Inspector - Mental Health (Adult Community) in City of London

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. 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 (Due to the nature of the role, regular travel will be required)

Make a difference: Every role at CQC contributes to our mission. If you’re looking for a new role in Operations that gives a true sense of meaning and purpose, then you’ve found it. As a Mental Health- Adult Community Inspector, you help make sure people receiving mental health care in the community 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, and using 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 healthcare.
• 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 and experience 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 term opportunity. Please read the recruitment and selection policy section on secondments. You must discuss your application with your line manager before applying. 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. Some roles 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 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 notified of the outcome via email. Shortlisted Candidates will go through a two-stage assessment process for this role:

• Written Exercise - you will be required to complete a timed written assessment delivered to you by email.
• 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 Job Description. If you’d like an informal chat about the role please email.

The 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.