Healthcare & Social Care

Devolved care inspectorates: quick comparison reference

Quick-lookup reference comparing the three devolved care inspectorates: Care Inspectorate (Scotland), CIW (Wales), and RQIA (Northern Ireland). Covers registration, fees, grading systems, quality frameworks, enforcement powers, workforce bodies, and disclosure schemes.

UK-wide Updated 31 Mar 2026

Guide summary

Compare care regulations in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Each has different rules for registration, inspection, and enforcement. Check which applies to your service.

Scotland uses outcome-focused Health and Social Care Standards graded 1-6
Wales requires a Responsible Individual and wellbeing-focused reports
Northern Ireland follows detailed Minimum Care Standards per service type
Scotland disclosure: PVG scheme through Disclosure Scotland
Wales disclosure: DBS checks through Disclosure and Barring Service
Northern Ireland disclosure: AccessNI checks
Scotland workforce: Register with Scottish Social Services Council
Wales workforce: Register with Social Care Wales
Northern Ireland workforce: Register with Northern Ireland Social Care Council

On this page

UK-wide

Use this reference to compare the three devolved care inspectorates at a glance. For detailed cross-border guidance, see Operating care services across UK nations.

Official guidance

Devolved care inspectorate comparison

Side-by-side comparison of the three devolved care inspectorates covering founding legislation, quality frameworks, grading systems, workforce bodies, disclosure schemes, responsible person roles, and enforcement appeal routes. Excludes CQC (England).

The three devolved care inspectorates regulate social care services under separate legislation with distinct approaches to registration, inspection, and enforcement. This comparison covers the key structural differences that affect providers operating or considering operating in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.

Scotland: founding legislation: Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010
Wales: founding legislation: Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 (RISCA)
Northern Ireland: founding legislation: Health and Personal Social Services (Quality, Improvement and Regulation) (NI) Order 2003
Scotland: quality framework: Health and Social Care Standards (My support, my life) 2018
Wales: quality framework: RISCA Regulated Services Regulations 2017
Northern Ireland: quality framework: RQIA Minimum Care Standards (service-type-specific)
Scotland: grading system: Numeric grades 1 (Unsatisfactory) to 6 (Excellent)
Wales: grading system: No numeric grades — narrative inspection reports
Northern Ireland: grading system: No numeric grades — compliance-focused inspection reports
Scotland: workforce body: SSSC (Scottish Social Services Council)
Wales: workforce body: Social Care Wales
Northern Ireland: workforce body: NISCC (Northern Ireland Social Care Council)
Scotland: disclosure scheme: PVG scheme (Disclosure Scotland)
Wales: disclosure scheme: DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service)
Northern Ireland: disclosure scheme: AccessNI
Scotland: responsible person role: Manager (registered person)
Wales: responsible person role: Responsible Individual (RI) — unique to RISCA
Northern Ireland: responsible person role: Registered person (registered manager)
Scotland: enforcement appeal route: Sheriff Court
Wales: enforcement appeal route: First-tier Tribunal (Health, Education and Social Care Chamber)
Northern Ireland: enforcement appeal route: Care Tribunal

Feature	Care Inspectorate (Scotland)	CIW (Wales)	RQIA (Northern Ireland)

Official guidance

Devolved care quality frameworks comparison

Comparison of the quality standards frameworks used by Care Inspectorate Scotland, Care Inspectorate Wales, and RQIA Northern Ireland. Scotland is the most outcome-focused, Northern Ireland the most prescriptive, and Wales occupies a mid-point with its Responsible Individual model.

Scotland — Health and Social Care Standards (My support, my life) 2018: Scotland replaced its former National Care Standards in April 2018 with an outcome-focused, human rights-based framework. The five headline standards are: I experience high quality care and support that is right for me; I am fully involved in all decisions about my care, treatment, or support; I have confidence in the people who support and care for me; I have confidence in the organisation providing my care and support; and I experience a high quality environment if the organisation provides the premises. Services are graded on a six-point scale (1 = Unsatisfactory to 6 = Excellent) against quality themes derived from these standards. The approach emphasises what people should experience rather than prescribing how services should operate.

Wales — RISCA 2016 and Regulated Services Regulations 2017: The Welsh framework centres on wellbeing outcomes aligned with the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. Providers must appoint a Responsible Individual (RI) who has strategic oversight and accountability for the quality of care. Each service must produce a Statement of Purpose setting out its aims, objectives, and the arrangements for meeting standards. CIW inspections assess wellbeing, care and support, leadership and management, and the environment. There is no numeric grading system; CIW publishes narrative inspection reports. Welsh Language Standards may require bilingual service delivery.

Northern Ireland — RQIA Minimum Care Standards: RQIA uses prescriptive, service-type-specific Minimum Care Standards. Separate standards exist for residential care homes, nursing homes, domiciliary care agencies, children's homes, day care settings, and other service types. Each standard prescribes specific requirements (staffing ratios, record-keeping procedures, premises specifications). RQIA inspections assess compliance against the applicable standards and relevant regulations. Northern Ireland's integrated health and social care system means RQIA also regulates some health services that fall under different bodies elsewhere in the UK.

