12828 - Operational Support Grade - HMP Chelmsford (Prison Support Role)

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

Job summary

A government agency in the United Kingdom is seeking an Operational Support Grade to manage daily operations in a busy prison environment. This role involves responsibilities such as security monitoring, supervising visitors and prisoners, driving duties, and managing various support services. The successful candidate will work on a shift pattern that includes nights and weekends. A competitive salary of £29,432 is offered alongside benefits including annual leave and a pension scheme.

Benefits

Annual leave: 25 days on appointment, rising to 30 days after 10 years’ service

Generous Civil Service pension scheme

Paid Level 2 apprenticeship in customer service

Qualifications

• Must be able to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English.
• Ability to work shifts including nights, weekends, and public holidays.

Responsibilities

• Ensure secure entry/exit of staff and visitors.
• Operate radio system and monitor CCTV.
• Supervise prisoners and assist with processes.

Job description

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.

Remuneration and Benefits

Annual salary: £29,432 for a 37‑hour week, inclusive of a 20% unsocial hours working allowance. This figure reflects the requirement to work nights, evenings and weekend shifts.

Benefits:

• Annual leave: 25 days on appointment, rising to 30 days after 10 years’ service (pro‑rata)
• 9 days bank, public and privilege holidays
• Paid Level 2 apprenticeship in customer service
• Generous Civil Service pension scheme
• Season ticket loans, retail discounts, Employee Assistance Programme and Cycle‑to‑Work scheme

Hours

Average of 37 hours per week, including night shifts, evenings, weekends and Bank/Public holidays (added to your holiday allowance). Shift patterns are rolling; the frequency of night shifts will vary by establishment and can be discussed at interview.

Responsibilities

• 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, reporting all suspicious activity
• 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 with appropriate tasks; photograph prisoners; collate documentation for the property process; search/x‑ray incoming prisoner property and parcels; receive items for prisoners and check all seals are 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, maintain the log of PIN phone requests from prisoners; complete all relevant paperwork keeping an audit trail of conversations; check that legal numbers are registered with 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)

• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

Interview Process

The interview will be of a blended nature, assessing behaviours 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.

Merit List

This is a ‘merit’ vacancy. If successful at interview, you are 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 re‑apply.

Additional Information

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