At a Glance
- Tasks: Ensure high-quality care across Scotland by assessing services and advising on improvements.
- Company: Join a dedicated team making a real difference in care standards.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible hybrid working, and ongoing professional development.
- Other info: Opportunities available across various regions with excellent career growth potential.
- Why this job: Be part of a mission to enhance care quality and advocate for people's rights.
- Qualifications: Relevant qualification and experience in health, social work, or social care required.
The predicted salary is between 50130 - 59178 £ per year.
Location: Any Care Inspectorate Office
Salary: £50,130 - £59,178
Hours: 140 hours to be worked over a 4-week period.
Contract: Permanent
Closing date: This is a rolling recruitment process so there is no closing date for applications.
About us
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. We are beginning an extended campaign for inspectors over a number of months so if you are as passionate about high-quality care and learning as we are, and you’re experienced in the field, we’d love to hear from you. We are looking for talented people to join us in making a difference. We are a scrutiny body that supports improvement. That means we look at the quality of care in Scotland to ensure it meets high standards. We are responsible for providing assurance and protection for people who experience care services, their families, carers and the wider public. Our vision is that people across Scotland experience high-quality care that meets their needs, rights and choices.
Our values:
- Person-centred: we put people, empathy, compassion, and kindness at the heart of everything we do
- Respect: we value everyone's dignity and are respectful in everything we do
- Equity: we embrace diversity and nurture an inclusive environment where everyone is supported to achieve equal outcomes
- Integrity: we act impartially, fairly, and consistently, upholding transparency and accountability in all our actions
- Impact: we focus on making a positive impact for everyone experiencing care in Scotland whilst ensuring our work delivers the best value to the public
Work-life balance
Our desire is to achieve an effective and balanced way of working, which 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 four-week period.
About you
We’re looking for experienced professionals in health, social work, or social care with significant knowledge of sector challenges and policy developments. Whether your expertise lies in adult care, children and young people’s services, or early learning and childcare, you’ll have a strong track record of working with people, assessing care standards, managing conflict, and driving improvement. Strong communication, analytical, and leadership skills are essential, alongside a values-driven approach that prioritises people’s rights and experiences. We are recruiting across our inspection teams, with opportunities available in various regions of mainland Scotland. As an Inspector, you must be able to travel, with occasional overnight stays as required.
What you will be doing as an inspector
You’ll play a vital role in ensuring high-quality care across Scotland. Working closely with people experiencing care, providers, managers, and staff, you’ll listen to their experiences, assess services, and confidently advise on improvements. Whether inspecting adult and older people’s care, children and young people’s services, early learning and childcare, or supporting our registration or complaints teams, you’ll be making a real difference by promoting high standards and positive outcomes.
The skills you need
If you're looking to make a real difference in people's lives, we want to hear from you. While the basics are important, we’ll support your ongoing development throughout your journey with us. You’ll be confident in understanding and delivering high-quality care and learning across various sectors, whether for children, young people, adults, or older people. You’ll be resilient, adaptable, and able to work both independently and as part of a team. You’ll manage competing priorities, build effective networks, and have strong communication skills. Additionally, you'll excel at analysing information, making balanced judgments, and producing clear, concise reports focused on outcomes. You’ll be able to listen carefully to people of all ages to understand their experiences, needs, and what’s important to them. Whether working with service providers, managers, or staff, you’ll confidently advise and support improvements. Experience in delivering service improvements, applying good practice guidance, and managing change will be valuable. Above all, you’ll have a sound understanding of sector challenges and a passion for advocating for those receiving care.
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).
What next?
You can also contact the recruitment team for further information. If you’re ready to apply now, please select the apply button on our website. This is a rolling recruitment process so there is no closing date for applications. We are 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. 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 we meet our 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 with us. 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.
Inspectors employer: Care Inspectorate
Join the Care Inspectorate and be part of a dedicated team committed to ensuring high-quality care across Scotland. With a strong focus on work-life balance, our hybrid working policy allows for flexibility while promoting employee wellbeing. We offer a supportive work culture that values professional development, diversity, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of those receiving care.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Inspectors
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the care sector, attend events, and connect with people on LinkedIn. The more you engage, the better your chances of landing that inspector role.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your knowledge of care standards and recent policy changes. We want to see your passion for high-quality care shine through when you chat with us!
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your experience! Be ready to discuss specific examples of how you've improved care services or handled challenging situations. We love hearing about real-life impacts you've made.
✨Tip Number 4
Don't forget to apply through our website! It's the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we’re always on the lookout for passionate individuals like you to join our team.
We think you need these skills to ace Inspectors
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion:When writing your application, let your passion for high-quality care shine through. We want to see how much you care about making a difference in people's lives, so share your experiences and motivations clearly.
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to tailor your application to the role of Inspector. Highlight your relevant experience in health, social work, or social care, and demonstrate how your skills align with our values and mission.
Be Clear and Concise:Keep your application clear and to the point. Use straightforward language and structure your thoughts logically. We appreciate well-organised applications that are easy to read and understand.
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets to us directly. Plus, it’s super easy to navigate, so you can focus on showcasing your skills.
How to prepare for a job interview at Care Inspectorate
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you brush up on the latest policies and challenges in health and social care. Familiarise yourself with the Care Inspectorate's values and mission, as you'll want to show how your experience aligns with their goals.
✨Showcase Your Experience
Prepare specific examples from your past roles that demonstrate your ability to assess care standards and drive improvements. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses clearly.
✨Communicate Effectively
Strong communication skills are essential for this role. Practice articulating your thoughts clearly and confidently, especially when discussing sensitive topics related to care. Remember, it's about listening as much as it is about speaking.
✨Emphasise Your Values
The Care Inspectorate values person-centred care, respect, equity, integrity, and impact. Be ready to discuss how you embody these values in your work and how they influence your approach to inspections and interactions with service users.
