Support Grade (Prison Support Role) – HMP Cookham Wood and HMP Rochester

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

Job summary

A government agency in the United Kingdom is seeking an Operational Support Grade to assist in the daily operations of a busy prison. The role involves a variety of duties from managing entry points and monitoring safety to supervising prisoners during food deliveries. Candidates must be capable of working shifts including nights and weekends, with a salary of £29,432 for a 37-hour work week. This position comes with generous annual leave and a Civil Service pension scheme.

Benefits

25 days annual leave

Civil Service pension scheme

Cycle to Work scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Ability to communicate effectively in English (or Welsh in relevant regions).

Responsibilities

• Ensure secure entry/exit of staff, visitors and vehicles.
• Operate establishment radio system and monitor CCTV.
• Book visitations and escort visitors as necessary.
• Monitor/log mail and report contraband items.
• Ensure prisoners are safely accounted for.
• Assist with reception tasks and prisoner property.
• Supervise prisoners as required and assist officer movements.
• Deliver and collect food trolleys.
• Transport prisoners and collect mail.
• Maintain an audit trail for prisoner phone calls.
• Comply with emergency procedures and local policies.

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. You will work an average of 37 hours per week and this 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 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 their 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 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, 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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

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

Benefits

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

Salary: £29,432. The salary figures quoted are for a 37‑hour working week inclusive of a 20 % unsocial hours allowance which is included in the salary to reflect the requirement to work nights, evenings and weekend shifts.