Job profile
Job title: Inspector
Location: Local / nearest office base
Responsible to: Team manager
Job overview
Our inspectors have a vital role to ensure that people in Scotland who need care, receive high quality, safe and compassionate care. They are responsible for assuring and improving the quality of care for people who use care services by determining and undertaking appropriate scrutiny, assurance and improvement activities.
Our values
Our values are about clearly establishing what it means to be a Care Inspectorate employee and set the standard for every person and how they play their part. Our values are:
- Person-centred: we will put people at the heart of everything we do
- Fairness: we will act fairly, be transparent and treat people equally
- Respect: we will be respectful in all that we do
- Integrity: we will be impartial and act to improve care for the people of Scotland
- Efficiency: we will provide the best possible quality and public value from our work
- Equality: we will promote and advance equality, diversity and inclusion in all our work and interactions
Key responsibilities
- Plan and deliver timely and high-quality scrutiny activities of registered services aligned with the Public Services Reform Act.
- Provide feedback, report on findings and work with providers to support improvement and innovation and signpost good practice.
- Apply specialist knowledge and skills to gather, analyse, assess and share information and intelligence on care services and service providers to help target scrutiny and improvement activities.
- Apply specialist knowledge, skills and expertise to authoritatively and credibly provide advice and guidance to service providers and their staff to support continuous improvement in the quality of care they deliver.
- Work in partnership with people who use services, family carers, scrutiny delivery and policy partners to act as a catalyst for change and innovation and promote the Health and Social Care Standards and good practice guidance.
- Support the strategic scrutiny activities of adult or children’s services or shared scrutiny activities with other scrutiny bodies as required.
- Support enforcement activities, attending legal hearings or other types of constituted hearings to give evidence or advice.
- Produce evaluative reports, within required timescales, to include clear evidence-based outcomes that direct and contribute to improvements in the care and protection of service users.
- Work collaboratively and effectively with a range of stakeholders, including partner scrutiny bodies and Scottish Government staff and officials.
- Participate in supervision arrangements, team meetings, appraisal and learning and development as required and appropriate.
- Provide relationship management support to allocated providers.
- Take a lead role on designated projects and other initiatives that require specialist knowledge, expertise and experience.
- Support the induction of new start inspectors and colleagues through peer learning and other learning and development activities within your team and directorate.
- Participate in and support quality assurance activities of the work of the care inspectorate.
- Work flexibly to meet the needs of the business and the availability of providers (for example evening and weekend working and travel and overnight stays across Scotland, where required).
- Undertake such other duties as may be required by the organisation to fulfil the role of Inspector.
Key accountabilities
- Ensure accurate records of all registered services are prepared and maintained, and share intelligence, in accordance with the requirements and procedures of the Care Inspectorate.
- Maintain a high standard of records in relation to work undertaken, producing reports, letters and instructions.
- Work to relevant professional codes of practice and ensure national occupational standards are achieved.
- Follow processes and duties relating to enforcement action against registered services
- Build and maintain productive working relationships, both internally and externally with providers and partners.
- Share and maintain knowledge and understanding of current developments in your specialist area (early learning and childcare, adults or children and young people).
- Participate in all learning and development activities relevant to your role, including the professional development award (PDA) and/ or other qualifications as deemed necessary.
- Maintain professional registration with the relevant professional regulatory body.
- Meet performance management indicators and performance management objectives of the organisation as relevant to your role.
Inspector (adults)
Join us and make a difference – for you, for everyone
It’s our job to ensure care for everyone, everywhere in Scotland is as good as it can be. If you are as passionate about high-quality care as we are, and you’re experienced in your field, we’d love to hear from you. We are looking for talented people to join us in making a difference.
About you
You’ll have considerable experience in adult health or social work/care as well as significant knowledge of current policy drivers and challenges within the sector. You will have a successful track record in working with people, assessing standards of care, managing conflict and promoting the rights of people who use care services.
We’re currently recruiting for vacancies in our inspection teams. We are looking for applicants particularly in the central belt, North West Scotland, Argyll and Bute, and Dumfries and Galloway. However, we welcome applications from candidates across mainland Scotland.
We would welcome applications from candidates across mainland Scotland. As an inspector you must be able to travel with occasional overnight stays as required.
