Please read the information below before voting.

The Care Quality Commission has made a pay offer for 2025/2026 for:

• staff in delegated grades at the Care Quality Commission (CQC) apart from staff within the senior leadership grade structure of Executive grades 1, 2, and 3*
• staff at Healthwatch England (HWE)
• staff at the National Guardian’s Office (NGO)

The pay award will be pro-rated for part-time colleagues. All eligible colleagues will receive a letter confirming their individual outcome from the pay award ahead of its implementation.

*Information about the award to colleagues in Executive 3 grade is also contained in the offer below.

The offer

The offer is set out below and in this letter from CQC, which also includes new proposed pay scales.

• A 3.25% pay award for Grades Executive 3 to E in post on 1 September 2025
• Uplifting the spot rate pay point for Grade F by 5%, ensuring an above-average consolidated pay award for the lowest grade
• Increases to London Allowance, Homeworkers’ Allowance and Occupational Car Users’ Allowance by 3.25% for Grades A-F
• Uplifting the maximum of pay scales for Grades Executive 3 to E by 3.25% and Grade F by 5%
• Uplifting the minimum of pay scales for Grades Executive 3 to F by varying percentages between 2.78% and 7.45%, depending on grade

We're not making a recommendation about how you vote in this consultation. 

Find out more about the offer and how you can vote in our FAQs.