Guide for providers
What a Scottish care provider has to do each year
The recurring duties of a registered care service, when they fall due, how sure we are of each date, and where the official page is.
A guide, not legal advice. We checked these against the official pages linked under each duty on 2 November 2026. Where the regulator sets the dates each year, we say so and show the last one we know, rather than guess the next. Always confirm on the official page before you rely on a date. Find Care Scotland is independent and is not part of, or endorsed by, the Care Inspectorate.
At a glance
| Duty | Timing | How sure we are |
|---|---|---|
| Care Inspectorate annual return | Early in the year; the regulator sets the dates (2026 closed 17 February) | Dates set by the regulator each year |
| Care Inspectorate continuation fee | Once a year, on the date on your invoice | Depends on your service |
| Duty of candour annual report | After each financial year ends; no fixed date | Required by law, no fixed date |
| Appropriate staffing (Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019) | Ongoing | Ongoing duty |
| Staff registration with the SSSC | Ongoing; annual fee and renewal | Ongoing duty |
| Possible: Freedom of Information for private and third-sector care providers | Not yet a duty | Watch: not yet a duty |
Care Inspectorate annual return
Dates set by the regulator each year- Who it applies to
- Every registered care service.
- When
- Completed once a year through the Care Inspectorate digital portal. The 2026 return closed on Tuesday 17 February 2026. The 2027 dates have not been published: expect the return to open early in the year, and look for the announcement.
- Why
- Providers must supply it under section 53(6) of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010. The Care Inspectorate uses it to plan inspections and to report on the sector, including the staff vacancy figures in the national vacancies report (taken as at 31 December). It does not automatically downgrade a service for missing the deadline, but it can issue a formal requirement, or an improvement notice for serious or persistent non-compliance.
What to do
- Gather staffing, vacancy and service figures before the return opens.
- Check the Care Inspectorate page for this year's opening and closing dates.
- Submit through the digital portal before the deadline.
The Care Inspectorate's annual returns page (official page, opens in a new tab) ↗
Care Inspectorate continuation fee
Depends on your service- Who it applies to
- Every registered care service, including one that is inactive. No refund is given if a service cancels part-way through its fee year.
- When
- One invoice a year for all your registered services. The date depends on when each service first registered. Your invoice states the due date. The Care Inspectorate's guidance gives single-payment deadlines about two months after the due date (for example, due 1 April, pay by 31 May), and instalments are available above a threshold.
- Why
- It is the annual charge for staying registered.
What to do
- Check your invoice for the due date and the payment deadline.
- Choose to pay in one go or by instalments if you qualify.
- Put the date in your finance calendar.
Registration fees (official page, opens in a new tab) ↗ · How to pay Care Inspectorate fees (official page, opens in a new tab) ↗
Duty of candour annual report
Required by law, no fixed date- Who it applies to
- Every provider of a care service in Scotland.
- When
- Within a reasonable time after each financial year ends. The law gives no fixed date.
- Why
- Section 24 of the Health (Tobacco, Nicotine etc. and Care) (Scotland) Act 2016 requires an annual report on the times the duty of candour applied and what was learned. You publish it in the way you consider appropriate (Scottish Government guidance says on your website, if you have one), and then notify the Care Inspectorate.
What to do
- Work out when your financial year ends and put it in your diary: the report follows it.
- Prepare the report after the year ends: the number of incidents, what happened, and what you learned and changed.
- Publish it, and notify the Care Inspectorate that you have.
The law: section 24 (official page, opens in a new tab) ↗ · Scottish Government: organisational duty of candour (official page, opens in a new tab) ↗
Appropriate staffing (Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019)
Ongoing duty- Who it applies to
- Care service providers registered with the Care Inspectorate. In force since 1 April 2024.
- When
- A standing duty rather than a date: you must ensure appropriate staffing, and be able to show how you decided. The Scottish Government reports on the Act each year.
- Why
- At the time of the latest statutory guidance the Care Inspectorate had not set a required staffing method for care services, so providers need their own sound way of working out staffing and a record of it.
What to do
- Keep a record of how you decide staffing levels and review it when needs change.
- Watch for any staffing method the Care Inspectorate publishes.
Staff registration with the SSSC
Ongoing duty- Who it applies to
- Staff in roles that must be registered with the Scottish Social Services Council.
- When
- Ongoing: registrations are kept current as circumstances change, and each registrant pays an annual fee and renews. The SSSC's workforce data is a snapshot taken each December.
- Why
- A registration can lapse, for example through an unpaid annual fee, which is a problem for the worker and for the service that employs them.
What to do
- Check registrations are current and not close to lapsing.
- Keep job titles and employer details up to date on the register.
SSSC (official page, opens in a new tab) ↗ · SSSC workforce data (official page, opens in a new tab) ↗
Possible: Freedom of Information for private and third-sector care providers
Watch: not yet a duty- Who it applies to
- Private and third-sector care homes and care at home services.
- When
- The Scottish Government consulted on extending Freedom of Information law to these providers (the consultation closed on 30 March 2026). No change has taken effect that we know of.
- Why
- If it goes ahead, providers would need to publish certain information and answer requests for it.
What to do
- Nothing to do yet. Watch for the Government's response.
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