Working for CQC - our culture

At CQC, we believe everyone should receive safe, effective and compassionate care.

We regulate health and adult social care by working together with the public, systems and providers of care to protect people, and to promote and improve the quality of care. 

Our colleagues find rewarding careers where they can make a real difference to people’s lives. 

We embrace a fair, inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone can develop their skills and reach their full potential. Our teams work together to achieve shared goals, guided by our vision and core values that shape our organisational culture.

Equity, diversity and inclusion

Our diverse teams result in a more creative and productive environment. Different viewpoints, knowledge and experience make us stronger and more effective at what we do.

We actively embrace differences and work to create a place where everyone feels they belong.

We support this by:

• welcoming applications from all backgrounds, regardless of age, gender/sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability, pregnancy and maternity, ethnicity or sexual orientation
• using independent panel members for some roles to ensure our recruitment process is fair and equitable
• offering a Guaranteed Interview scheme if you have a disability – this means you are guaranteed an interview if you meet the minimum criteria in the job profile
• providing adjustments throughout the recruitment process to remove potential barriers
• regularly conducting assessments to monitor our processes to prevent any potential bias.

Our equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) strategy sets out an evidence-based approach to:

• recruit talented staff who reflect the communities we serve
• support colleagues to develop their careers
• build diverse teams with different perspectives.

By bringing together varied viewpoints and experiences, we make better decisions as a regulator. This helps us deliver fairer and more effective outcomes for the public.

Our commitment to equity, diversity and human rights underpins our work. We take part in these schemes:

• Business Disability Forum
• Mindful Employer
• Employers for Carers
• Disability Confident Employer.

Supporting each other

Working at CQC gives you the chance to make a real difference to people’s lives while being part of a supportive team. Our colleague-led networks provide support and community, including:

• Race Equality Network
• LGBT+ Equality Network
• Carers Equality Network
• Disability Equality Network
• Gender Equality Network.

These networks help identify improvements and drive positive changes throughout our organisation.

Your wellbeing

We care about the wellbeing of our colleagues and are committed to providing effective support.

Our wellbeing co-ordinators are volunteers from across the organisation. They champion and raise awareness of wellbeing initiatives and the support available.

Some wellbeing resources available to our colleagues are:

• inner wellness webinars
• coaching and mentoring
• a living library
• mindfulness and meditation
• support and tools for managers
• support in a crisis
• workplace passports.

Our Employee Assistance Programme offers 24/7 support by telephone, online webchat or email. This confidential service is available free of charge whenever colleagues need help.

We understand that balancing wellbeing across work and home life can be challenging. That’s why we’re committed to supporting our colleagues achieve this balance through flexible working arrangements. Many of our advertised roles offer options including:

• part-time working
• job sharing
• compressed hours
• adjustments to work patterns.

We are also committed to flexibility about your work location. While our workforce primarily works from home, we recognise this doesn’t suit everyone. If you would prefer working from an office, please contact us to discuss how we can accommodate your needs.