Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-17346 on 10 October 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s web site, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

The Scottish Government does not disclose the nature of any legal advice which it has received.

The following tables provide information on sickness absence of Care Inspectorate staff since the organisation was established on 1st April 2011.

The sickness absence rate in 2011-12 was 4.2%. The sickness absence rate in 2012-13 was 4.7%.

Care Inspectorate staff sickness absence in 2011-12 by reason for absence

Number of Employees: 571*

Care Inspectorate staff sickness absence in 2012-13 by reason for absence

Number of Employees: 631 *

Notes:

*Number of Employees includes all employees within that year including temporary contracts.

**Number of Employees Absent may include individuals absent on more than one occasion.

The Care Inspectorate was established on 1 April 2011. 571 staff were employed in 2011-12. 631 staff were employed in 2012-13.

The Care Inspectorate, as an executive non-departmental public body, operate within an agreed accountability and governance framework. This includes preparation of a corporate plan which is aligned with the Scottish Government’s National Performance Framework and approved by Scottish Ministers. This allows the Scottish Government to monitor delivery against priorities and enables the Care Inspectorate to report progress against agreed key performance indicators.

Full details of the Care Inspectorate’s performance against Key Performance Indicators is provided in its annual report. The 2011-12 annual report is available from SPICE and the Care Inspectorate website at:

http://www.scswis.com. The 2012-13 annual report will be laid before Parliament by the end of 2013.

The annual reports detail how the Care Inspectorate performed against:

the three outcomes defined in its corporate plan for 2011 to 2014;

the key objectives under each outcome; and

the Key Performance Indicators associated with each outcomes.

Regular monthly and quarterly reporting on progress against objectives, with a particular focus on Key Performance Indicators, provides robust monitoring of progress and allows the organisation to take action where necessary.

The following table shows the numbers of inspections completed by the Care Inspectorate in 2011-12, 2012-13 and between 1 April 2013 and 31 August 2013.

The number of inspections completed between 1 April 2013 and 31 August 2013 is not directly comparable with the number of inspections completed between 1 October 2012 and 31 March 2013 as the former covers five months and the latter six months, and in previous years the Care Inspectorate has carried out a higher number of inspections in the second half of the year than in the first half.

The Scottish Government welcomes the constructive discussions taking place between the Care Inspectorate and trade unions to support staff during a period of organisational change and address concerns highlighted in the recent staff survey.

The Care Inspectorate invests heavily in developing its workforce. Staff have a wide range of professional backgrounds, including trained social workers, nursing and care staff, medical staff, teachers, and those with a criminal justice and police background. All inspectors have achieved the Regulation of Care Award, an academic and practice-based qualification developed in conjunction with Anglia Ruskin University.

Dedicated development time is built into inspector and other staff caseloads for learning and training, including during two discrete learning weeks. A staff coaching and mentoring scheme is also available to all staff.

An employee development team ensures inspection and support staff have access to continuous professional development, in line with the Care Inspectorate’s needs. Staff are also supported with relevant academic study or, where deemed necessary, advanced professional qualifications.

NHS boards and the Scottish Futures Trust were made aware that Ministers are opposed to blacklisting and will work with the Scottish Government to respond to the final report from the Scottish Affairs Committee’s Inquiry on this matter.

New guidelines for purchasers on dealing with companies found to have been involved in blacklisting are being developed and will be published shortly.

A total of four companies that have been awarded contracts by the Scottish Government and its agencies since 2007 have been named, or associated with companies named by the Information Commissioner’s Office, as companies which subscribed to the Consulting Association.