Nursery World - Scots inspections behind schedule

Staff shortages at the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care have caused the childcare inspection process to fall behind schedule. Nearly a third of former local authority inspectors have opted for redundancy rather than transfer to the Commission.

Nearly a third of former local authority inspectors have opted for redundancy rather than transfer to the Commission.

A Care Commission spokes-man said last week, 'A temporary shortage of staff has affected the level of inspections, but we have adjusted our focus with the priority of achieving one regulatory visit to each provider this year.' He also revealed that 121 staff - 29 per cent of the inspectors - had taken redundancy under a deal on offer from April to September this year.

The spokesman said the Commission was 'actively recruiting' staff and 90 replacements had so far been found. But there are concerns that the need to train new recruits will mean the pace of inspection will not quicken dramatically.

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