Covid-19

We regularly update the information and guidance on our Covid-19 web pages. Some of the information on these pages comes from the Care Inspectorate and some comes from other official bodies involved in pandemic response across social care. We encourage all care services to keep themselves up to date by revisiting these pages on a regular basis. We also encourage visiting other online sources of information and guidance such as the websites of Scottish Government, NHS Inform and Public Health Scotland.

Care Inspectorate guidance for services

As information, guidance and practice about Covid-19 is becoming established and less subject to rapid change, we are no longer maintaining the Covid-19 FAQs or the Covid-19 compendium. For key information, view our Covid-19 information page below and the guidance links on this page.

Archived Updates

You can find older updates on the Archived Updates page.

Care homes for older people Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) guidance: what has changed during September 2022? (Added 29 September 2022)

The changes to IPC guidance throughout September bring care services ever closer to business-as-usual for service delivery.

We recognise that there may be anxiety around implementing some of the changes. With continued application of Standard Infection Control Precautions (SICPs) and, where needed, Transmission Based Precautions (TBP) when caring for individuals who have suspected or known infection the risks can be managed and reduced.

The Care Inspectorate support the implementation of updated IPC guidance and will take this into account when visiting services.

You can find a summary of guidance changes and links to further information here.

Joint statement supports winter vaccination programme (Added 8 September 2022)

Scottish Care, the Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland, the Care Inspectorate and the Scottish Social Services Council have issued a joint statement to support the winter vaccination programme for social care staff. You can read the statement here.

Scottish Government provides update for social care on face masks, testing and vaccination (Added 8 September 2022)

Updated Covid-19 face mask guidance for social care including adult care homes

Following a review of advice, the Scottish Government has updated its guidance on the use of face masks in social care settings including adult care homes.

The updated guidance recommends that face masks do not routinely need to be worn at all times within social care settings. Instead face masks should be for particular situations (for example following staff judgement, advice from health protection / public health or personal choice). This is because although Covid-19 continues to spread, transmission rates are lower and the virus is currently milder than at earlier stages in the pandemic resulting in a reduction in severity of illness and hospitalisation.

Full details are available online Coronavirus (Covid-19): use of face coverings in social care settings including adult care homes - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). Importantly, the fundamental principles of infection prevention and control precautions continue to be essential.

Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) Scotland and Public Health Scotland will update their associated guidance documents as soon as practically possible.  

Providers are recommended to implement the face mask guidance as soon as possible from 14 September, or earlier if they are ready to do so. The recommendations in the guidance will require discussions with staff and those receiving care and support before adoption. For some services, the changes may be able to be implemented fairly quickly while for others, it may take longer.

Scottish Government is working with Scottish Care to host a webinar regarding changes to face masks and testing within social care. This will be open to all staff within social care to ask any questions they may have about the guidance. The date will be circulated within networks once agreed.

Review of asymptomatic testing in health and social care

A review has taken place of the remaining regular asymptomatic testing in place for health and social care staff and in high-risk settings. Scottish Government will issue advice for health and social care in the week beginning 12 September. This will have updated guidance materials and an implementation date of the end of September. Until this guidance is issued, staff should continue to test as per Coronavirus (Covid-19): social care and community based testing guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

Covid and flu vaccination – autumn/winter 2022

Vaccination and the protection it offers staff and those they care for and support is important.  The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has issued advice for the Winter Covid-19 and flu programme recommending those most at risk, or those who come into regular contact with those most at risk, become eligible for a Covid-19 vaccine dose to maximise their protection over winter. Where possible, this will be co-administered with the flu vaccine, which is a safe and effective way to deliver protection.

The online booking portal for frontline health and social care workers can be accessed, along with other information on the programme and eligibility, at Winter vaccines | NHS inform. The direct portal page link is Login - Customer Service (nhs.scot).

