[1] The SSSC was established in October 2001 by the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act.

The range of care services provided includes residential and day centres, community facilities, and home-based support.

[3] The SSSC: People working in the types of services listed below, which are registered with the Care Inspectorate, must also register with the SSSC: The SSSC carries out the functions in Scotland of the sector skills council for people providing social work, social care and children's services in the UK, known as Skills for Care and Development.

This includes developing National Occupational Standards (NOS), which underpin qualifications for registration and outline the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary for an effective workforce.

Skills for Care and Development is a partnership between: In April 2024, BetterCareScotland called on the Scottish Parliament to address the need for independent oversight of social care regulation in Scotland by a professional body with risk management, regulatory, compliance, analytical and lay expertise to eradicate poor practices that expose women to the risk of abuse in care homes for older people in Scotland and loopholes that enable its cover-up.