Joint inspections
The joint inspections are undertaken by the Care Inspectorate’s strategic inspection team who sit within the Scrutiny and Assurance Directorate. Please click here to find out more information.
Inspections
Infection prevention and control (IPC) standards published
Healthcare Improvement Scotland has published new IPC standards that apply to health and adult social care settings
The standards will act as a key component in the drive to reduce the risk of infections in health and social care in Scotland. They will support services to quality assure their IPC practice and approaches, and the IPC principles set out in the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual.
The Care Inspectorate will take account of the standards in our inspection and regulation of adult and older people’s care services including care homes.
The standards can be found here.
Our approach to inspection and self-evaluation
In consultation with the social care sector, we have developed a self-evaluation and quality framework model based on the Scottish Government’s Health and Social Care Standards. We have used this model to develop a suite of quality frameworks for different service types.
Our inspectors use quality frameworks to evaluate the quality of care during inspections and improvement planning.
All our frameworks are available to download from the publications and statistics area or on The Hub.
The frameworks replace our previous practice of inspecting against themes and statements. Inspectors will look select a number of quality indicators from a number of key questions to look at.
Framework structure
The frameworks better reflect the Health and Social Care Standards and provides more transparency about what we expect.
They set out key questions about the difference a care service makes to people’s wellbeing, and the quality of the elements that contribute to that. These include:
- How well do we support people’s wellbeing?
- How good is our leadership
- How good is our staff team?
- How good is our setting?
- How well is our care and support planned?
Under each key question, there are three or four quality indicators, covering specific areas of practice. Each quality indicator has illustrations of what ‘very good’ quality would look like, and what ‘weak’ quality would look like. These illustrations are drawn from the Health and Social Care Standards but are not checklists or definitive descriptions. They are designed to help people understand the level of quality we are looking for.
A sixth question, ‘What is our overall capacity for improvement?’ is included in the framework to help care services in planning their improvement journey.
Each quality indicator includes a scrutiny and improvement toolbox. This includes examples of how we might evidence the quality of care provided. It also contains links to practice documents that will help services in their own improvement journey.
Key questions added as a result of Covid-19
In order to robustly assess arrangements to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, our inspections are placing particular focus on infection prevention and control, wellbeing and staffing in care settings.
We have developed a key question to augment our frameworks. We have done this to meet the duties placed on us by the Coronavirus (Scotland) (No. 2) Act and subsequent guidance that we must evaluate infection prevention and control and staffing.
This means carry out targeted inspections that are short, focused and carried out with colleagues from Health Improvement Scotland and Health Protection Scotland, to assess care and support during the Covid-19 pandemic. We will continue to put the wellbeing for people experiencing care at the heart of our inspections.
This additional key question has been added to our frameworks for:
- Care homes for children and young people and school care accommodation (special residential schools)
- Mainstream boarding schools and school hostels
- Secure accommodation
Self-evaluation
The quality frameworks help services evaluate themselves. Self-evaluation is central to continuous improvement. It enables care settings to reflect on what they are doing so they can recognise what they do well and identify what they need to do better. We have published a guide to self-evaluation to support services in their improvement journey.
Where can I find out more?
The quality frameworks and key question 7's (KQ7s), and our inspection leaflet gives more information.
Alternatively, you can contact your inspector, call us on 0345 600 9527 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Enforcements
Enforcement is an essential and powerful element of the Care Inspectorates' core responsibilities and it is central to our aim of protecting service users and bringing about an improvement in the quality of care services.
We have two different types of notices that can be served against care services.
Condition Notices
A condition notice is served when the Care Inspectorate needs to change the conditions of registration of a service in order for it to operate. If a provider wants to change their conditions of registration, they can apply for a variation. An application for variation is not treated as “enforcement”. Read more about variations here.
Improvement Notice
An improvement notice might be served when we have sufficient concerns about a service. The provider must make the required improvements within a given timescale. If not, we may pursue the cancellation of that service. Cancelling a service is rare and we work hard with services to ensure that this is the last resort.
Urgent Proceedings
If we believe that there is a serious and immediate risk to life, health or wellbeing, we can apply to the Sheriff Court for emergency cancellation of a service's registration or apply for changes to their conditions.
Click here to view/download the Enforcement Policy.
Read more in our Requiring care services in Scotland to improve leaflet.
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
Unannounced inspections
Unannounced inspections
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.
Changes to registration, variations and cancelled services
Apply to vary conditions of registration
If you need to vary, (add, amend or remove) the conditions of registration of your service, you should in the first instance discuss this with the inspector responsible for your service. You will now be able to make an application to vary the conditions of your registration on the portal. Note, you are currently only able to have one application for variation in progress at a time.
Unless otherwise agreed with us, the date the variation is to take effect from must not be less than three months after the date of application. We can only grant or refuse an application to vary a condition – we cannot change the detail of the variation that you have originally requested. However, whilst the application is still in progress you can update/amend the application yourself within the portal. Where you subsequently decide that you no longer wish the variation request to be progressed, for instance, if it is no longer necessary due to a change of circumstances, then you should discuss this with whoever has been dealing with your application. You must then withdraw the application via the portal, and we will receive automatic notification of this.
Guidance for childminders on applying to increase capacity in childminding settings
Inactive services
We have implemented a revised policy on ‘Inactive Care Services’.
Services registered with the Care Inspectorate must operate within the legal framework laid out within the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, (the “Act”). We have adopted a policy where any service can make an application to stop operating for up to 12 months, without having to cancel their registration. Where such an application is granted, a service will be referred to as ‘inactive’.
Reasons for a service to be treated as inactive would be limited to:
- refurbishment of premises
- provider has caring responsibilities for a limited period of time
- provider maternity leave
- provider health issues.
There may be, on occasion, other exceptional circumstances, which we may consider on an individual basis.
During a period of inactivity, a provider must continue to submit an annual return, pay continuation fees, submit notifications and ensure the service continues to meet all of the legal requirements under the Act. Prior to the service becoming operational, the provider must notify us in advance that their service is operational and ensure the service is ‘fit’ to operate and meets the needs of the service users.
Applications for inactive care service status and notifications of intention to become operational should be submitted using the digital portal.
The relevant forms are available via your portal account. Select the “apply to become inactive / active” option on the right hand side of your menu page. If you require any assistance please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.or contact 0345 600 9527 Monday to Friday 09:00 - 16:00.
Cancel a service
Any registered service can voluntarily apply to cancel their registration.
If you are a care service, and want to cancel your registration, you must complete our application to cancel a care service form before we can progress with your cancellation. You can submit your request using through our digital portal.
Cancelled services
We have an obligation to publish a list of all care services that have been previously registered and that are now cancelled.
You will be able to check here for a list of all cancelled services. This is updated monthly to reflect any new cancellations.
Cancelled services 31 March 2024
If you require any further information about these services please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or contact 0345 600 9527.
Quality grades
Quality grades
Cancelling your registration
Cancelling your registration
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:
| Date of first registration | Annual continuation fee due from |
| Between 1 April and 30 June | 1 April |
| Between 1 July and 30 September | 1 July |
| Between 1 October and 31 December | 1 October |
| Between 1 January and 31 March | 1 January |
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:
|
Annual continuation due date |
Single payment by |
10 equal instalments |
| 1 April | 31 May | from 31 May to 28 Feb |
| 1 July | 31 August | from 31 Aug to 31 May |
| 1 October | 30 November | from 30 Nov to 31 Aug |
| 1 January | 28 February | from 28 Feb to 30 Nov |
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.