Carers who are aged 16+ are eligible for both Covid and flu vaccination this winter. The majority will be called for vaccination later in the programme, as part of the ‘at risk’ group. At this point, appointments can be booked on the portal or through the helpline for those who don’t have digital access. The only exception is that the over 65s will shortly be sent letters with timed appointments. In those letters, it will say that unpaid carers are eligible for vaccination and give instructions on how they can book. If someone they care for gets a letter, the carer can book their appointment from that time. 

Removal of notification requirement (Added 9 June 2022)

Early in the pandemic, we introduced a notification for providers to notify us if a service was closed due to the impact of Covid-19. While services are still dealing with the effects of the pandemic including a low level of infections, there are far fewer restrictions on how we live and impacts on the operation of care services.  In recognition of this, we have decided to remove the notification ‘Change of service delivery due to Covid-19’. Therefore, there is no requirement to notify us if a service is closed for a short time due to Covid-19.

We understand there are certain circumstances when services close for a period of time and can apply to be inactive for a period of up to 12 months. You can find the details of when this can be considered and how to apply here.

New guidance materials on Open with Care: Supporting Meaningful Contact in Adult Care Homes (Added 2 June 2022)

The Scottish Government has produced new guidance materials for Open with Care - Supporting Meaningful Contact in Adult Care Homes.  

• Guidance principles document for adult care homes
• Family leaflet
• Easy read for residents

These new documents build on best practice by care homes and have been developed in consultation with a range of people including care home provider representatives, Public Health Scotland, health and social care professionals, relatives, residents and the Care Inspectorate. They have been designed to provide information for different audiences, in as relevant a way as possible.

The purpose of this suite of documents is to:

• update the Open with Care visiting guidance
• set out principles and expectations for supporting people living in care homes to maintain connections
• give an overview of the measures in place to support visiting, signposting to more detailed guidance where relevant. 

The guidance principles document should be should be read in conjunction with public health and infection prevention and control (IPC) guidance from Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) Scotland (Winter Addendum) and Pubic Health Scotland guidance for care homes (see links in document).

To support communications, hard copies of the family leaflet will be issued to care homes by the end of June.

PHS Covid-19 - information and guidance for care home settings (for older adults) v.3 (Added 2 June 2022)

This guidance was updated on 31 May with one change: New staff or agency staff working in the care home: Agency staff are now advised to undertake a PCR test within the previous 7 days before starting in the care home (formerly 48 hours). Risk assessment considerations are included for care home management in situations where this may not be feasible including the use of LFD testing.

you can access the updated guidance here.

Variation changes for care homes and care at home extended to April 2023 (Added 7 April 2022)

Social care continues to face challenges as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and we continue to support the care sector by adapting what we do, when needed.

To support services to provide support to a wider group of people, there will continue to be no requirement for providers to submit a variation for any care service type where:

• a care home for older people is caring for youngeradults or vice versa
• care at home services care for clients with different careneeds
• there is a change of operationalhours.

This will continue until April 2023.

In these circumstances, there is no requirement to submit a variation form. Instead, you should simply confirm in writing through eForms, using the notification ‘Changes to service delivery’.

Within the notification, you should note what the change is and confirm the service can meet people’s care and welfare needs.

The notification will not trigger an inspection but may trigger contact from the inspector to discuss the changes you have put in place.

For care homes that are supporting people on an interim basis until care at home is available in their area, there is no requirement to notify the Care Inspectorate. We will get this information from the oversight teams of homes being used in local areas. 

Coronavirus (Covid-19): adult care homes visiting guidance (Added 4 April 2022) 

The Scottish Government has updated guidance on visiting care homes during the pandemic plus tools and resources on visiting, and supporting residents in homes with Covid-19.

Clarification on asymptomatic testing for social care staff (Added 1 April 2022)

As soon as possible

The Scottish Government has advised that daily asymptomatic (work day) LFD testing will no longer be required and social care settings should revert back to their routine, baseline asymptomatic testing as soon as this is possible. This is either a weekly PCR or twice-weekly LFD (apart from adult care home staff who will continue to test with a weekly PCR and twice-weekly LFD).  

