Pre-inspection return (PIR)
This return provides information needed during the preparation phase of the inspection. It includes contextual information in terms of key personnel and structures in relation to:
- CPP members.
- staff involved in integrated children’s services planning.
To enable us to develop the statistically valid case file sample we request information about children and young people receiving services on an agreed date. This will include all children and young people:
- who have been subject to a child protection investigation that has not led to child protection registration. This includes instances where child protection involvement has ended at the initial referral discussion, investigation or child protection planning meeting (previously known as the initial child protection case conference). This excludes instances where concerns have been reported for children, but these have not led to the commencement of a child protection investigation.
- whose names have been placed on the child protection register.
- involved in vulnerable young person’s processes (or equivalent protective process, varying nationally)
- involved in care and risk management processes (or equivalent process, varying nationally)
The request is sent in the form of an excel spreadsheet to be completed electronically. The return should be made in association with all relevant parties (ie. local authority, health, police and Scottish Children’s Reporter).
The PIR will be sent to the identified Inspection Co-ordinator shortly after the notification with return requested within three weeks.
To comply with DPA 2018 and GDPR, the CPP must ensure that any personal data that they send to the Care Inspectorate is:
- adequate - sufficient to properly fulfil our stated purpose;
- relevant - has a link to that purpose; and
- limited to what is necessary - for example, we do not need personal identifiers.
Any personal material that is sent over and above that which is required for the purposes of the inspection may constitute a data breach by the CPP and may be reportable to the Information Commissioner.
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Partnership discussions
Discussions between community planning partners and members of the joint inspection team take place throughout the course of the inspection. Some of these will be at set intervals, whilst others may be as and when the need arises (see guidance). The purpose and representation at each meeting will be dependent upon the phase of the inspection.
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Matters of concern arising during the inspection
At any point during an inspection, inspectors may have cause to believe that a child or adult is at risk of harm as a result of abuse or poor practice. In these circumstances, inspectors have a responsibility to report their concerns and ensure that services with a responsibility to investigate and take the necessary actions to protect the child or adult at risk are able to do so.
Addressing matters of concern during a joint inspection
- Each CPP will have identified a lead member of staff that the inspection lead will liaise with when a concern is raised. This will normally be a senior manager in children’s social work.
- The inspection lead will ensure that inspectors, local file readers and associate assessors know what to do when they are significantly concerned about an issue and they will be guided to complete a concern form.
- Concerns will be discussed with the inspection lead who will decide if the concern needs to be brought to the attention of the local lead member of staff in the CPP.
- The local lead member of staff will take action in line with the relevant inter-agency procedures to report all instances where it is believed that a child or adult is at immediate risk of harm, or, may have experienced abuse which has hitherto not been the subject of a satisfactory investigation.
- The referral from the Care Inspectorate will be recorded on the local case management system. They will also be recorded on a record.
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Parents and carers survey
During the inspection it is important that we hear as much as possible from the children and young people using services. Consequently, we have adapted our methodology to enable the views of children and young people to be prominent. We have also developed a survey specifically to hear feedback from parents and carers.
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Inspection team - roles and responsibilities
Inspection lead
The inspection lead will be a strategic inspector from the Care Inspectorate. They are responsible for the successful conduct of the joint inspection and as such leads on all aspects and phases of the inspection. Responsibilities include leading the inspection team; ensuring the effective gathering and analysis of complex data and evidence across the range of relevant services; and reaching sound conclusions about how well services work together to ensure good outcomes for children.
The inspection lead plays a key role in setting the tone of the inspection by establishing credibility and confidence of chief officers, community planning partners, senior managers and key staff in the range of services involved throughout the joint inspection.
Depute inspection lead
The depute inspection lead is responsible for supporting the inspection lead in the preparation, planning and management of all phases throughout the joint inspection. The role includes deputising for the inspection lead for aspects of the inspection as directed, as well as assuming responsibility for the conduct and completion of the inspection in the absence, or withdrawal, of the inspection lead due to unforeseen circumstances.
Strategic support officer
The strategic support officer (SSO) project manages each inspection. They work closely with the Care Inspectorate's inspection lead and depute inspection lead in supporting the inspection. They provide a key link for the partnership and will work alongside a co-ordinator identified by the CPP. The SSO co-ordinates a wide range of activities to ensure that the inspection runs efficiently, and they are the first point of contact for the CPP for logistical aspects of the inspection.
Relationship manager
The Care Inspectorate has a regulatory relationship manager linked to each local authority area and they will provide a “profile of performance” about care services operating within the area. This helps to build a picture and contribute to the inspectors analysis of the partnership’s self-evaluation.
Link inspector
A strategic inspector within the Care Inspectorate has a link role with each local authority in Scotland. They provide support and challenge to the local authority social work service and the Child Protection Committee, as well as participating in the Shared Risk Assessment/Local Scrutiny Plan development. As part of the inspection team, their responsibilities include preparing and submitting an analysis of relevant data and intelligence in respect of services in the area. The link inspector also has the key role in subsequently monitoring progress of any action plan resulting from the joint inspection.
Inspection team members
Other inspection team members include:
- Other Care Inspectorate strategic inspectors
- His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) Associate Inspector
- Inspectors from Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) and Education Scotland
- Associate assessors - drawn from a pool of experienced professionals who have been nominated by CPPs and their employer to take part in strategic inspection teams
- Young inspection volunteers aged 18 to 26 who are supported by a voluntary organisation and have relevant experience of care services.
The role of all inspection team members throughout the inspection is to:
- gather, record and analyse evidence across services and from a range of sources including a review of multi-agency practice by reading children’s records;
- interview children, young people, parents and carers sensitively to obtain evidence of their experiences, the impact of the services that they receive, and the outcomes achieved;
- facilitate and record focus groups on key themes or with particular groups of staff; and
- produce clear and concise written reports within the inspection timeline to assist the inspection team to reach conclusions about the quality of services provided.
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