About us
We are different because of our great benefits, our investment in learning and development, and above all, giving you the opportunity to help shape care in Scotland.
What you will be doing as an inspector
Making a difference through working with services delivering adult and older people care. You’ll work with people experiencing care, care service providers, managers and staff and be confident in supporting and advising on improvement.
Click here to watch a short video on what one of our inspectors has said about their role.
The skills you need
If you think this job is where you can make a real difference to people’s lives, there are a few things you need. Whilst it’s important to have the basics, we will support you in developing your skillset throughout your journey with us.
You’ll be confident about what good-quality care looks like and how to deliver it across adults and older people services. You’ll be resilient and adaptable, able to work on your own initiative or as part of a team, manage competing priorities, build effective networks with partners, and have strong communication skills. Equally, you’ll be good at analysing information and evidence, and you’ll have excellent writing skills to produce reports that are clear, concise, and focused on outcomes.
We need you to have a relevant qualification (minimum SCQF Level 9) and be registered or eligible to register with a professional body like the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) or General Teaching Council (GTC). Please see further information at the bottom of this advert on recent updates to the registration process for the SSSC.
All new entrants will start on the grade minimum for the role however we have a generous benefits package which is highlighted below.
Salary and benefits
- Salary: £46,569 - £54,975 plus excellent benefits.
- Network of offices across Scotland.
- Flexible Hours: 140 hours to be worked over a 4-week period.
- Up to 37 days annual leave (after 5 years’ service) + 6 fixed public holidays.
- Contract: Permanent, two-year secondment or locum (where candidates have previously worked for us as inspectors).
We desire to achieve an effective and balanced way of working, that enables us to meet organisational needs and achieve a work-life balance that promotes wellbeing and collaboration opportunities. Our hybrid working policy gives you the flexibility to mix working from home with attendance at your base office and other work locations, spending no more than 60% of your working time working from home, measured over a 4-week period.
In addition to our excellent benefits package, we also pride ourselves on the values we hold, person-centred; fairness; respect; efficiency and integrity - all supported with a culture of care and kindness. We’re proud to be a progressive, supportive employer, and equality, diversity and inclusion are important to us.
This is an exciting time to join the Care Inspectorate, with an opportunity to be at the heart of change as we consider the impact of the independent care review. We’ve recently changed our recruitment process and how we assess new people. We’re looking to attract inspectors from a broader range of professional backgrounds and now is the perfect time to come and join us.
What next?
Click here to find out more on our careers site. You can also contact the recruitment team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for further information.
If you’re ready to apply now, please click here to access our gateway questions and application form. Your application should be received no later than Monday 3 March 2025 at 08:00.
The Care Inspectorate is committed to recruiting, retaining and developing a workforce that reflects the diverse communities that we serve. It is vital that we monitor and analyse diversity information so that we can identify how we can improve the way we meet the needs of our applicants and staff. To assist us to monitor the effectiveness of our equality and diversity practices, we would encourage you to complete the equalities monitoring form at the end of the application form.
We anticipate holding Stage 1 of our assessment process between Friday 14 - Monday 17 March, and Stage 2 no earlier than Monday 7 April 2025 over a 2 week period at one of our main offices.
If you successfully complete our selection process, we’ll either confirm you’re the preferred candidate for a suitable vacancy (based on your specialism and location) or you’ll be invited to join our talent pool for future vacancies that would be suitable for you.
Registration information and process
As an Inspector you will support the Assurance and Improvement Directorate to ensure that the Care Inspectorate meets its responsibilities as defined by the Public Services Reform Act 2010 and other relevant legislation.
The successful applicant must be registered with a professional body (this can be NMC, GTCS, NMC, HCPC, SSSC), within three months of appointment.
For SSSC registration, there is a specific registration category for Care Inspectorate Authorised Officers (AO). Regulated Care Inspectors who register with SSSC will do so as a Primary Authorised Officer under both types of work (Social Care and Children & Young People). Primary Authorised Officers will require to complete a Professional Development Award in Scrutiny and Improvement Practice within 5 years of initial registration.
