Job description
As part of our prison support team, your work will be varied and help to keep the prison moving. This is an active role where you will be doing a range of physical tasks. These can include lifting and carrying, plus long periods of standing and walking. There will also be periods of lone working whilst undertaking tasks on both day and night shifts.
You will not always be in contact with prisoners; it depends on the prison you work in. You will have full training and a supportive team by your side.
You do not need any qualifications to do this job. Helping to keep a prison running smoothly and safely requires good judgement, common sense, responsibility and, above all, teamwork.
Responsibilities
- Secure entry and exit of staff, visitors and vehicles.
- Carry out searches of staff, prisoners, visitors and vehicles.
- Walk around the prison site to escort vehicles and contractors.
- Issue and collect staff keys and radios.
- Walk around the prison site patrolling and searching perimeter fence areas.
- Operate the prison radio system.
- Monitor CCTV, ensuring all suspicious activities are reported.
- Welcome visitors on their arrival and escort them if needed.
- Monitor and log mail coming into the prison.
- Report any contraband items, preserving evidence where needed.
- Ensure cell doors are locked and all prisoners are safely accounted for.
- Photograph prisoners.
- Process prisoners’ property and parcels coming into the prison.
- Sometimes supervise prisoners.
- Exchange clothing and property.
- Help prison officers escort prisoners around the prison.
- Walk around the prison delivering and collecting food trollies, or sometimes use an electric tug vehicle.
- Collect mail from the local sorting office, which may involve lifting heavy sacks.
- Monitor the prison’s Personal Identification Number (PIN) phone system.
- Maintain the log of PIN phone requests from prisoners.
- Understand and conform to national and local policies, responding appropriately to incidents and emergencies.
Salary and Allowance
The salary figures quoted are for a 37‑hour working week inclusive of a 20% unsocial hours working allowance which is included in the salary to reflect the requirement to work nights, evenings and weekend shifts.
Benefits
- Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after 10 years’ service (calculated on a pro‑rata basis).
- 9 days bank, public and privilege holidays.
- Access to a paid Level 2 apprenticeship in customer service.
- Access to the generous Civil Service pension scheme.
- Season ticket loans, retail discounts, an Employee Assistance Programme, and a Cycle to Work scheme.
- Season ticket advance after two months’ service.
Working hours
You will work an average of 37 hours per week, and this will include working night shifts, evenings, weekends, and Bank/Public holidays on a rolling shift pattern (these days are added to your holiday allowance). The frequency of night shifts will vary for each Establishment and can be discussed at interview.
Qualifications
You must be able to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English or (when specified in Wales) Welsh.
Eligibility
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- Nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- Nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre‑settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- Nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre‑settled status under the EUSS
- Individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Training and Development
HMPPS is committed to staff development and offers a range of training and development opportunities, including Equality and Diversity, Dealing with Challenging Behaviour, Suicide Prevention and Anti‑Bullying Programmes. There are opportunities to access promotion programmes and HMPPS provides a variety of training appropriate to individual posts. All staff receive security and diversity training and an individual induction programme into their new roles. All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post. All external candidates are subject to 6 months’ probation. Internal candidates are subject to probation if they have not already served a probationary period within HMPPS.
Bank, Public and Privilege Holidays
You are entitled to 9 days (66 hours 36 minutes) in recognition of bank, public and privilege holidays. These hours are added to your annual leave allowance. There is a requirement to work some public and bank holidays subject to your shift pattern and the operational needs of the establishment.
Pension
The Civil Service offers a choice of two pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.
Work Life Balance
HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) encourages alternative working arrangements and offers flexible working subject to completion of a satisfactory probationary period and NVQ.
Season Ticket Advance
After two months’ service, you will be eligible to apply for a season ticket advance to purchase a quarterly or longer‑period season ticket for travel between home and your place of work.
Networks
The opportunity to join employee‑run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed directly to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.
Additional Information
All staff are required to declare whether they are a member of a group or organisation which the HMPPS considers to be racist.
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