11515 - Operational Support Grade - HMP Wakefield (Prison Support Role)

Ministry of Justice; Wakefield; On-site; GBP 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A government agency in Wakefield is seeking an Operational Support Grade to assist in the daily running of a busy prison. Responsibilities include managing secure entry, monitoring CCTV, and handling prisoner support tasks. Candidates must possess a valid UK Driving Licence and be prepared for shift work including nights and weekends. Competitive salary of £29,432 with additional benefits including annual leave and a pension scheme.

Benefits

25 days annual leave

Civil Service pension scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Must hold a full, valid UK Driving Licence.
• Ability to communicate effectively in English.
• Experience in a supportive role preferred.

Responsibilities

• Carry out gate duties ensuring secure entry and exit.
• Monitor CCTV and report suspicious activities.
• Book and escort visitors as required.
• Ensure safety and security of prisoners.

Skills

Driving duties

Communication

Teamwork

Job description

CTC is required. PLEASE NOTE Driving duties are an essential part of the OSG role at HMP Wakefield and therefore candidates are required to hold a full, valid UK Driving Licence.

As an Operational Support Grade, you will look after the day-to‑day running of a busy prison, working in a close‑knit team to carry out a range of support services – everything from patrol and gate duties, to managing deliveries, supervising visitors, and monitoring phone calls and CCTV. You will work shifts and nights to keep things running.

In addition to your base pay, you will receive:

• 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.

£29,432. 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.

Hours

You will work an average of 37 hours per week, including night shifts, evenings, weekends and Bank/Public holidays (these days are added to your holiday allowance) on a rolling shift pattern. The frequency of night shifts will vary for each Establishment and can be discussed at interview. For an example of the shift times that you could be working please visit our website.

Responsibilities, activities and duties are likely to include:

• Gate/portal duties: ensuring the secure entry and exit of staff, visitors, vehicles; carrying out searches of staff, prisoners, visitors, contractors and vehicles; issuing and collecting staff keys/radios.
• Control room: operating the establishment radio system and monitoring CCTV, ensuring all suspicious activities are reported.
• Visits: booking visits; identifying and processing visitors on their arrival, escorting them if required.
• Censors/correspondence: monitoring/logging mail and reporting any illicit or contraband items, maintaining the preservation of evidence.
• Night duties: ensuring cell doors are locked/secure and all prisoners are safely accounted for.
• Reception: assisting in supporting appropriate tasks in reception; photographing prisoners; collating documentation for the property process; searching/x‑ray ingoing prisoner property and parcels; receiving items for prisoners and checking all seals are intact on property storage.
• Prisoner supervision: supervising prisoners as required; undertaking prisoner clothing/property exchange and assisting officers with free‑flow movement.
• Food delivery: delivering and collecting food via food trolley, which may involve the use of an electric tug vehicle.
• Driving duties: transporting prisoners and their escort to their destination in the cellular vehicle; collecting mail from the local sorting office.
• Phone calls: monitoring the Personal Identification Number (PIN) system, maintaining the log of PIN Phone requests from prisoners; completing all relevant paperwork to keep an audit trail of conversations; checking that legal numbers are registered solicitors.
• Procedures and protocol: understanding and conforming to national and local policies, responding appropriately to invoke emergency procedures and the actions required in relation to incidents.

Success Profile behaviours

• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

For more information please visit our website.

The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of behaviours and experience.

The interview is the ideal opportunity to tell us more about yourself, your work history or personal experiences, so we can get to know you better and assess how you will be suited to prison work.

The job holder must be able to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English or (when specified in Wales) Welsh.

For more information please visit our website: www.prisonsupportroles.co.uk

Job offers: ‘merit’ vacancy.

This is a ‘merit’ job vacancy. If you are successful at the interview you will be added to a merit list based on your score. When all applicants have completed the assessment, the prison will make job offers to those with the highest scores first when positions become available. You can stay on the merit list for 12 months. After this, you’ll need to apply again.

Allowance Details

In addition you will receive a 20% unsocial working allowance. This has been included in the salary figures quoted.