12366 - Operational Support Grade - HMP Bullingdon (Prison Support Role)

HM Prison and Probation Service; Leicester; On-site; GBP 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A governmental agency for correctional services in Leicester is seeking individuals for a role that involves various responsibilities in a secure environment. The position does not require formal qualifications but emphasizes the importance of teamwork, good judgement, and confidence in spoken English. The national salary for this role is £29,432 for a 37-hour working week, along with various benefits including annual leave and a civil service pension scheme.

Benefits

25 days annual leave

Generous Civil Service pension scheme

Season ticket loans

Retail discounts

Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle to Work scheme

Qualifications

• No formal qualifications needed, but confidence in English (or Welsh) is required.
• Good judgement, common sense, and teamwork are essential.

Responsibilities

• Secure entry and exit of staff, visitors, and vehicles.
• Carry out searches of staff, prisoners, and visitors.
• Operate prison radio system and monitor CCTV.
• Escort visitors and contractors as necessary.
• Ensure cell doors are locked and prisoners accounted for.

Skills

Teamwork

Common sense

Good judgement

Job description

Travel to Work

Some prison establishments are situated in rural locations with limited public transport options, therefore a driving licence and own transport is beneficial but is not an essential requirement of the role (unless specified). Please note that shift start and finish times are fixed and it is your responsibility to get to and from your place of work on time for the start of your shift. Please carefully consider the location of this vacancy and your transport options.

Job Responsibilities

• Gate duties and ensuring the secure entry and exit of staff, visitors, and vehicles.
• Carrying out searches of staff, prisoners, visitors, and vehicles.
• Walking around the prison site to escort vehicles and contractors.
• Issuing and collecting staff keys and radios.
• Walking around the prison site patrolling and searching perimeter fence areas.
• Control room duties: operating the prison radio system and monitoring CCTV, ensuring all suspicious activities are reported.
• Visits: welcoming visitors on their arrival and escorting them if needed.
• Correspondence: monitoring and logging mail coming into the prison, reporting any contraband items, preserving evidence where needed.
• Night duties: ensuring cell doors are locked and all prisoners are safely accounted for.
• Reception: photographing prisoners and processing prisoners' property and parcels coming into the prison.
• Prisoner supervision: sometimes supervising prisoners, exchanging clothing and property, and helping prison officers escort prisoners around the prison.
• Food delivery: walking around the prison delivering and collecting food trolleys, or sometimes using an electric tug vehicle.
• Driving duties: collecting mail from the local sorting office, which may involve lifting heavy sacks.
• Phone calls: monitoring the prison's Personal Identification Number (PIN) phone system, maintaining the log of PIN phone requests from prisoners, and completing relevant records.
• Procedures and protocol: understanding and conforming to national and local policies, responding appropriately to incidents and emergencies.

Qualifications and Requirements

You do not need any formal qualifications for this role. The jobholder must be able to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English, or when specified in Wales, Welsh. Good judgement, common sense, responsibility and, above all, teamwork are essential.

Eligibility and EEO Statement

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition. If you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you can raise a formal complaint to the relevant bodies.

Salary & Hours

National salary: £29,432 for a 37‑hour working week inclusive of a 20% unsocial hours working allowance. In addition to your base pay, you will receive:

• 25 days annual leave on appointment, increasing to 30 days after 10 years' service (pro‑rata).
• 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.

Hours include working night shifts, evenings, weekends, and Bank/Public holidays on a rolling shift pattern.

Benefits

• Paid Level 2 apprenticeship in customer service.
• Generous Civil Service pension scheme.
• Season ticket loans.
• Retail discounts.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Cycle to Work scheme.

Closing Date

18th December 2025, 23:55 hours.