Functional Assessor

A clinical salary that finally outruns the ward — £53582, and c £59,000 potential in year one. If you're an NMC-registered nurse (adult, mental health or learning disability), a physiotherapist or an occupational therapist, this is one of the best-paid clinical roles in London that doesn't ask for a single night shift in return.

The role: as a WCA Functional Assessor you'll carry out Work Capability Assessments on behalf of our client — a leading UK provider of health assessment services — by phone, video or face-to-face, assessing how a person's health condition or disability affects their capability for work and daily activity, and writing the reports that help the DWP make fair decisions. It's pure clinical assessment: structured interviewing, functional and mental state examination, and clear evidence-based report writing — the thinking part of your profession, with protected time to do it properly.

What changes:

• £51532 basic salary, rising to £53532 on DWP approval — a base that clears NHS Band 6 pay even with inner-London weighting, from day one.
• A quality bonus of up to 10% of salary once approved — a potential first-year package of nearly £59k
• Monday to Friday. No nights. No weekends. No unsocial-hours rota.
• Hybrid working — a mix of home-based work and assessments at the Romford assessment centre.

What doesn't change:

• Your registration — fully maintained, with your annual professional registration fee reimbursed and revalidation supported.
• Your clinical reasoning — used on every single case. This is a clinical role, not a step away from one.
• Your development — full, paid, structured training from day one. You are not expected to know this role; you're taught it, with mentorship through your first months.

Am I eligible? Yes — if you hold current, unrestricted NMC or HCPC registration and have 12 months post-registration experience. One year qualified is all you need — and experienced clinicians and current assessors are equally welcome.

Why apply through Gaia: we've specialised in Functional Assessor recruitment since 2003. You'll get honest advice on whether the role is right for you, real interview preparation, and support from application through to DWP approval. Our candidates succeed at well above the market rate — because we don't just forward CVs, we prepare people.