Starting a homecare business in Scotland? That’s amazing. 👏 More than ever we need businesses like yours to support people to live well and independently in their own homes.
Homecare in Scotland is referred to as a ‘Care at home support service’. It’s a regulated activity, which means that you need to register by law with the Care Inspectorate to operate.
Here is a quick guide on how to register your homecare business in Scotland. But always check the Care Inspectorate's website for the most up-to-date guidance, in case something has changed or is not covered here.
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The most important thing to do before you apply to register a homecare business in Scotland, is to make sure you understand all relevant regulations, legislation and guidance.
The main requirements to be familiar with are:
the Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Registration) Regulations 2011 (SSI 2011/28)
the Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Applications) Order 2011 (SSI 2011/29)
the Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011 (SSI 2011/210)
The Care Inspectorate Scotland also recommends you read the following documents:
Guidance on applying to register a care service
Guidance on setting the aims and objectives of your service (known as a Statement of Purpose in England and Wales)
Guidance on registering dispersed services - i.e. if you will manage multiple teams or services from one location
Quality framework for care at home support services
Self-evaluation guide - for continuous improvement against the Care Inspectorate’s quality framework
Self-evaluation tool for COVID-19 preparedness
You will also need a named registered manager who will be responsible for managing the service day-to-day. They need to be qualified to SCQF Level 7, e.g. hold a SVQ Social Services and Healthcare SCQF Level 7.
> See the guidance on registered managers in Scotland
The registration process for homecare businesses in Scotland requires detailed information about how you will run your service. So it is best that you prepare this in advance:
Aims and objectives of the service - which identify the type of service you will provide
Policies and procedures, including:
Complaints
Child and/or adult protection (depending on your service)
Medication
Infection control
Food and nutrition
Promoting positive behaviour / use of restrictive practices (depending on your service)
Recruitment
Staffing - an indication of how many people you will need to run your service, what their roles will be and how you will ensure they are suitably trained
Financial information and declarations
References for the people who will run the business - e.g. directors, committee members etc.
Premises plans (if applicable) - along with things like environmental health reports, planning permission, building warrants, completion certificates or permission from your landlord
To register your homecare business in Scotland you will need to complete an application form and pay a fee. The easiest way is to complete the application online via the Care Inspectorate’s portal. Alternatively, you can contact your local Care Inspectorate office for an application pack.
The fee is based on the size of your organisation:
Small - up to 3 employees: £1,261
Medium - 4-15 full-time employees: £2,050
Other - more than 15 full-time employees: £2,798
> See the guidance on submitting a registration online to the Care Inspectorate Scotland
Once you have submitted your application, the Care Inspectorate Scotland’s national registration team will check:
the information you’ve given
whether the provider is fit to provide the service
whether the manager is fit to manage the service
the premises - to ensure they are fit for purpose
how you intend to run the service - so that the health, welfare, independence, choice, privacy and dignity of everyone using the service are taken into account
whether you’ve paid the right fee
they may also check the financial viability of the service
A decision is usually reached within 6 months, providing you’ve given all the required information in enough detail.
If you are successful, you’ll receive confirmation via the online portal, along with your certificate of registration - which you should display prominently!
Good luck with your new care at home service! ✨
Find out more about how Nursebuddy helps new homecare providers.
Register a care service (Care Inspectorate Scotland, Oct 2025)
Online registration application form – user guide (Care Inspectorate Scotland, Jan 2020)
A quality framework for support services - care at home, including supported living models of support (Care Inspectorate Scotland, May 2022)
Guidance for applicants on applying to register a care service (Care Inspectorate Scotland, July 2021)
Guidance for providers and applicants on aims and objectives (Care Inspectorate Scotland, Dec 2019)
Guidance for providers on the registration of dispersed services (Care Inspectorate Scotland, Feb 2020)
Fees (Care Inspectorate Scotland, Oct 2025)
Fees table (Care Inspectorate Scotland, Nov 2016)
Self-evaluation for improvement – your guide (Care Inspectorate Scotland, 2019)
Registered manager requirements (Care Inspectorate Scotland, June 2021)