This approach to testing in social care has been informed by clinical advice and is subject to ongoing review. LFD tests are extremely effective at picking up the virus in asymptomatic individuals, specifically when they are most infectious and therefore more likely to pass it on to others. This is considered proportionate while still offering sufficient protection to those at highest risk.

From Monday 18 April 

The role of Covid-19 testing is changing from population wide testing, to targeted testing to support clinical care. The Scottish Government approach to testing in social care has been informed by clinical advice and is subject to ongoing review.

Based on this advice, regular asymptomatic testing will continue for parts of the health and care workforce. This is primarily in settings which are still considered high risk and/or where those using services are deemed to be at a higher risk of hospitalisation from Covid-19.

Testing will stop for staff groups in settings that are now deemed to be lower risk and/or in services which do not involve close personal care and contact or where clients are no longer at a higher risk of Covid-19.

For pathways/services continuing to test, we are moving away from using PCR testing (with the exception of adult care home staff) and asking staff to test twice weekly with LFD tests.

As stated, LFD tests are extremely effective at picking up the virus in asymptomatic individuals and specifically when they are most infectious and therefore more likely to pass it on to others.

Providers with excess LFD stock can pause their deliveries by calling the NSS helpline on 0800 008 6587.

For an overview of the social care asymptomatic pathways and changes in these pathways from Monday 18 April, click here.

Further information

Information is available on the NHS Inform website. The key messages for Scotland are:   

• As part of the Scotland-wide, coordinated response to coronavirus, NHS 24 provides the most up to date information and advice here.  
  

• NHS 24 has also set up a dedicated helpline for people who do not have coronavirus symptoms but are seeking information. The helpline number is 0800 028 2816 and is available Monday to Friday, 0800 to 1000, Saturday and Sunday, 0900 to 1700. 

• People who have travelled to an affected area and have symptoms of a cough, fever or difficulty breathing should stay at home and phone their GP (family doctor), or call NHS 24 on 111 if their GP surgery is closed.

• People with general questions are advised to visit www.nhsinform.scot/coronavirus in the first instance. This is the quickest and easiest way to get information and it also means that the 111 service is able to help those people with more immediate clinical need. NHSinform includes an interactive self-help guide where people can answer a few simple questions on line to assess whether they need to seek further help or advice by telephone.

• There is a communications toolkit with information for health and care settings to download, share and print  – please be aware that this is updated as the situation develops so should be checked frequently. Please use the latest version in your setting and update if required. 

NHS 24 has active Twitter, Facebook and Instagram channels that are the official social feeds for Coronavirus in Scotland. You can follow these from the links below. 

• https://twitter.com/NHS24
• https://www.facebook.com/NHS24
• https://www.instagram.com/nhs24.scot/

Health Protection Scotland has also produced information and guidance which should be useful and this is updated at regular intervals.

The Scottish Government summary of response arrangements for coronavirus in Scotland can be found here.   

Other guidance

• Tell Us Once service (last updated 08 April 2020)
• Information and guidance for social or community care and residential settings Version 1.6 (last updated 2 April 2020)
• Coronavirus (Covid-19): social distancing in education and childcare settings (31 March 2020)
• Coronavirus (Covid-19): childcare closures and emergency provision (30 March 2020)
• clinical guidance for the management of clients accessing care at home, housing support and sheltered housing (last updated 26 March 2020)
• clinical guidance for nursing home and residential care residents (last updated 26 March 2020)
• letter from the Chief Medical Officer, Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Social Work Adviser about Covid-19 clinical guidance for social care settings (last updated 26 March 2020)
• advice note for practitioners from Mental Welfare Commission (updated 26 March 2020)
• guidance for non-healthcare settings (last updated 25 March 2020)
• guidance for childminders (last updated 25 March 2020)
• social care at heart of response to coronavirus (updated 23 March 2020)
• guidance for non-healthcare settings (last updated 20 March 2020) (guidance for educational and early learning and childcare settings has now been updated and incorporated into this guidance)
• letter from Deputy First Minister to local authorities on school and ELC closures (19 March 2020)
• letter from Care Inspectorate chief executive (17 March 2020)
• letter from Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport - social care guidance (13 March 2020)
• factsheet on the coronavirus for places of education

NHS Inform has published guidance leaflets and posters in a variety of different languages and easy-read format. You can download these from their website here.   