Employees will be expected to maintain registration with the same professional body throughout their employment in the Care Inspectorate. This includes employees working in authorised officer roles who are recruited to the Care Inspectorate based on their registration with the NMC, GTCS, HCPC or other recognised professional body. It is a contractual requirement to maintain registration with the same professional body and employees should not transfer their registration to the SSSC from another recognised professional body, including the NMC, GTCS or HCPC.
Job profile
Person specification
HR Adviser
Job title: Human Resources Adviser
Salary: £38,553 to £42,597
Hours: 35 hours per week
Location: Flexible (Any Care Inspectorate office)
Contract: Permanent
About us
We are the national regulator and scrutiny body responsible for providing assurance and protection for people who experience care services, their families, carers and the wider public, as well as supporting delivery partners to improve the quality of care for people in Scotland. Our vision is that people across Scotland experience high quality care that meets their needs, rights and choices.
We are a scrutiny body that supports improvement. We inspect individual care services and we also work with other scrutiny bodies to inspect the social care and social work services people are experiencing in their local areas.
Our desire is to achieve an effective and balanced way of working, that enables us to meet organisational needs and achieve a work-life balance that promotes wellbeing and collaboration opportunities. We are moving towards an expectation that all staff will work collaboratively, within and across teams, in person, for approximately 40% of their working week. The Care Inspectorate employs approximately 600 employees.
About the role
This is an exciting opportunity to work with a dynamic HR team on a hybrid basis. Reporting to the Senior HR Business Partner, you will support managers and staff across the organisation to provide expert advice and guidance on a wide range of HR related matters.
The HR Adviser will play a crucial role in fostering a positive work environment, advising on employee relations matters including absence management, performance management and disciplinary and grievance cases. You will also play an active role in the development and review of our people management policies continually seeking feedback from our managers, unions and stakeholders across the organisation.
About you
You will be an experienced HR generalist with a strong track record of managing complex employee relations matters. You will bring extensive knowledge of employment legislation and its practical application, coupled with hands-on experience in developing and implementing people management policies and designing and delivering HR related training for managers and staff.
You will be educated to SCQF Level 9 or have equivalent experience and be a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). It is essential that you are comfortable working with managers at all levels across the organisation to provide a high-quality advisory service. You will have the ability to foster good working relations within the wider HR team, your business partnering areas and with our trade unions through your positive interpersonal, communication and influencing skills.
The application process
If you believe that you are a suitable candidate for this post, please download and complete an applicant form and equal opportunities form and submit both by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Next steps
You’ll find more information in the job profile and person specification.
If you would like more information or an informal chat about the role please contact Louise Maxwell at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - please include a contact telephone number that would be best to reach you on in your email.
If you believe that you are a suitable candidate for this post, please download and complete an application form and equal opportunities form and submit it by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 08:00 on Monday 13 May 2024.
It is anticipated that interviews will be held on Monday 27 May 20024 at our Dundee Headquarters office.
Person specification
Job title: Human Resources Adviser
Attributes |
Essential |
Desirable
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Experience |
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Education, qualifications and training |
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Skills and knowledge |
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Key performance outcomes
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Essential |
Desirable |
Effective communication |
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Partnership working |
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Team working |
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Objective decision making |
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Planning and organising |
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Understands and uses appropriate methods and tools to meet targets. |
Please note – these are key performance outcomes to be used to recruit into the role. Successful applicants will be assessed against all the performance indicators used in the Performance Development Review System once established in the role.
Job profile
Job title: Human Resources Adviser
Responsible to: Senior HR Business Partner
Principal working contacts:
- HR business partnering team
- Shared service recruitment and transactions teams
- Care Inspectorate colleagues and management
- Trade Union officials and representatives
Job purpose
The HR adviser will work closely with stakeholders across the organisation to provide expert advice and guidance on a wide range of HR related matters. This includes all employment related matters, employee relations, people management policies and employment regulations.
The HR adviser will play a crucial role in fostering a positive work environment, promoting employee engagement and contributing to the overall success of the Care Inspectorate through the delivery of a cohesive HR service across the organisation.
Key responsibilities
- To provide advice and guidance to managers and staff members on complex case management issues including absence management, wellbeing, disciplinary, dignity at work, capability and grievance matters, during both informal and formal processes.
- Support the Senior HR Business Partner in developing, implementing and evaluating HR policies, practice and procedures in line with best practice and to ensure that statutory obligations and organisational objectives are met.
