Joint Inspection of Children’s Services and Inspection of Social Work Services (Scotland) Act 2006

Part 2 Social work services

4 Appointment of social work inspectors

The Scottish Ministers are to appoint persons to be known as social work inspectors and those inspectors are to carry out the functions conferred on them by or under this Act or any other enactment.

5 Functions of inspectors

(1) The inspectors shall—

(a) conduct inspections of, and investigations into, the provision of social work services; and

(b) encourage improvement in the provision of those services.

(2) An inspection or investigation under this section is to be conducted in accordance with—

(a) a timetable approved by the Scottish Ministers;

(b) any directions issued by the Scottish Ministers.

(3) Regulations may make provision concerning the exercise of functions under subsection (1) and in particular provision—

(a) as to the types of inspection or investigation which may be conducted;

(b) requiring or facilitating the production by a social work service provider to an inspector of information (other than relevant medical records);

(c) requiring or facilitating the production by a social work service provider to a medically qualified inspector of relevant medical records;

(d) requiring explanations of information to be provided to an inspector;

(e) empowering an inspector to enter any premises;

(f) empowering an inspector to disclose to a person prescribed for the purposes of this paragraph any information of a prescribed nature which the inspector holds in consequence of exercising functions under subsection (1);

(g) creating offences punishable on summary conviction by a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale for the purpose of enforcing any provision of the regulations.