What does the Care Inspectorate do? Scotland inspections and ratings

If you’re searching for ‘what does the Care Inspectorate do?’, this guide sums up everything you need to know about Care Inspectorate in Scotland including inspections, role, Care Inspectorate ratings, eForms and reports.

What is the Care Inspectorate?

The Care Inspectorate is the independent regulator of social care and social work services in Scotland. It is officially known as Care Inspectorate Scotland.

The care watchdog ensures that services meet high standards of quality.

It regulates:

• Care homes for adults. 
• Home care services.
• Childminders and nurseries.
• Support services.
• Housing support.
• Adult placement.
• Care homes for children.
• Childcare agency.
• Fostering and adoption services.
• Nurse agency.
• Offender accommodation.
• Schoolcare accommodation. 
• Secure care.

What is the purpose of the Care Inspectorate?

The regulator ensures everyone receiving care services is protected, is treated with dignity, respect and compassion and the quality of care across Scotland improves.

The work of the Care Inspectorate affects the public, including:

• Anyone looking for a care home for themselves, family or friends.
• A care home provider looking to meet quality standards.
• A policymaker using inspection data for decision-making.

What does the Care inspectorate do?

Scotland’s Care Inspectorate ensures that care services in Scotland are effective, high quality and protect the rights and wellbeing of people who rely on care services.  

It does this by carrying out inspections, registering new care services, conducting investigations into complaints and helping care home providers improve by offering support.

1. Register new care services

If you or anyone else wants to provide a care service in Scotland, you must register with the Care Inspectorate.

Without registration, operating a care service is illegal.

Registering a new care services such as a care home, involves:

• Submitting detailed documentation.
• Meeting specific legal and care standards.
• Passing initial inspections.

2. Investigate complaints

The Care Inspectorate investigates complaints made by:

• People receiving care.
• Family members.
• Staff or whistleblowers.
• Members of the public.

Complaints can lead to action such as requirements for the care provider to improve services, or in extreme cases, care home closure.

3. Work with care providers to support improvement

The Care Inspectorate is focused on enforcement and working with care providers such as care homes to drive improvement.

This includes:

• Offering guidance and best practices.
• Sharing reports and case studies.
• Hosting events and training sessions.

4. Research and policy

The Care Inspectorate contributes to shaping care policy in Scotland.

It conducts research, publishes national reports and works with government bodies to inform decisions about the future of social care.

The regulator states: ‘Our vision is that everyone experiences safe, high-quality care that meets their needs, rights and choices.’

5. Inspect care homes and other care providers

The regulator carries out regular inspections of care homes and other care services, most of which are unannounced.

During inspections, inspectors are:

• Observing how people are cared for.
• Talking to people using the care service, staff and managers and gathering opinions from other professionals visiting the care home.
• Recording evaluations and evidence electronically and can take photographs.
• Looking at the self-assessment form that the regulator has asked the care home to complete.
• Checking samples of care home documentation, including case records and personal care plans.

Inspections involve assessing how well care homes are performing based on national standards.

During a care home inspection, the regulator is guided by Scotland’s Health and Social Care Standards and the 5 principles of the Care Inspectorate. This describes what people should expect from care. 

What are the 5 principles of the Care Inspectorate?

Scotland’s Health and Social Care Standards are underpinned by 5 principles:

1. Dignity and respect.
2. Compassion.
3. Responsive care and support.
4. Wellbeing.
5. Be included. 

What are Care Inspectorate ratings? 

A care home is given grades when it is inspected.

Inspections look at quality of care and support, staff skills and training, safety and cleanliness, leadership and management and rights of individuals using the service.

Each of these areas is assessed on a scale from 1 to 6, where 1 in Unsatisfactory and 6 is Excellent.

1. Unsatisfactory: Major weaknesses. Urgent remedial action required.
2. Weak: Important weaknesses. Priority action required to improve.      
3. Adequate: Strengths just outweigh weaknesses.
4. Good: Important strengths with some areas for improvement.
5. Very Good: Major strengths in supporting positive outcomes for people. Very few areas for improvement.
6. Excellent: Outstanding or sector leading. Demonstrable track record of innovation.

After every inspection, the regulator publishes an inspection report with its findings for the public to access online.   

How often do Scottish care homes get inspected?

Newly-registered care homes are typically inspected with the first 12 months of operation.

Some care homes are inspected annually. 

Higher-risk care homes or those with poor reports are inspected more often than once a year. 

What if a care home is not good enough in Scotland?

In a statement, the Care Inspectorate states: ‘If we find that care isn’t good enough, we take action.

‘We can make recommendations for improvement and issue requirements for change and check these have happened.

‘If a care service doesn’t improve, we can carry out enforcement action including, as a last resort, closing it down subject to the decision of a sheriff.’

What is the Care Inspectorate eforms?

The Care Inspectorate eForms system is an online platform used by registered care services in Scotland for submitting required information electronically to the Care Inspectorate. 

Annual returns and certain notifications are submitted via the eForms system.

Care providers can check out the regulator’s guidance on eForms. 

How do I complain to the Care Inspectorate?

If you have a complaint about a care home, it is best to raise this with the care home manager in the first instance, which could ensure it is handled quickly.  

If you think a care service isn’t good enough, you can share your concern or make a complaint to the Care Inspectorate.  

How to raise a complaint about a care home in Scotland

For a registered care service, you can choose to contact Scotland’s regulator directly. You can either:

• Complete: this online form
• Call: 0345 600 9527 (Mondays to Fridays).
• Email: concerns@careinspectorate.gov.scot

How can I access Care Inspectorate reports and care home ratings?

If you’re looking for inspection reports or want to check a care service’s rating, you can visit the care inspectorate’s website and search by care home name, location, or type

You can also check out carehome.co.uk reviews to get opinions about what residents and their family and friends actually think of individual care homes.