- Provide advice, guidance and coaching to managers on HR policies and procedures, ensuring that managers are equipped with the knowledge and understanding to effectively operate within the parameters of the policy.
- Design, deliver and evaluate people management training on HR related policies, projects and practice.
- Facilitate and support organisational change initiatives by providing expert advice and guidance. Collaborate with stakeholders to develop change strategies and monitor the effectiveness of these initiatives.
- Promote Equality, Diversity and Inclusion as part of the culture of the organisation and contribute to working groups as required.
- Keep abreast of employment law and best practice issues and be able to advise management on these. Keep abreast of key issues and changes in the social care sector.
- Support the Senior HR Business Partner with HR input into relevant projects, working groups or focus groups, including providing specialist advice and support to managers in a range of complex organisational change and redesign issues.
- Foster productive working relationships and collaborative working throughout the organisation and in all working practices in accordance with the Partnership Agreement with the trade unions.
- Assist in maintaining management information systems to ensure that information for statutory reporting purposes and that additional information for organisational reporting purposes, is collated.
- Assist in preparing written reports to the Board/Committees, and advisory and guidance notes for Line Managers.
- Actively support and develop junior members of the HR team, providing advice and guidance on work related matters.
- Process the necessary administrative tasks associated with the day-to-day HR queries and issues.
- Undertake any other ad-hoc duties as defined by the Senior HR Business Partner or Head of Human Resources.
Other duties
This job may require travel to Care Inspectorate offices throughout Scotland and may involve some occasional overnight stays and unsocial hours.
This job profile is a broad picture of the post at the date of preparation. It is not an exhaustive list of all possible duties, and it is recognised that jobs change and evolve over time. Consequently, the post holder will be required to carry out any other duties to the equivalent level that are necessary to fulfil the purpose of the job, and to respond positively to changing business needs.
Person specification
Job title: Communications Coordinator
Attributes
Experience
Essential:
- Demonstrates a successful record of accomplishment within a relevant role.
Education, qualifications and training
Essential:
- Qualifications or skills and experience at SCQF Level 9 or above.
Desireable:
- Membership of a relevant professional body such as Chartered Institute of Public relations or Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Skils and knowledge
Essential:
- Excellent communication skills.
- Excellent literacy skills.
- Consistently delivers creative solutions.
- Manages conflicting priorities and works to tight deadlines.
- Flexible and responsive, reacting positively to rapidly changing priorities and demands.
- Works on own initiative and prioritises workload.
- Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office software.
- Excellent understanding of social media in an organisational setting.
- Up-to-date knowledge, understanding and experience of the range of today’s communications disciplines and channels.
- Understands how to monitor, measure and demonstrate success through analytics and appropriate performance measures.
Desireable:
- Experience using Joomla, Wordpress, Umbraco and other content management software.
- Knowledge of the social care sector.
Key performance outcomes
Effective communication
Essential:
- Expresses ideas clearly and concisely and to adapt communication to suit different audiences.
- Produces written and verbal communication which is clear and concise.
- Listens actively to people, questions and checks understanding.
- Develops and maintains positive working relationships at all levels.
Desireable:
- Plain English training or qualification.
- Copywriting or proofing training or qualification.
Objective decision making
Essential:
- Understands the limits of their knowledge and experience and when to refer decisions to others.
- Acts consistently with the Care Inspectorate values to achieve the desired outcomes.
- Keeps aims and objectives consistently at the heart of decision making.
Planning and organising
Essential:
- Plans workload effectively in the short, medium and long term in conjunction with their line manager and work to strict deadlines.
- Demonstrates attention to detail in all areas.
- Shows initiative and proactively works without close supervision.
Team working
Essential:
- Tolerant and fair towards others, values diversity and is non-discriminatory in their actions.
- Values and makes use of the skills, knowledge and experience of others.
- Cooperates with and supports others.
Personal accountability and responsibility
Essential:
- Takes responsibility for actions.
- Maintains a high standard of work and actively looks for opportunities to improve their work.
- Demonstrates initiative within own areas of expertise.
- Ambitious and positive in quality assuring their work.
Please note – these are key performance outcomes to be used to recruit into the role. Successful applicants will be assessed against all the performance indicators used in the Performance Development Review System once established in the role.
