Single minded - inspection and regulation

Scotland is moving towards an integrated care and education inspection system.
Ruth Thomson outlines the new duties

Just as the early years curriculum in Scotland takes a markedly different approach to that in England, so Scotland's new inspection system will differ from that south of the border. Early years experts were unanimous in their praise of the Scottish curriculum and vitriolic in their criticism of initial proposals for the early learning goals. So, will Scotland again emerge with the better system?

Under the new inspection system, set out in The Way Forward for Care: A Policy Position Paper , a new body, the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care, will carry out an integrated care and education inspection in all early years settings - voluntary, private and local authority - at least annually. The HMI will inspect settings receiving funding for pre-school education every five to seven years and the Commission will not be required to inspect in the same year as the HMI (see box). Responsibility for regulating the early years workforce will pass to the Scottish Social Services Council (see box). Both bodies will be established next year.