A CQC registration does not work in Scotland, and English policies cannot be reused there. This guide shows what the Care Inspectorate expects instead.
Our free Care Inspectorate registration guide for 2026 covers care at home, housing support, care homes and day care of children in Scotland. It lists the documents each service type needs, with tick-box checklists written for Scottish law. It is a 9-page PDF with no sign-up. Work through it before you apply online.
Download the free Care Inspectorate registration guide (PDF, 9 pages)
In Scotland, social care services register with the Care Inspectorate under the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010. You register a care service type, such as a support service providing care at home, rather than a regulated activity. The standards are different, the law on capacity and adult protection is different, and every worker registers with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).
What is in the free Care Inspectorate registration guide?
- A table showing which documents each of four service types needs.
- Six tick-box checklists: the right regulator and service type, the applicant and manager, aims and objectives, policies for Scottish law, staffing, and premises and money.
- Eight mistakes providers make in Scotland, especially providers coming from England.
- The registration process in eight steps.
England and Scotland: what changes
| Area | England (CQC) | Scotland (Care Inspectorate) |
|---|---|---|
| What you register | Regulated activities | Care service types |
| Standards | CQC single assessment framework | Health and Social Care Standards |
| Capacity law | Mental Capacity Act 2005 | Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 |
| Adult protection | Care Act 2014 | Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 |
| Criminal record checks | DBS | PVG scheme through Disclosure Scotland |
| Worker registration | None for care workers | SSSC registration for managers and staff |
| Private clinics | CQC | Healthcare Improvement Scotland |
What the Care Inspectorate looks at most closely
Your aims and objectives come first, because they decide your service type and your conditions of registration. If a manager will run the service, they must be appointed before the Care Inspectorate can register it, and they need PVG scheme membership and SSSC registration. Policies must be written for Scottish law. If you use a building to deliver care, you are responsible for getting written reports from planning, building control and environmental health, and the Care Inspectorate will ask for floor plans with room sizes.
Many providers that support people in their own tenancies need two registrations: a support service providing care at home and a housing support service. Check this before you apply, because each is a separate application and fee.
How to use the guide
- Confirm the regulator and your care service type or types with the first checklist.
- Appoint your manager and check PVG membership and SSSC registration.
- Write the aims and objectives, then the policies and staffing plan to match them.
- Tick a box only when the item is final.
- Check the Care Inspectorate’s registration guidance on the day you apply, because forms and fees change.
How Cura Compliance can help
We confirm your service type, write aims and objectives and policies for Scottish law, and prepare you and your manager for the registration interview. See our Care Inspectorate registration support, the care at home and supported living registration package for Scotland, or book a free 30-minute consultation.
Also available free: the CIW registration guide for Wales, the CQC registration checklist for England and the Ofsted registration guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Care Inspectorate registration guide free?
Yes. It is a free PDF download with no email sign-up. You can print it and share it, as long as you do not change it.
Does a CQC registration work in Scotland?
No. CQC covers England only. To run a care service in Scotland you register separately with the Care Inspectorate, or with Healthcare Improvement Scotland for independent healthcare such as private clinics.
Do care staff need to register with the SSSC?
Yes. Managers and workers in registered care services register with the Scottish Social Services Council within set timescales and meet its qualification conditions for their role. Build this into recruitment from the first hire.
Does the Care Inspectorate charge a registration fee?
Yes. The fee depends on the type and size of the service and must be paid before the application is considered. Once registered, you pay an annual continuation fee.
Can I use my English policies for a Scottish service?
Not as they stand. Scottish policies need the Health and Social Care Standards, the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 and the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007. Changing the regulator’s name in an English policy is one of the most common mistakes we see.
Sources
- Care Inspectorate: register a care service, checked September 2026
- Care Inspectorate: membership of the PVG scheme and criminal records checks, checked September 2026
- Scottish Government: social care PVG scheme applications, fee waiver, checked September 2026
- Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010
- Health and Social Care Standards: my support, my life