Job profile
Job title: Communications Coordinator
Responsible to: Communications Manager
Principal working contacts
- Communications Manager
- Communications colleagues
- Head of Corporate Policy and Communications
- Managers and employees of the Care Inspectorate
- External suppliers and agencies
Job purpose
To contribute to the development, delivery and success of the Care Inspectorate’s external communications function.
Key responsibilities
- Help implement the external communications strategy.
- Deliver a broad mix of high-quality and,reative communications solutions to tight and demanding schedules.
- Support production and promotion of the organisation’s information and promotional collateral.
- Represent external communications on a range of project groups, taking responsibility to provide dedicated advice and support.
- Write copy in clear conversational style, following the Care Inspectorate corporate style, for a wide range of content and material.
- Edit and proof copy written by others to ensure clarity and consistency.
Relationship management
- Develop supportive and productive working relationships with colleagues.
- Ensure effective working in accordance with Care Inspectorate protocols.
- Liaise and work collaboratively with professionals and external bodies to promote the work of the Care Inspectorate and share good practice.
- Represent the Care Inspectorate as required at meetings and events.
- Ensure effective communication of the Care Inspectorate’s work with people who use care services, carers, relatives and advocates.
- Commit to the Care Inspectorate’s aims, vision and values to put people at the heart of our overall objective to improve care in Scotland.
Other duties
This job may require some travel, overnight stays and unsocial hours.
This job description is a broad picture of the post at the date of preparation. It is not an exhaustive list and jobs can change and evolve over time. The post holder will be required to carry out any other duties to the equivalent level that are necessary to fulfil the purpose of the job, and to respond positively to changing business needs.
Person specification
Job title: Communications Manager
Attributes |
Essential |
Desireable |
| Experience |
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Working with different contacts, external and internal. Experience of working within the public sector. |
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Education, qualifications and training |
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Communications based subject or equivalent. |
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Skills and knowledge |
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Knowledge of the social care sector. |
Competencies/Key performance outcomes |
Description |
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Effective communication |
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Impact and influence |
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Improvement focus |
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Objective decision making |
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Planning and organising |
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Team working |
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Please note – these are key performance outcomes to be used to recruit into the role. Successful applicants will be assessed against all the performance indicators used in the Performance Development Review System once established in the role.
Job profile
Job title: Communications Manager
Responsible to: Head of Corporate Policy and Communications
Principal working contacts
- Head of Corporate Policy and Communications
- Media Manager
- Strategic Communications Adviser
- All other members of the communications and policy team
- Managers and employees of the Care Inspectorate
- Suppliers and contractors
- External stakeholders in the care and regulatory sectors
Job purpose
To support the Care Inspectorate on the direction, delivery and implementation of the communications strategy of the Care Inspectorate alongside the Media Manager, Strategic Communications Adviser and other members of the communications team. To implement innovative communication methods which ensure all stakeholders are kept well informed and support new media development.
Key responsibilities
- Work under the direction of the Head of Corporate Policy and Communication and alongside the Media Manager and Strategic Communications Adviser to contribute to and support the delivery of the Care Inspectorate’s overall communications strategy and workplan.
- Providing professional advice and guidance on communications activities and policies to key stakeholders.
- Monitoring targets, measurement approaches and evaluative strategies to support continual improvement of communications activities.
- To deputise for the Head of Corporate Policy and Communications on communications-related issues as necessary.
- Devolved management of part of the Care Inspectorate’s communications budget.
- Ensure that consistent and complementary messaging is delivered across projects and communications channels, and that innovation and best practice is spread throughout the communications team.
- anage the communications coordinators in producing communications for and with our stakeholders e.g. newsletters, bulletins, publications to ensure we are an effective, leading edge, communications channel.
- Oversee the work of communications coordinators involved in the development of the website.
- Provide communications advice, guidance, practical materials and assistance to colleagues as required.
- Manage any specific communications projects / work streams, from conception to implementation, in order to provide relevant information in different formats to meet the needs of our stakeholders.
- Liaise with external stakeholders, analysing and evaluating information which will inform good practices both for communications.
- Keep abreast with key issues affecting communications, particularly in the social care sector.
People management
- Line manage the communications coordinators.
