About the job

Job summary

This role is NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected, and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

 Are you committed to helping us regulate health and social care within England?
When thinking about what drives you every day in your job, what keeps you motivated and passionate about your work what comes to mind?  For 3000+ people at the CQC we end each day knowing that we have made a difference to the lives of those most in need in our communities.  We make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and encourage care services to improve.  We are looking for people who are caring, demonstrate integrity and work well as part of a team to join with us and share in this sense of achievement.  If you would like to help us make a positive impact to health and social care within England, then read on.

Job description

Why this could be a great role for you….

Earlier this year we transformed our Operations Directorate to establish integrated assessment and inspection regional Network teams who will inspect and regulate using a single assessment framework.

The Assessor and Inspector are key roles within our Operations Directorate, working closely together and alongside our Data and Insight colleagues as we work towards being a data led organisation. As a sector specialist, working across an Integrated Assessment and Inspection Team and wider Network boundaries, the Assessor takes accountability for ensuring the ongoing view of quality, safety and risk in a particular area through ongoing assessment based on data and insight, initiating regulatory action, where necessary. The Inspector crosses the threshold of a provider to deliver a range of regulatory activities contributing to the end-to-end assessment of quality and safety of providers and systems.

Following a period of transition, we have immediate opportunities available nationwide for Inspectors in the field of Adult Social Care.  However, please note it may be determined that, as we move through our transformation you move into the role of Assessor for the long-term. 

What you will bring…

You will bring Adult Social Care expertise, experience and passion to CQC.

In particular we are looking for previous experience working in health, social care, NHS or regulatory environment or related fields, preferably at a management level.

We are also looking for significant experience of assessment/regulation and managing provider regulatory risk.

Your strong communication and interpersonal skills will set you apart from others, with an ability to work collaboratively with others and engage with both internal and external stakeholders building strong professional relationships.

You’ll bring with you an eye for detail and good analytical skills, with a track record of sharing best practice and driving innovation and improvement into everything you do.

The CQC Values of Excellence, Caring, Integrity and Teamwork will be at the heart of everything you do.

Person specification

Accountabilities:

Assessor Role:
Accountable as a sector specialist for the continuing view of quality, safety and risk through ongoing assessment based on data and insight.
Ensures assessment activities are in line with regulatory delivery model, using validated data and insight to inform approach and manage risk.
Forms judgments about quality, safety and regulatory risk, taking decisions to commission “crossing the threshold” regulatory activities or other action, such as enforcement, as required, using judgment to escalate appropriately.
Directly ensures judgments, scoring and ratings are up to date and assured, according to the ongoing assessment view and regulatory model.
Applies Data & Insight operational insights appropriately to assessment and other activities, interpreting regulatory data & insight and working collaboratively to ensure timely regulatory responses or action.
Works closely with the Regulatory Coordinator to ensure appropriate relationships and contact with providers and stakeholders, directly holding engagement responsibilities commensurate with level of risk and/or complexity of relationships (e.g. Local Medical Council or NHS trust subject to the Recovery Support Programme).

Inspector Role:
Accountable as a sector specialist with a core focus to deliver cross the threshold elements of regulation, including observational visits, inspections and evidence gathering, and escalating appropriately as required.
Leads civil enforcement in response to identified breaches in line with ways of working and Scheme of Delegation.
Works with National Enforcement team to initiate and complete criminal enforcement processes and activities in response to specific incidents, feeding back to drive continuous improvement and ensure policies, standards and processes are relevant to each sector.
Ensures all findings and evidence capture are submitted to the regulatory platform, supporting the ongoing view of quality and safety.
Works collaboratively with the Assessor as required to support the timely formation of judgments, scoring and ratings for providers.
Contributes to place and ICS based activities informing wider judgements of quality and safety
Responds appropriately to validated regulatory data and insight which informs “cross the threshold” elements of regulation within the Integrated Assessment and Inspection Teams footprints.
Collaborates with specialists beyond the IAIT for complex, pathway or person-centred place based on-site activities.

Both Assessor and Inspector Role:
May provide line management for Regulatory Coordinator and/or Regulatory Officer.
Works in collaboration with own line manager, IAIT colleagues, other IAITs, Network colleagues, Hub, Data & Insight unit and wider CQC colleagues as required to ensure the ongoing view of quality and safety of services.
Identifies opportunities for providers and systems to improve their performance and service quality, building relationships that enable learning.
Ensures CQC policy is adhered to through delivery, identifying opportunities for learning.
Delivers against Key Performance Indicators to ensure that regulatory oversight is consistent, timely and effective.
Responsible for developing and managing relationships with internal stakeholders and external stakeholders as part of onsite and wider assessment-based activities across health and care.
Supports the developmental requirements of the IAIT and provides extra capacity to regulatory activity as required.
Manages regulatory risk in line with ways of working and the Scheme of Delegation.
Maintains personal expertise in relevant specialisms by participating in continuing professional development and the implementation of personal development plans for self and others as required.
Role models inclusive behaviours in everyday interactions and promoting diversity and equality of opportunity, treating everyone with dignity and respect and challenging discrimination.
Promotes a culture of respect and fairness and understands personal responsibilities around delivering against CQC diversity and inclusion strategy.
Role models and supports others to instil CQC values into everything that we do.

Specific Knowledge, Skills and Experience:
 Previous experience of working in health, social care, NHS or regulatory environment or related fields.
Significant experience of regulation and managing provider regulatory risk.
Good analytical skills, able to draw appropriate meaning from data and insight across a range of sources to determine action.
Understanding of how to translate regulatory policy into operational reality.
Experience of working collaboratively across a number of disciplines and in partnership with others to drive improvement and innovation.
Ensures a “one-CQC” approach to data collection, using technology in line with guidance to deliver regulatory processes.
Skills and experience in operational risk management within CQC or another relevant organisation.
Experience of stakeholder engagement both internally and externally such as with health and care users, user groups and user organisations, care providers, provider networks and trade associations, professional regulators, local authorities and integrated care systems.
Knowledge of operations.
Cross-sector expertise.
Experience of data driven regulation health and social care systems.
Excellent communication, interpersonal and presentation skills.
Analytical capability using internal and external data and insight to drive decision making and quality improvements.
Experience of sharing best practice and driving innovation and improvement.
Experience of assurance and quality management.

Please note this role is subject to a satisfactory DBS check

Benefits

What we can offer you...

Your health and wellbeing are important to us and are supported through generous annual leave (starting at 27 days and rising with service to 32.5days, plus 8 Bank Holidays), a cycle to work scheme, discounted gym vouchers and access to a free employee assistance service 24 hours a day. We also understand the importance of financial health and offer membership of the NHS pension scheme, contributing about 14% of basic salary. You will also be able to access discounts to supermarkets, high street stores, electronics, fleet cars, plus we also have an internal reward scheme which could see you earn yourself a voucher or two! All of our Homeworkers are also kitted out with everything they need to comfortably work from home.

We want to support you to succeed and be your very best, with opportunities for training and development along with the support of experienced managers and mentors.  

We want to make working for CQC a great experience for everyone, and to role model a diverse and representative culture. To support an inclusive environment where colleagues feel empowered to bring their whole self to work, we support a variety of staff networks, including the Race Equality Network, LGBT+ Equality Network, Carers Equality Network, Disability Equality Network and Gender Equality network.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Applications can be made via the CQC Jobs Portal

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.