Early learning and childcare improvement programme

Early learning and childcare expansion

From August 2020, the Scottish Government will fund 1140 hours of early learning and childcare (ELC) for all three and four year olds and eligible two year olds.

All nurseries, playgroups and childminders providing funded places will be required to meet specific criteria as part of the new National Standard, including achieving good or better Care Inspectorate quality evaluation. They will also be required to carry out continuous professional development.

Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that funded entitlement is available for all eligible children in their area. 

Care Inspectorate ELC improvement programme

The Scottish Government has funded an improvement programme, which will be delivered by the Care Inspectorate, to support early learning and childcare settings who offer funded places and are not currently meeting the quality criteria in the National Standard.

The aim of the improvement programme is to support funded settings to make the improvements they need to meet the National Standard quality criteria.  

Selected providers and staff will be invited to participate in learning events and will work with the programme to make improvements. In addition to the learning sessions, the programme will include learning networks, some individual improvement support for providers and settings and develop good practice resources.

The programme will work with local authorities to support the improvement of early learning and childcare settings within their authority area.

Further information about the early learning and childcare improvement programme will be shared when it becomes available.

Information for parents/carers

Parents or carers can enrol their children for funded early learning and childcare.

Families should visit the Parent Club website to find out how to enrol for funded early learning and childcare places in their area.

Local authorities have individual application processes and deadlines. The Parent Club website will link to your local authority for more information.

For more information you can contact the improvement team on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Related information

Early learning and childcare expansion (gov.scot)

Scottish Government news article 10 January 2020

Parent Club

ELC National Standard

Twitter - #ELCExpansion or #ELCImprove 

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Register care

If you want to operate a care service in Scotland you must, by law, register with the Care Inspectorate. 

Before applying to register a service

Before you apply to register a care service you must make sure you have read and understood the associated guidance and legislation.  

Every registered care service must continuously meet the requirements of: 

Fees 

Care services must pay fees to be registered with us. The maximum limit is set by Scottish Ministers. The fees we collect contribute to our operating costs.

We charge a fee for registering a new service and an annual continuation fee. The annual continuation fee licenses a care service to operate.

All application fees are non-returnable.

To find out more about our fees click here.

What to expect from the registration process

You can now apply to register a care service online, using our new, secure system. The online application is simple to complete and only asks you questions that are relevant to your service type.

You can manage your application easily. You can save it as you go and return to it later so you can complete and submit at your own pace. You can go back to previous stages to check, change and add to your application. The new application allows you to upload supporting documents and pay your application fee.

Read our guidance online registraiton application form - your guide. 

We aim to assess applications for a childminding service within three months and all other services within six months. However, this presumes that you supply us with a competent and fully detailed application, as well as any additional information we request. It is in your interest to give us all the information we ask for in the application form to prevent any delays or the risk of us closing or refusing your application.

Once you have submitted your application, our national registration team will check:

  • the information you have given us
  • whether the provider is fit to provide the service
  • whether the manager is fit to manage the service
  • that the proposed premises are fit to be used for that purpose
  • that the service will make all the proper provisions for the health, welfare, independence, choice, privacy and dignity of everyone using the service.

We may also check the financial viability of the service. Any information we ask for during the registration process is in accordance with the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010.

Read our applying to register a care service - guidance for applicants. 

For more information about registering a service (other than childminding) click here. [LINK TO REGISTER A CARE SERVICE (OTHER THAN CM) PAGE].

For more information about registering a childminding service click here. [LINK TO REGISTER A CM SERVICE PAGE].

If you are unclear about the kind of service you want to apply for, click here to see the definitions of care services which must be registered with us.

For general advice about registering a care service you can contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Create an account to begin your application. 

Sign in to see an existing application [LINK].

If you require the application form in an alternative format, please call our contact centre on 0345 600 9527.

 

Related documents

Online registraiton application form - your guide

Applying to register a care service - guidance for applicants

Inspection quality frameworks

Self-evaluation for improvement – your guide

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The Guide

The Guide provides information for community planning partnerships (CPP) about the process for the joint inspection of services for children and young people in need of care and protection.  This includes services for children under the age of 18 years, or young people up to 26 years if they have been previously looked after.  It should be read in conjunction with the quality framework for children and young people in need of care and protection 2019 (revised) (QIF) for self-evaluation of services.

The Guide contains a number of hyperlinks.  These may be to references within the guide itself or to external sources.

 

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Contact Us

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Publication and re-use

Publication Scheme

We have adopted the Model Publication Scheme, in its entirety as produced by the Scottish Information Commissioner. The adoption period runs until 31 May 2020.

In adopting the Single Model Scheme, we have produced a 'Guide to Information' which:

  • allows you to see what information is available (and what is not available) in relation to each class
  • states what charges may be applied
  • explains how to find the information easily
  • provides contact details for enquiries and to get help with accessing the information
  • explains how to request information that has not been published.

Requests to re-use publications, information or resources

Arrangements for permission to re-use Care Inspectorate documents, information or resources are covered by the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations and will be permitted in the majority of cases. Requests for permission to re-use our information should be addressed to:

Information Governance Team
Care Inspectorate
Compass House
11 Riverside Drive
Dundee
DD1 4NY
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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