The Care Inspectorate and unions have commissioned a survey of staff.
The Care Inspectorate is the independent scrutiny, assurance and improvement support body for social care, social work and early learning services in Scotland.
All of the organisation’s 600-plus staff were given the opportunity to respond to a survey about their experiences of working for the Care Inspectorate.
The survey, carried out between 14 March and 1 April 2022, received a response from 85% of staff (585 of 620).
Some of the findings from the survey included:
- 84% of staff felt they were trusted to carry out their job effectively
- 79% agreed that their job gave them a sense of personal accomplishment.
- 48% disagreed when asked if they thought their pay was reasonable, compared to people doing a similar job in other organisations.
- 42% disagreed when asked if they felt their pay adequately reflected their performance.
The Care Inspectorate and unions will reflect on the findings and address areas for improvement.
Edith Macintosh, interim chief executive of the Care Inspectorate said: “The past two years have been enormously challenging for all care services across Scotland.
“Social care staff have continued to provide care and support to some of the most vulnerable people during what has been an unprecedented global pandemic.
“Colleagues at the Care Inspectorate have also worked tirelessly throughout this time to support care services through our inspection and quality improvement work. This included regular contact with care services during the pandemic to offer support, guidance and advice.
“Care Inspectorate staff demonstrated professionalism, commitment, skill and dedication.
“We are committed to supporting improvement both across the services we regulate, and also within the Care Inspectorate itself.
“We have undertaken this survey to hear and to act on colleagues’ views and ensure that we can work together so that the Care Inspectorate continues to develop and improve. Hearing from our staff across the organisation is the important first step towards doing that and I am pleased that so many engaged and gave us their views.
“I recognise that there are areas where, as an employer, we can do better and I am determined that we will.
“We will continue to engage extensively with our staff in the coming weeks and months to build on the positive findings of this survey, and to address the areas that need to improve.
“Our recently published Corporate Plan for 2022-25 importantly highlights an ongoing commitment to ensuring our workforce is skilled, confident and well-supported.
“Ultimately this will result in improved outcomes for those experiencing care, support and early learning opportunities and continue to enhance our interactions with all our partners and stakeholders.”
An overview of the findings is available here.