202405: Prison Officer - HMP Hollesley Bay and HMP Warren Hill

In this unique career, you'll have the opportunity to carry out many different roles in any one day. One minute you're a peacekeeper, the next you're a counsellor or a teacher. You'll work directly with prisoners in a unique environment, helping to protect the public and make a positive impact.

During the recruitment process you will be assessed on the behaviours, strengths and abilities you need to become an effective prison officer. These include:

• communicating and influencing


• managing a quality service


• making effective decisions


• caring
  
  pass a medical and fitness assessment


• meet the required eyesight standard in both eyes


• for safety reasons, meet a suitable standard of hearing.


For safety reasons, everyone training to be a prison officer needs a suitable standard of hearing (without the use of hearing aids).

To work in a high security prison (category A) you must have been a resident in the UK for the last 3 years.

You will be invited to complete stage 1 of the online test, to see if you have the basic judgement and numerical skills.
If you pass, we will invite you to complete stage 2 of the online tests, which is a behaviour-based assessment.
If you pass the online tests, we will invite you to an online assessment centre (OAC).
Once you've successfully completed the OAC and you are allocated to a vacancy, we will invite you to complete a medical and fitness test. This will cover an eyesight test, hearing test and basic health screening, including a blood pressure check.

Pay

The initial training is 37 hours a week. After training, you can choose to work 37, 39 or 41 hours a week. Your annual salary will reflect your weekly hours.


• 37 hours a week = £30,902 a year


• 39 hours a week = £32,851 a year


• 41 hours a week = £34,800 a year


All salary figures quoted include any additional allowances.

The standard working week of a prison officer is based on a 39 hours per week shift pattern.,
• 25 days' annual holiday (rising to 30 days after 10 years' service)


• paid time off for public holidays and 1 extra privilege day


• Civil Service pension of up to 20% of your salary


• cycle to work scheme, travel loans and other benefits


Read more about prison officer benefits

The rewards aren't all you'll gain from a role in the Prison Service. There's the sense of achievement you feel when you've helped a prisoner to get their life back on track - the kind of experience you simply won't find anywhere else.

Job offers: merit vacancy

This is a merit job vacancy. If you are successful at the online assessment centre, you will be added to a merit list based on your score.

When all applicants have completed the assessment centre, the prison will make job offers to individuals with the highest scores first when positions become available.