Primary and Community Care Services Inspector

CQC report on Now Healthcare Group; Stoke-on-Trent; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - GBP 48,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare regulatory body is seeking an Inspector to evaluate primary care and community services in the North Network. The role involves leading assessments, enforcing safety measures, and collaborating with various stakeholders to enhance care quality. Candidates should have prior experience in health care assessments and be equipped to handle discussions with sensitivity. This is a full-time, permanent position with competitive benefits, including a robust pension scheme and substantial annual leave.

Benefits

Annual leave starting at 27 days

Training and development opportunities

NHS pension scheme

Gym discounts

Discount schemes

Qualifications

• Experience in assessing quality in health care settings, particularly primary care or community health.
• Able to analyze complex information and document findings effectively.
• Capacity to manage sensitive conversations with empathy.

Responsibilities

• Lead assessments of primary care and community health services.
• Take enforcement action for safety and quality concerns.
• Build partnerships across the North Network for improvement.

Skills

Experience assessing quality or safety in health care settings

Clear understanding of health inequalities

Experience using evidence for decision-making

Experience working with various stakeholders

Job description

Overview

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

Contract details

Contracted Hours: Full time 37 hours per week

Contract Type: Permanent

Closing date: Thursday 19 February 2026 at 11.59pm

Location/Eligibility

We’re currently accepting applications from candidates based in the following areas: West Yorkshire and Lancashire and South Cumbria
If you live outside these areas, we’re unable to progress your application on this occasion.

Working patterns

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

Role purpose

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

Role responsibilities

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 and experience 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 to work in the UK. Without valid right to work you won’t be eligible for the role. 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 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

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.

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 [e-mail].

Benefits

We offer 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!

Equity for all

We know job descriptions can feel intimidating. If this role interests you, we encourage you to apply. Your unique perspective, skills, and experience could be exactly what we need. We promote a workplace where fairness, respect and inclusion are a priority. We welcome applications from everyone, including people of any age, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, ethnicity, disability. See ED&I page for more.

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.