Inspector – Mental Health (Adult Community)

Grade B – £42,044 (National Framework) or £47,900 (London Framework – if you areLondon office based or homebased and live within the boundary of theM25). There is also an additional homeworking allowance of £600 per annumfor those working from home.Please note for part time roles – this will be pro rata.

Contracted Hours: Full time 37 hours per week. We may also consider compressed hours.

Contract Type: 18 months Fixed Term/Secondment

Closing date: Sunday 8th March 2026 at 11.59pm

Location: Homebased – National role (Dueto the nature of the role, regular travel will be required) 

Make a difference
Every role at CQC contributes to our mission. If you’relooking for a new role in Operations that gives a true sense of meaningand purpose, then you’ve found it. As a Mental Health- Adult CommunityInspector, you help make sure people receiving mental health care in thecommunity are treated safely, respectfully and with compassion.

Picture this
You spend time listening to people’s experiences,understanding how community mental health services support their recovery, andusing evidence to make fair and balanced judgments. Your work helps shine alight on where care is strong and where people may be at risk.

As a Mental Health- Adult Community Inspector in Operations,you might get the chance to:

• Lead inspections of  community mental health services to understand how well people are supported when in mental health crisis, identifying risks early so people stay safe.
• Work with local partners – such as commissioners, safeguarding teams and advocacy groups – to build a joined‑up view of quality and emerging concerns in mental health services.

The role
You’ll be key in helping us deliver our work. In this role,you’ll:

• Lead regulatory assessments: Plan and carry out inspections and assessment activity for mental health community services, gather evidence from a range of sources, and take timely action where risks or breaches of regulation are identified.
• Collaborate to protect people: Build strong working relationships with providers, colleagues and partners to share insight, listen to people’s experiences and support a wider understanding of quality and safety in mental health care.
• Use evidence to drive fair decisions: Collect, analyse and record information clearly and accurately so our judgments and ratings reflect the lived experience of people using mental health services.

Show us
We will be looking for specific skills, knowledge andexperience in your application form:

• Experience working in mental health, social care, or another regulated setting, using your judgement to understand risk, quality and the impact on people’s wellbeing.
• Experience working with a range of partners or teams, using information from different sources to help identify concerns and support improvement in care.
• Experience analysing evidence and writing clear summaries or reports, explaining what you found and why it matters.

Join us and help CQC shape the future of health and care. 

Compliance
 Note for internal candidates:
This is a secondment/fixed termopportunity. Please read the recruitment and selection policy section onsecondments. You must discuss your application with your linemanager before applying.

To progress your application, you’ll need to provide evidence of your right towork in the UK. Without valid right to work you won’t be eligible for therole. We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. Someroles may also be subject to a satisfactory DBS check.

Next steps
If you apply, you’ll need to create a profile and complete an online application form. Your application will be completely anonymous.  Please see our information for applicants for more details on the process. We contact every applicant to let them know the outcome of their application, so you will hear from us whether or not you are shortlisted.

Once your application has been reviewed you will be notifiedof the outcome via email.

Shortlisted Candidates will go through a two-stage assessment process for thisrole:

1. Written Exercise - you will be required to complete a timed written assessment delivered to you by email.
2. Formal Interviews  (via MS Teams) 

If you are successful in the written exercise, you will be invited to attend a virtual interview via MS Teams.

You can read the full details of the role in the Job Description.

If you’d like an informal chat about the role please email recruitment@cqc.org.uk.

The Benefits
Weoffer a wide range of benefits, including:

• Annual leave starting at 27 days per year, rising to 32.5 days with service, plus bank holidays (usually 8 days per year).
• Training and development opportunities.
• Wellbeing initiatives, such as gym discounts and meditation.
• NHS pension scheme, with around 14% employer contribution.
• Discount schemes (including eligibility for a Blue Light card, at a cost of £4.99 and valid for 2 years), reward vouchers, car leasing and more!

Please see our benefits page for the full list.

Equity for all
We know job descriptions can feel intimidating. Research shows they can cause some people to doubt whether they’re a good fit. This happens more often to people from underrepresented groups (e.g. ethnic minority backgrounds). If this role interests you, we encourage you to apply. Your unique perspective, skills, and experience could be exactly what we need.
We want every candidate to feel supported and able to do their best. If you need adjustments to our process, we’ll work with you to remove any barriers. Visit our accessibility page for more on this. If you’d like to chat, please contact recruitment@cqc.org.uk. Please note, if you have previously informed us of adjustments you need for interview or within your role these are not carried over and must be discussed for each individual application you make.
We promote a workplace where fairness, respect and inclusion are a priority. Diverse teams make our work better, help us deliver our mission and make our culture stronger. See our ED&I page for more about this.
We welcomeapplications from everyone, and colleagues can find supportand community among our many employee networks. This includes people of any:

• Age
• Sex
• Gender identity or expression
• Sexual orientation
• Religion or belief
• Ethnicity
• Disability

Values and vision
We are guided by our core values, which shape our work and our culture.
Excellence – being a high-performing organisation.
Caring – treating everyone with dignity and respect.
Integrity – doing the right thing.
Teamwork – learning from each other to be the best we can.
We are a disability confident employer and a carer confident employer.

A Note on AI
AI tools can be great for research and refining ideas, but we want to learn about you. If you use AI or Chatbots to help you with your application, keep these points in mind:

•        AI can support research, structuring and refining your writing, but your application must reflect your real skills and experience.
•        Spell-checking and condensing word counts are great ways to use AI effectively.
•        Do not copy and paste AI generated answers. These will not help you stand out; remember we want to hear about your skills and experience.
•        Providing false and insincere examples goes against our core values of honesty and integrity and may lead to your application being withdrawn or termination of your employment.