Purpose of Post:

Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) is the independent regulator of social care and childcare. CIW registers, inspects, and takes action to improve the quality and safety of services for the well-being of the people of Wales. Inspection and enforcement are key functions in the delivery of safe, high quality regulated services to the citizens of Wales. 

The primary task of an Inspector is to ensure that regulated care services provide good quality, safe care and to encourage and drive improvement. Inspectors can use their knowledge and skills to safeguard and protect the wellbeing of people using regulated services and to gather information about outcomes for people. This can be used by CIW in its evaluation of local councils and for informing policy development.

Inspectors will be responsible to a Team Manager. They will have a critical function to perform to ensure the effective and timely delivery of CIW’s core responsibilities across the full spectrum of Regulated Care Services.

Key Tasks:

• Maintaining oversight and management of a caseload of regulated services, ensuring the required inspections take place, monitoring levels of risk, assessing incoming concerns, and ensuring all records are kept up to date.
• Carrying out inspections in line with an agreed programme (including joint inspections with Estyn in childcare and play), observing and reporting on the well-being of people using the service, identifying, and monitoring areas of non-compliance, raising and responding to safeguarding concerns.
• Taking responsibility for following and progressing actions in relation to services of concern and liaising with other key stakeholders including commissioners, other regulatory bodies and safeguarding leads.
• Preparing and undertaking enforcement activity including drafting statutory notices.
• Collating, providing evidence to and attending Care Standard Tribunal hearings. 
• Working with managers to contribute to the setting and achieving of organisational performance objectives, including both quantitative and qualitative measures.
• Ensuring effective communication across the team to ensure that good practice is shared, and areas of concern reported.
• Contributing to the development and improvement of practice to ensure robust, consistent regulatory standards where issues of diversity and equality are fully addressed and integrated.
• Keep up to date with changes in legislation, guidance, and policies, procedures and best practice development.
• Ensuring the development of, and ongoing effective engagement with other stakeholders including people who use services and carers.
• Preparing correspondence in relation to specific issues raised about services.
• Maintaining accurate records management including the use of CRM database (CaSSI).
• Take responsibility for own performance management and own professional development and seek appropriate development opportunities in accordance with the Welsh Government/CIW performance and development / management support process and in discussion with the team manager.

For the South Wales Inspector Role

*Please apply for this role using the South Wales advert

This role is based in South Wales Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) offices of Merthyr or Carmarthen.   

A reserve list will be held, and candidates will be appointed in merit order. If you applied and are offered a role and decline, you will be removed from the reserve list. The reserve lists will be kept for up to 12 months.

The Team is:

Adult and Children's Services Inspection Team – Candidates are likely to come from a social work or nursing background.

For the North Wales Inspector Role

*Please apply for this role using the North Wales advert

3 roles are based in North Wales Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) office of Llandudno Junction.

A reserve list will be held for this opportunity. Any candidate who is successful in being offered a reserve status, will remain on the reserve list for 12 months

The Team is:

Adult and Children's Services Inspection Team – Candidates are likely to come from a social work or nursing background. Pleases state in your application which service type you are applying for, either Adults OR Children’s. There will be one order of Merit for Children’s services and one for Adults’ services.

Assessment Stages:

There will be a 2-stage assessment process.

Stage 1 – Application

Stage 2 – Interview/Presentation (based on a scenario)

Stage 1: Application form only the 3 Technical criteria will be tested at this stage.

In the event of a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted against the lead assessment criterion: TECHNICAL 1 - What relevant qualification do you hold and what experience do you have of working in the social care, health or adult or children's social care Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Stage 2: Applicants that pass stage 1 will be invited to attend an interview and conduct a presentation. All the behaviours, and technical skills will be tested at interview stage.

For the presentation topic you will be emailed a scenario 5 working days prior to your interview. The scenario will be based on a situation you can expect to find yourself in whilst out on Inspection. The presentation will be assessing candidates’ reaction in line with CIW values and the behaviour ‘Communicating and Influencing’.

The presentation will be no more than 5 mins and will be timed. Visual slides will not be accepted; this will be a verbal presentation only although candidates can read from prompt cards. Once the panel have introduced themselves and the Chair explains the format of the day the candidate will be asked to start with the 5-minute presentation.

A starting salary of up to point 3 (£40,341) may be considered for candidates who demonstrate the essential skills, knowledge, and experience to an exceptional level at interview. Current salary is not a consideration.

A Recruitment and Retention Allowance of up to £4,535 per annum will be payable (for part time it will be pro rata). The allowance is attached to the post of the Inspector and is in addition to the substantive salary.

An allowance of £1,000 per year is available if you use your own car and cover more than 2,000 statutory miles per year. A valid driving licence and motor insurance is required.

If after interview stage, there are two successful candidates with the same score the panel will review interview score for technical skills, then behaviour 1, then behaviour 2, then behaviour 3, then behaviour 4.

The highest scoring candidates after interview will be offered a role in merit order.

As an Inspector, you will work from a blend of locations, including some time working at home, some time at your agreed office location, and some time at the premises of the service you are inspecting. The agreed office location will be the designated place of work and any remote or home working arrangement does not constitute a change to your designated place of work or contractual terms and conditions. The successful candidate will be expected to pay for their commute to their normal place of work. Travel to other locations that are not your chosen normal place of work will be paid for by CIW.

A full valid UK driving licence is necessary as this role will involve making frequent visits to premises of the service you are inspecting and relying on public transport may be difficult. We will consider reasonable adjustments for applicants who are unable to drive due to a disability.

Occasional work is required outside of normal office hours to complete inspections.

Essential Qualifications and Experience:

•           Social care or health with relevant experience in health or adult or children's social care.

Examples of Acceptable Qualifications are (but not limited to):

•           Diploma/Degree in Social Work (or Social Care Wales equivalent)

•           Nursing qualification

•           Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Services

Accepted: Any degree and significant experience in safeguarding or improving outcomes for children and adults in social care.