Primary and Community Care Services Inspector – North Network

Grade B –  £42,044 (National Framework) or £47,900(London Framework – if you are London office based or homebased and live withinthe boundary of the M25). – There is also an additional homeworking allowance of £600 per annum for those working from home. 

Contracted Hours: Full time 37 hours per week 

Contract Type: Permanent 

Closing date: Thursday 19th February 2026  at 11.59pm

We’re currently accepting applications from candidatesbased in the following areas: West Yorkshire andLancashire and South Cumbria
If you live outside these areas, we’re unable to progress your application onthis occasion.

Please note you may be required to undertake Inspection work outside of regular working hours. 

Make a difference
Every role at CQC contributes to our mission. If you’relooking for a new role in Operations – Primary Care and Community Services(PCCS) that gives a true sense of meaning and purpose, then you’ve foundit! As an Inspector, you help protect people across the North Network byassessing the quality and safety of local primary care and community services,making sure they deliver safe and effective care.

Picture this
Picture supporting GP practices, community services, andlocal health teams to keep people safe and improve their day‑to‑day experienceof care. You’ll see the positive impact of your work in the real changesservices make because of your insight and guidance.

The role
You’ll work closely with others to deliver shared outcomes.In this role, you’ll:
. Lead assessments of primary care, independent health and community health services: Plan and carry out on‑site and off‑site assessments, review a wide range of information leading a team on site and off.
. Take Enforcement action: Take appropriate enforcement action where safety and quality concerns are identified.
. Build strong partnerships across the North Network: Work with providers, commissioners, service users and colleagues to share insight, understand risks, and support improvement in local systems.
. Use evidence to guide clear decisions: Analyse information, keep accurate digital records, and write accessible reports that reflect the real quality and safety of services in primary and community care.

Show us
We will be looking for specific skills, knowledge andexperience in your application form:
. Experience assessing quality or safety in health care settings, ideally within primary care or community health services.
. A clear understanding of health inequalities and how systems work to address these.
. Experience using evidence to make clear, risk‑based decisions, including reviewing information from multiple sources, identifying concerns, and explaining your findings in writing in a concise, clear and structured way.
. Experience working with varied stakeholders to improve outcomes, such as working with providers, partners or people who use services, and managing sensitive conversations with empathy and professionalism.

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

Compliance
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. Please note this role is 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.

Please note that we may not have immediate vacancies within the Network area for all successful candidates.

If you are successful following interview and there is not an immediate vacancy in your Network area, we will seek your permission to contact you if a suitable position arises.

Selection Process:
 Once your application has been reviewed you will be notified of the outcome via email.
Shortlisted Candidates will go through a two-stage assessment process for this role:
1. Written Exercise – online via email.
2. Formal Interview – via MS Teams.
If you are successful in the written exercise, you will be invited to attend a virtual interview via MS Teams.

 Travel Required: Inspectors are requiredto regularly travel within the patch you work in andmay occasionally be asked to travel across the North network or further fornational meetings.

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

 If you’d like an informal chat about the role contact – 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.