- Support, develop and coach team members through regular one-to-one supervision, performance development review and personal development plans.
- Contribute to the recruitment of employees and the implementation of HR policies.
- Promote consistent and quality practice in team members.
- Demonstrate commitment to the safety and security of the Care Inspectorate’s data, information systems and devices.
- Promote the health, safety and welfare of employees, with responsibility for ensuring that the Care Inspectorate health and safety policies, procedures and practice and legislative requirements are met across the team.
- Carry out your duties in accordance with our Health and Safety policies, procedures, guidance, practices and legislative requirements, taking reasonable care for your safety and that of others who may be affected by what you do or fail to do while at work
- Promote diversity, equality of opportunity, fairness, dignity and trust, ensuring that these principles are upheld across all areas of service delivery.
Relationship management
- Develop a productive working relationship with colleagues.
- Ensure effective working protocols in accordance with the Care Inspectorate’s Communications, Human Resources, Finance, IT and Operations function.
- Liaise with external bodies, statutory and voluntary, to promote the work of the Care Inspectorate and share good practice, as required.
- Represent the Care Inspectorate as required at meetings.
- Ensure effective communication of the Care Inspectorate’s work with people who use care services, carers, relatives and advocates.
- Demonstrate a commitment to the Care Inspectorate’s aims, vision and values and to the Care Inspectorate’s overall objective of improving care in Scotland.
- Model corporate behaviour and demonstrate commitment to organisation values.
- Develop and maintain constructive and co-operative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure effective and efficient directorate support.
- Promote the principles of collaborative working throughout the organisation and in all working practices in accordance with the Partnership Agreements with the trade unions.
- Ensure effective working protocols in accordance with the Care Inspectorate’s Communications, Human Resources, Finance, IT and Operations function.
- Project a professional image for the Care Inspectorate when dealing with colleagues and external stakeholders.
- Demonstrate a commitment to the Care Inspectorate’s aims, vision and values and to the Care Inspectorate’s overall objective of improving care in Scotland.
Other duties
This job requires some travel and may involve some occasional overnight stays and unsocial hours.
This job profile is a broad picture of the post at the date of preparation. It is not an exhaustive list of all possible duties and it is recognised that jobs change and evolve over time. Consequently, the post holder will be required to carry out any other duties to the equivalent level that are necessary to fulfil the purpose of the job, and to respond positively to changing business needs.
Person specification
Job title: Planning Coordintor
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Attributes |
Essential |
Desireable
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Experience
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Experience of collaborative/ partnership working.
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Education, qualifications and training |
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Skills and knowledge |
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Understanding of project management.
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Key performance outcomes |
Essential |
Desirable |
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Planning and organising |
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Management of resources |
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Impact and influence |
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Ability to take account of wider political and organisational sensitivities to deliver strategic objectives. |
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Objective decision making |
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Effective communication |
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Please note – these are key performance outcomes to be used to recruit into the role. Successful applicants will be assessed against all the performance indicators used in the Performance Development Review System once established in the role.
About Us
Inspector - Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) (0)
The early learning and childcare expansion…
Role: Inspector - Early Learning and Childcare (ELC)
Location: Forth Valley, Borders, Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, Edinburgh & Glasgow
Salary: £31,083 - £39,069 plus excellent benefits
Hours: 140 hours to be worked over a 4-week period
Contract: Permanent or 2-year secondment (would be considered)
Join us and make a difference – for you, for everyone
It’s our job to ensure care for everyone, everywhere in Scotland is as good as it can be. If you are as passionate about high-quality care as we are, and you’re experienced in your field, we’d love to hear from you.
About us
As a national scrutiny body that supports improvement. We inspect care services and partnerships across Scotland, report on the quality of care people experience, and support improvements in services to facilitate improvements in outcomes for people.
We inspect care services individually. We also work with other scrutiny bodies to inspect the social care and social work services people are experiencing in local areas.
We champion high-quality care whenever we encounter it across the thousands of inspections, we carry out each year, and we work closely with all care providers to support them to improve all the time. We collaborate with other organisations too, supporting improvement across public services. Our work plays a big role in reducing health and social inequalities between people and communities.
We are looking for talented people to join us in making a difference - specialists who understand how to put people’s needs, rights and choices at the heart of delivering social services – and how to lead improvement too. Our 600 staff work with services across the public, voluntary and private sectors. We have offices across Scotland and many of our staff work from home.