Fees

Services must pay fees to be registered with us.  The maximum limit is set by Scottish Ministers.  The fees we collect contribute to our operating costs.

We charge a fee for registering a new service and an annual continuation fee.  The annual continuation fee licenses a care service to operate.

Download our fees table here. 

Annual continuation of registration fee

We will send an invoice each year for all your registered services.  The date of when we send the invoice depends on the date you first registered.  The table below helps you work out when your continuation fee will be due each following year:

 If a service cancels part way through its fee year, we do not give a refund or discount.

Combined service discount

Separately registered services that operate from the same premises, sharing staff, management, policies and so on, are often referred to as ‘combined services’.  Combined services can be cheaper for us to administer.  If they are, we give a 15% discount on the smaller of their continuation fees.

The discount isn’t automatic and we must be confident that we can make a saving on their administration.  Combined service discounts will show on the smaller service’s continuation fee invoice.  If you think you may be entitled to a combined service discount, but there is no discount shown on your smaller service’s invoice, please contact your inspector.

We don’t normally give combined service discounts to fostering and adoption services.  We don’t give discounts to services where the continuation fee is less than £500.

Variation, addition or removal of condition(s) – No fees charged

Although we have set this fee at zero, you must still complete an application to add, vary or remove a condition of registration.  You can apply online through the digital portal. If this is not possible, call our Contact Centre on 0345 600 9527 for an application form.

New certificate fees – no charge

If we grant a variation to your registration, we will issue you with a new certificate of registration.  There is no charge for sending your certificate.

Cancellations – no charge

Like variation fees, we have set the cancellation fee at zero.  You can apply to cancel online through the digital portal. If this is not possible, call our Contact Centre on 0345 600 9527.

Unless we agree a shorter timescale, you must give us 3 months’ notice of your proposed cancellation.  We will consider your cancellation completed when you have returned all the necessary documentation and we have confirmed your cancellation.  If you are voluntarily cancelling a service in the period leading up to your annual continuation fee due date, make sure you don’t delay the process unnecessarily.

If you do not cancel your service before the annual continuation fee is due then it becomes payable in full.  The annual continuation fee is not discounted for services that only operate for part of a year.

How to pay Care Inspectorate fees

Credit/Debit Card

You can pay by credit or debit card online through the following link:  https://www.gov.uk/payments/care-inspectorate/continuation-fee

Tonepay

The quickest and most convenient way to make your payment. This is an automated payment system available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please call 0345 603 6979 and choose option 1 to use this service.  You will require your 6-digit customer number that you will find top left on your invoice/reminder. You then enter the amount you wish to pay, followed by your card details. A reference number will be provided for successful payments.

Direct Debit

You can pay by direct debit, either as a single payment or by 10 equal monthly instalments (only available if the fee is more than £100). 

Direct Debits are normally collected at these times:

We do not fully control when the fees are set. We decide this in consultation with Scottish Government.  Because of this, collection dates and number of instalments may change.  If they do, we will let you know.   

If you wish to pay by Direct Debit, please download, print and complete the Direct Debit instruction adding your customer number and return it to us.

BACS

Royal Bank of Scotland, St Andrew Square, Edinburgh

Sort Code: 83-06-08
Account Number: 11580052
Account Name: Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland

Cheque/Postal Order

You may pay by either cheque or postal order, made payable to The Care Inspectorate, including the remittance advice on the foot of your invoice, at any Care Inspectorate office or by posting to:

Care Inspectorate, Finance – Income Section, Compass House,
11 Riverside Drive, Dundee, DD1 4NY.

