Early learning and childcare and school age childcare services inspection consultation: SG response

Glossary

Glossary of terms for this consultation document

Early learning and childcare (ELC)

All pre-school education and care for children aged 0 to not yet attending primary school that is registered with the Care Inspectorate, whether providing funded or unfunded hours, such as nursery provision and childminders.

School age childcare

All childcare provision for children attending school that is registered with the Care Inspectorate.

The Care Inspectorate

The independent scrutiny body with a duty to further improvement for all care services in Scotland including ELC and school age childcare. Every provider of ELC and/or school age childcare must register with them. The Care Inspectorate has statutory obligations to carry out inspections on the quality of provision of all ELC, childminding and school age childcare settings. In addition to the registration and inspection functions the Care Inspectorate also has a complaints function and powers to undertake enforcement action where there is a serious concern about the health and wellbeing of people using a service.

Education Scotland

A Scottish Government Executive Agency charged with supporting quality and improvement in Scottish Education and thereby securing the delivery of better learning experiences and outcomes for Scottish learners of all ages. Currently, His Majesty’s Inspectors of Education (HMIE) are located within Education Scotland. HMIE/Education Scotland carry out inspection of the quality of education from early learning and childcare to adult learning.

‘The Inspectorates’

A term used throughout to refer to the Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland when exercising their inspection functions in relation to ELC and school age childcare.

Inspection of ELC and school age childcare

External evaluation of providers within the ELC and school age childcare sectors to assess the quality of provision against set criteria.

Regulation of ELC and school age childcare

The action or process of regulating or being regulated. Regulation of ELC and school age childcare services is separate to inspection and includes registering settings, investigating complaints and, where appropriate, issuing requirements for change.

Education Reform

Reform of our national education bodies, as announced by the Cabinet Secretary Education and Skills in Parliament on 9 March 2022. Reform of Scotland’s education system includes a national discussion on education, an independent review of qualifications and assessments, reforming education bodies the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and Education Scotland, merging the curriculum and assessment function and removing inspection from Education Scotland and, reform of post-school education and training.

National Care Service

The National Care Service (Scotland) Bill is currently before the Scottish Parliament for the establishment of a National Care Service. It will be responsible for social work and social care support, including support for carers. It will also be responsible for planning and commissioning primary care and community health services.

Independent Review of Inspection, Scrutiny and Regulation in Scotland (IRISR) of Social Care delivery

The Independent Review of Inspection, Scrutiny and Regulation (IRISR) is looking at how social care services are regulated and inspected across social care support services in Scotland. It will also consider the interactions with community health and other services which support people. The IRISR will report in June 2023