About you
Whether early or established in your career, you will share our determination that care, social work and justice services should work well for people – every time. You’ll be confident about what good-quality care looks like and how to deliver it. You’ll be good at analysing information and evidence. You will have excellent writing skills for narrative inspection reports that are clear, concise and focused on outcomes. You will be confident in working with a wide range of people and at supporting and advising on improvement.
You’ll currently be working, or have significant experience in, social care, social work, health, children’s services, early learning, child protection, or community learning and development. You will be registered or eligible to register with a professional body like the SSSC, NMC or GTC.
About the role
Our care inspectors work with care services: childminders, nurseries, care homes, care at home, housing support and a host of other specialist services. A specialist in your field, you may have helped lead a service and have a strong track record in delivering quality. You’ll be adept at leading improvement and influencing others. You will work with people experiencing care, and care service providers, managers and staff.
Why join us?
We strive to be a great employer, knowing that competitive salary, leave and pension schemes are only part of that. We pride ourselves on the values we hold, person-centred; fairness; respect; efficiency and integrity - all supported with a culture of care and kindness.
We believe in collective leadership and innovation. You’ll have a lot of autonomy to manage your own work and use the professional skills you’ve honed during your career – but in new ways. Starting on day one, our learning and development support will help you become confident in the craft of scrutiny and in supporting improvement. Because a lot of your role is about sharing effective practice across Scotland, the impact you can have on experiences and outcomes for people is significant. You will draw on management and leadership skills you’ve developed in the past.
We’re proud to be a progressive, supportive employer – we’re happy to talk about flexible working with you and we’re members of the Disability Confident Scheme, aiming to make the most of the talents disabled people can bring to the workplace.
New appointments will normally be placed on the minimum grade for the role; a higher starting salary may be offered in exceptional circumstances only.
ELC expansion
The Scottish Government is committed to expanding the provision of funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) from 600 hours to 1140 hours per year by 2020. The expansion of ELC is aimed to support the reduction in the poverty-related attainment gap and improve long term outcomes for children and families.
Due to the ELC expansion programme we are looking for 7 further ELC Inspectors in addition to the “business as usual” Inspector campaign launched recently.
Principles and aims
The priority for the expansion to 1140 hours is to improve children's outcomes and close the poverty-related attainment gap. In addition, the expansion aims to support parents into work, study or training. The Scottish Government's four principles of the ELC expansion are: quality, flexibility, affordability, and accessibility.
The Scottish Government has stated that quality is 'at the heart' of the expansion and that achieving a high-quality ELC experience for children is a key objective.
Use and provision
A 2018 survey found that the main reason why parents use funded ELC is that they consider it beneficial for their child's learning and development. In addition, parents reported using the funded hours to either work, increase the number of hours they work, or look for work.
Funded ELC in Scotland is delivered by a wide range of providers including nurseries, crèches and playgroups, from across the public, private and third sectors. A small number of childminders also deliver funded ELC, but the Scottish Government hopes this number will increase under the expansion to 1140 hours.
Criteria to apply
- We require you to hold a relevant qualification (minimum SCQF Level 9), register with either the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) or any other relevant professional body and undertake PVG checks.
- You must also be prepared to do a Professional Development Award in Scrutiny and Improvement (Social Services) at SCQF level 10 with appropriate support from the organisation.
- You will have a minimum of three years recent and demonstrable management experience in a relevant field. You must also be willing to travel with overnight stays as required.
Before you apply
- Please contact the relevant body directly to resolve any queries you have regarding registration or eligible qualifications for registration (SSSC, NMC and so on) before submitting your application.
- For an informal chat about the job role, please contact (Who?) You or Kim Connolly, Team Manager on 07766133161
- For all other queries, please contact Human Resources at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
To apply
- If you are interested, please see the minimum criteria to apply as an Inspector and the specific guidance and directions to apply. Thereafter, click on the gateway questions link to apply.
- Your completed application form (campaign number C39 only forms) and equal opportunities form should be returned to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.no later than Monday, 14 October 2019 at 8.00am.
- We anticipate that selection days will take place in the week commencing Monday, 18 November 2019.