Operational Support Grade HMP Belmarsh and HMP Isis

Ministry of Justice; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

A government department in the United Kingdom seeks an Operational Support Grade to manage daily operations within a busy prison environment. Responsibilities include overseeing prisoner movements, monitoring interactions, and ensuring security protocols are followed. The role demands effective communication skills, the ability to work shifts, including nights, and a proactive approach to teamwork. Competitive salary and benefits including annual leave, pension scheme, and other allowances are offered.

Benefits

25 days annual leave (increasing to 30 after 10 years)

Civil Service pension scheme

Season ticket loans and retail discounts

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Must have confidence in spoken English.
• Ability to work shifts, including nights, weekends, and Bank Holidays.

Responsibilities

• Ensure secure entry and exit of staff and visitors.
• Operate monitors and report suspicious activities.
• Supervise prisoners and assist with their needs.
• Monitor correspondence for contraband items.
• Transport prisoners and handle their property.

Skills

Communicating and Influencing

Managing a Quality Service

Job description

CTC is required for HMP Belmarsh.

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 and Pay

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

£33,411

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 and Shift Pattern

You will work an average of 37 hours per week, which will include working 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

• 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 and 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 ensure 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 Personal Identification Number (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, respond appropriately to invoke emergency procedures and the actions required in relation to incidents.

Success Profile Behaviours

• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

Interview

The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of 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 and Communication

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

Application and Merit List

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.

Additional Allowance

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

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