Are you prepared for winter?
Winter brings an increased risk of respiratory infections and outbreaks in care settings. Taking a few simple steps now can help keep people experiencing care, visitors and staff safe this winter.
Self-evaluation guidance
We have updated our self-evaluation guides. The updated guides will replace ‘Self-evaluation for improvement – your guide’ and the previous guidance published in the self-evaluation toolkits.
There are two versions of the updated guidance, a Self-evaluation for improvement step-by-step guide and a Self-evaluation for improvement summary guide.
These resources are specific to Adults, Children and young people, Childcare agency or Early Learning and Childcare services (day care of children).
The updated guides bring all the information from the two previous guidance documents together in one place and provide more detail on parts of the process that services have told us they find challenging. The summary guide outlines the overall structure, while the full, step-by-step guide can be used when additional detail or examples would be helpful.
Thank you for your input and feedback throughout the development of these guides. Please look out for more resources and interactive sessions coming soon to support you with self-evaluation.
Changes to Transmission-Based Precautions Guidance
As we enter the colder months, we want to remind care services about changes to guidance on Transmission-Based Precautions (TBPs) as part of the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual (NIPCM).
These changes apply to all health and social care settings and are designed to ensure guidance reflects the latest evidence on how infections spread.
The guidance emphasises that TBPs involve much more than personal protective equipment (PPE). Services should continue to focus on all aspects of infection prevention and control, including:
- respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette
- appropriate separation or isolation where required
- safe waste and laundry management
- correct selection and use of PPE and respiratory protective equipment (RPE).
The type of face mask or respiratory protection used will now be determined by the respiratory category (R1, R2 or R3) of the infectious agent, as detailed in the NIPCM.
Manage my Service
We are working towards the launch of Manage my Service. This single online portal will replace eForms and the Care Inspectorate's Digital portal, allowing care services and providers to manage all interactions with us in one place.
We will share further details and confirm the launch window closer to the time. In the meantime, please continue to use our Electronic Forms (eForms) and Care Inspectorate Digital Portal systems as usual.
- FAQs, including guidance on how to submit your user details ahead of launch, if you have not already done so.
These resources contain the most up-to-date information and will continue to be updated regularly before and after the launch of Manage my Service.
If you have a question about Manage my Service and cannot find the answer on our FAQs webpage, please contact our Contact Centre:
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: 9:00 to 16:00
Holding Differently, Containing Distress Survey - Action Required
You may be aware of the Holding Differently, Containing Distress project, a research project exploring how physical restraint is used across the sector and learning from the successes and challenges of reducing and eliminating its use.
We are asking you to cascade the link below to your entire staff teams so workers can fill it in.
Your input to ensure all relevant workers are aware and given time to fill in the survey is greatly appreciated.
We are also including a link to a letter from Brian Taylor, Deputy Director at the Children and Families Directorate of the Scottish Government. In it, he emphasises the importance of supporting your staff to fill in the survey.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the project team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Latest news from other organisations
NHS Digitally Enabled Workforce - Applications are open now for Cohort 31 of the Digital Health and Care Leadership Programme (DLP) starting in January 2027.
The application form and guidance can be found here where you can also find out more about the programme as well as a range of resources and projects from previous applicants.
DEW - Population Wide Data for Population Health Insights
Date: Tuesday 27 October 2026
In this session, Professor Cathie Sudlow, Director of the Usher Institute and School of Population Health Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Executive Director of the Adolescent Health Study, and author of the 2024 Sudlow Review, will explore the opportunities and challenges of harnessing health data at scale.
Digital Maturity Despite The Divide – 22 October 14:00
An interactive session discussing this comparative intelligence, the root causes of regional variation, and examining how better alignment can accelerate equitable digital transformation before the gap widens further.
Date: 22 October 2026 • Time: 14:00 - 15:00. Register here.
Centre for Workforce Supply
Masterclass: How to Become a Sponsor—and Why You Should
29 October 2026, 12:00–12:45
For care providers considering a sponsor licence, this balanced session covers the benefits of accessing a wider talent pool and strengthening workforce resilience, alongside the costs, responsibilities and compliance requirements involved. Register at: Masterclass - How to become a sponsor and why you should
21 October 2026, 11:00-11:45
The first session in our Your Next Opportunity series explores how to create an effective UK CV, present transferable skills and experience clearly, and make a strong first impression on employers. A great opportunity for employers to refresh their own skills and understanding of CV writing as well as offer their insight.
November: Completing an Application Form
18 November 2026, 11:00-12:00
Learn how to align your application with the job and person specifications, showcase your skills and experience, and help your submission stand out in a competitive sector. We welcome employers to join us and offer their experience and thoughts around this part of the application process. Register at: Your Next Opportunity - Completing an Application Form
December: Interview Preparation and Skills
9 December 2026, 11:00-12:00
Our final session covers interview preparation, common questions, effective responses and professional conduct. It also offers practical advice on managing nerves, requesting thinking time and drawing confidently on everyday experience.
We now publish our provider updates every three weeks and focus our content on Care Inspectorate news and activity. We encourage services to follow us on social media, regularly check our website and the websites of other relevant organisations, to keep up to date with the latest news and guidance.
You are receiving this newsletter as we have an obligation to share relevant information and guidance with you as a registered service with the Care Inspectorate.
Find out more about our work at www.careinspectorate.scot
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