12151 - Operational Support Grade - HMP Onley (Prison Support Role)

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

Job summary

A government agency in the UK is seeking an Operational Support Grade to manage daily prison operations, including security duties and prisoner supervision. Applicants must be comfortable with shift work, including nights and weekends. Candidates will benefit from a competitive salary and various employee benefits, including annual leave and pension schemes.

Benefits

25 days annual leave increasing to 30 after 10 years

Access to a paid Level 2 apprenticeship

Attractive pension scheme

Cycle to Work scheme

Retail discounts

Qualifications

• Ability to monitor and operate CCTV effectively.
• Experience in a security or prison environment is an advantage.
• Comfortable working in high-pressure situations.

Responsibilities

• Ensure secure entry and exit of staff and visitors.
• Operate communication systems and monitor suspicious activities.
• Supervise and manage prisoner interactions and movements.

Skills

Communicating and Influencing

Managing a Quality Service

Job description

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.

Benefits

• Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after 10 years’ service (pro‑rated)
• 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

Salary and Working Hours

£29,432 per annum (37 hour working week, inclusive of a 20% unsocial hours working allowance that is incorporated into the salary to reflect the requirement to work nights, evenings and weekends).

Hours: You will work an average of 37 hours per week, which will include night shifts, evenings, weekends and Bank/Public holidays (added to your holiday allowance) on a rolling shift pattern. The frequency of night shifts will vary by establishment and can be discussed at interview. For an example of shift times, please visit our website.

Responsibilities, activities and duties are likely to include

• Gate/portal duties: ensure the secure entry and exit of staff, visitors, vehicles; carry out searches of staff, prisoners, visitors, contractors and vehicles; issue and collect staff keys/radios
• Control room: operate the establishment radio system and monitor CCTV ensuring all suspicious activities are reported
• Visits: book visits; identify and process visitors on arrival, escort them if required
• Censors/correspondence: monitor/log mail and report any illicit or contraband items, maintaining the preservation of evidence
• Night duties: ensure cell doors are locked/secure and all prisoners are safely accounted for
• Reception: assist in supporting appropriate tasks in reception; photograph prisoners; collate documentation for the property process; search/x‑ray incoming prisoner property and parcels; receive items for prisoners and check all seals intact on property storage
• Prisoner supervision: supervise prisoners as required; undertake prisoner clothing/property exchange and assist officers with free‑flow movement
• Food delivery: food trolley delivery and collection, which may involve the use of an electric tug vehicle
• Driving duties: transport prisoners and their escort to their destination in the cellular vehicle; collect mail from local sorting office
• Phone calls: monitor the PIN system, maintaining the log of PIN Phone requests from prisoners; complete all relevant paperwork keeping an audit trail of conversations; check that legal numbers are registered solicitors
• Procedures and protocol: understand and conform to national and local policies, responding appropriately to invoke emergency procedures and the actions required in relation to incidents

Success Profile behaviours – assessed at interview

• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

Interview

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

Language Requirement

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

Job offers and Merit List

Job offers: ‘merit’ 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.