The Act – an Overview
3.Part 1 of the Act provides Scottish Ministers with powers to require two or more specified persons or bodies jointly to inspect the provision of children’s services and sets out the framework and purposes for such joint inspections.  It requires those conducting such inspections to have regard to any code of practice issued by the Scottish Ministers giving guidance on desirable practice and matters such as access to and use and disposal of confidential information.  It also provides the Scottish Ministers with regulation making powers to enable persons or bodies participating in such inspections to access and share information for the purpose of the joint inspection.
4.Part 2 of the Act provides for the appointment of social work inspectors with the functions of inspecting the provision of social work services and encouraging the improvement in provision of those services.  The Scottish Ministers are given regulation making powers which will enable powers to be given to these social work inspectors for the purpose of carrying out their functions.  The Act also repeals existing powers of inspection of specific social work services, as set out in section 6 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968.