Contact us

Please contact us if you have an enquiry about your invoice. Call us on 0345 603 6979 Monday to Friday 9am – 4pm, or write to us at: Care Inspectorate, Finance – Income Section, Compass House, 11 Riverside Drive, Dundee, DD1 4NY or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Fee Information

This can be found within the fee section of our website

Inactive services

Please note that although your service may be inactive, you will still be due to pay annual continuation fees.

Notifications and record keeping

• Records that all registered children and young people’s care services must keep and guidance on notification reporting
• Records that all registered care services (except childminding) must keep and guidance on notification reporting
• Records childminding services must keep and notification reporting guidance

Large Scale Investigation Notifications

Since 2014, adult protection codes of practice have required that the Care Inspectorate is alerted to the occurrence of large scale investigations.

This is an expectation that is directed at Local Authorities and now, by extension, HSCPs.

Please notify us on the commencement of a large scale investigation here.

Please notify us of the completion of a large scale investigation here.

Notifications and record keeping 

By law all services must tell us immediately if certain events take place. 

• Accidents, incidents or injuries
• Outbreak of infectious disease
• Death of person using a care service 
• Allegations of abuse
• Significant equipment breakdown
• Allegation of misconduct by a provider or employee
• Criminal convictions resulting in unfitness of a manager
• A provider becoming unfit
• Absence of manager
• Planned refurbishment/alteration/extension of premises
• Change of registration details
• Person living at the registered premises

We have produced comprehensive guidance on the records you must keep and the notifications you must make (click on the links below).

• Notification on controlled drugs
• Changes to notifications of deaths of looked after children and deaths of young people in continuing care or receiving aftercare provision
• Deaths of looked after children
• Deaths of young people receiving aftercare provision
• Deaths of young people in continuing care
• Learning reviews
  
• Initial Case Reviews (ICRS) & Significant Case Reviews (SCRS) - Adults
• Serious Incident Reviews

Annual returns

This year's annual returns are now closed. We would like to thank everyone who submitted their annual return to us by the deadline, Sunday 17 March 2024. The information you have provided will help us plan, inform and carry out our inspections and improvement work.

Each year, we ask service providers to complete an annual return to help us plan, inform and carry out our inspections and improvement work. 

We also publish a number of annual statistical publications and share some of the information with other organisations, such as the Scottish Social Services Council and the Scottish Government.

The intelligence we gather through annual returns helps us target our improvement activity and support within social care. It is a great source of baseline data across a variety of health and wellbeing indicators which we use to identify, drive and track improvement, for example infection control, nutrition and the recruitment and retention of staff.  The data also helps us to identify trends and topics by both geographical area or service type, so that we can see where best to focus our improvement support work, for example, improvement workshops or new resources and guidance for care services across the sector.

Based on feedback we have received from providers and their representative groups about the pressures and challenging context that the sector is currently facing, we have extended the annual return submission period for an additional four weeks. We understand these challenges and are committed to supporting services as much as we can.  As part of this, we hope this extension will allow more time for this work to be undertaken. 

All service types must complete their annual returns electronically, using our eForms system. It is important that services regularly check their eForms account to make sure that their email address is up to date, and that only authorised people have access to their account. All services should check their eForms email address.

Even inactive services must submit an annual return.

We no longer automatically downgrade services for failing to submit an annual return. This is because we do not believe that non-submission is necessarily a reflection of poor quality of service. We will, however, continue to publish details about submission or non-submission of annual returns within inspection reports. We also reserve the right to make a formal requirement relating to submission of an annual return, or in cases of serious or persistent non-compliance, to issue an improvement notice under s62 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, requiring its submission.

Please note that where the manager of the service has changed, you must formally notify the Care Inspectorate of the correct details. This can be done using our online digital portal.  

Related documents

If you have any questions about the annual returns, please read our frequently asked questions.

Find out what has changed in the 2023-24 annual return.