil the purpose of the job, and to respond positively to changing business needs.
Attributes
We will use these attributes to recruit the role.
Experience
Essential:
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of business support role at a similar level.
Desirable:
- Experience of working with external/internal contacts at all levels.
- Experience of working within an office environment.
Education, qualifications and training
Essential:
- You will be educated to SCQF Level 5 or equivalent experience
Skills and knowledge
Essential:
- Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office software.
- Excellent communication (written and verbal) skills.
- Good interpersonal skills.
- Excellent planning and organisational skills.
- Ability to work on own initiative and prioritisation of workload.
- Ability to meet deadlines.
- Attention to detail.
Desirable:
- Experience of working with bespoke IT systems/databases.
Key performance outcomes
We will use these key performance outcomes to recruit for the role.
Effective communication
Essential:
- Portrays a positive image of the Care Inspectorate when communicating (written and verbal) both inside the organisation and externally.
- Selects appropriate communication, style and methods depending on the needs and abilities of the audience.
- Listens actively to people, questions and checks understanding.
Planning and organising
Essential:
- Uses a systematic approach to make efficient use of time and manage workload.
- Recognises the need to be flexible to meet changing priorities.
- Prioritises work effectively to meet deadlines and objectives.
Flexibility
Essential:
- Demonstrates a flexible, positive approach to work and is a team player.
- Listens to feedback and ideas from people and will take appropriate and considered action.
- Adapts well to change, adjusting priorities as required.
- Understands where a flexible approach is required.
Team working
Essential:
- Remains tolerant and fair towards others, values diversity and is non-discriminatory in their actions.
- Values and makes use of the skills, knowledge and experience of others.
- Works co-operatively and supportively with others.