Scotland approach: Outcome-focused, human rights-based — what people should experience
Wales approach: Wellbeing outcomes with RI oversight — mid-point between outcome and prescriptive
Northern Ireland approach: Prescriptive, service-type-specific — detailed requirements per service type
Scotland framework name: Health and Social Care Standards (My support, my life) 2018
Wales framework name: Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2017
Northern Ireland framework name: RQIA Minimum Care Standards (multiple, service-type-specific)
Scotland headline standards: 5 headline standards covering experience, involvement, confidence in people, confidence in organisation, environment
Wales key requirement: Responsible Individual (RI) appointment and Statement of Purpose mandatory
Northern Ireland key requirement: Compliance with applicable service-type-specific Minimum Care Standards

Feature	Scotland	Wales	Northern Ireland

Official guidance

Disclosure and barring schemes across UK nations

Comparison of criminal record disclosure and barring schemes across all four UK nations. DBS operates in England and Wales, PVG scheme in Scotland, and AccessNI in Northern Ireland. No automatic cross-border portability exists between any schemes.

England and Wales — Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS): The DBS operates under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and the Police Act 1997. Enhanced DBS checks with barred list checks are mandatory for staff in regulated activity with children or vulnerable adults. The DBS Update Service (annual subscription of £13) allows employers to check the status of an existing certificate online, providing portability within England and Wales. The Update Service does not extend to Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Scotland — PVG scheme (Disclosure Scotland): The Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme operates under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. The Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 is reforming the disclosure system, introducing new check types and modernising the PVG scheme. PVG scheme membership is required for individuals doing regulated work with children or protected adults. Disclosure Scotland maintains the barred lists for Scotland. PVG scheme membership costs £59 for a new application. Unlike the DBS Update Service, PVG scheme membership provides continuous updating — scheme members are monitored for new vetting information on an ongoing basis.

Northern Ireland — AccessNI: AccessNI operates under the Police Act 1997 (Part V as applied to Northern Ireland) and the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007. Enhanced checks with barred list access are required for staff in regulated activity. AccessNI does not offer an equivalent to the DBS Update Service. Barring decisions in Northern Ireland are managed by the Disclosure and Barring Service under arrangements with the Department of Health (NI). An enhanced AccessNI check costs £33.

Cross-border employers: There is no automatic portability between any of the three disclosure schemes. If you employ staff who work in more than one UK nation, you must obtain separate checks under each nation's scheme. A valid DBS certificate does not satisfy PVG requirements in Scotland, and vice versa. Employers should budget for the cost and administrative burden of maintaining multiple checks for cross-border workers.

England/Wales scheme: DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service)
England/Wales legislation: Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006; Police Act 1997
England/Wales enhanced check cost: £38 (enhanced DBS check, 2025/26)
England/Wales update service: DBS Update Service — £13/year, online status checks, E&W portability only
Scotland scheme: PVG scheme (Protecting Vulnerable Groups), operated by Disclosure Scotland
Scotland legislation: Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007; Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020
Scotland PVG membership cost: £59 (new PVG scheme membership application)
Scotland continuous updating: PVG scheme provides ongoing monitoring — no separate update service needed
Northern Ireland scheme: AccessNI
Northern Ireland legislation: Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007; Police Act 1997 (Part V)
Northern Ireland enhanced check cost: £33 (enhanced AccessNI check)
Northern Ireland update service: No equivalent to DBS Update Service
Cross-border portability: None — separate checks required for each nation where staff provide care

For nation-specific registration procedures, see:

Operating care services across UK nations: cross-border registration and compliance
Comprehensive guide for care providers operating in more than one UK nation. Covers separate registration …
Healthcare regulation across the UK nations
Comparison reference for healthcare regulation in England (CQC), Scotland (HIS and Care Inspectorate), Wales (HIW …
Social care registration and regulators
Guide to registering as a social care provider across all four UK nations. Covers CQC …
Social care workforce qualifications and staffing
Workforce requirements for social care providers across the UK. Covers the Care Certificate and qualifications …
Register a health or social care service with RQIA
Step-by-step guide to registering a health or social care service with the Regulation and Quality …

Operating care services across UK nations: cross-border registration and compliance

Comprehensive guide for care providers operating in more than one UK nation. Covers separate registration requirements with each devolved inspectorate, workforce portability, disclosure and barring schemes, quality framework differences, and the practical implications of no mutual recognition between CQC, Care Inspectorate Scotland, CIW, and RQIA.

Healthcare regulation across the UK nations

Comparison reference for healthcare regulation in England (CQC), Scotland (HIS and Care Inspectorate), Wales (HIW and CIW), and Northern Ireland (RQIA). Covers registration, inspection frameworks, workforce registration, and key differences between the four nations.

Social care registration and regulators

Guide to registering as a social care provider across all four UK nations. Covers CQC registration in England, Care Inspectorate in Scotland, CIW in Wales, and RQIA in Northern Ireland — including fees, registered manager requirements, and inspection frameworks.

Social care workforce qualifications and staffing

Workforce requirements for social care providers across the UK. Covers the Care Certificate and qualifications in England, mandatory SSSC registration in Scotland, and staffing level principles for care homes and domiciliary care.

Register a health or social care service with RQIA

Step-by-step guide to registering a health or social care service with the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) in Northern Ireland. Covers application requirements, fit person criteria, premises standards, registration conditions, fees, and expected timescales.

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