202509: Prison Officer - HMP Preston

Ministry of Justice; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

A governmental agency in the UK is seeking a prison officer to carry out diverse roles in maintaining safety and order within the prison environment. Successful candidates will manage various responsibilities, from evaluating inmate needs to ensuring regulations are followed. Ideal applicants should meet specific qualification criteria including passing medical tests and being at least 18 years old.

Benefits

25 days’ annual holiday

Civil Service pension with employer contributions

Cycle to work scheme

Qualifications

• Be at least 18 years old at the commencement of employment.
• Meet the Civil Service Nationality requirements.
• Pass a medical and fitness assessment.
• Meet the required eyesight standard in both eyes.
• For safety reasons, meet a suitable standard of hearing.
• Tattoos permitted but must not be offensive.
• Must reside in the UK for the last 3 years for a high security prison.

Responsibilities

• Carry out various roles in a day.
• Ensure safety and well-being of inmates.
• Conduct assessments and evaluations.

Skills

Communicating and influencing

Managing a quality service

Effective decision making

Caring

Job description

Overview

Prison officer – HMP Preston
HMP Preston, 2 Ribbleton Ln, Preston PR1 5AB

Starting salary: £35,875 (for a 39 hour week inc 20% unsocial)

City/Town: Preston
Region: North West
Vacancy type: Merit

From 4 April 2024, the Government increased the salary threshold for Skilled Worker visas. The change means that HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) cannot guarantee sponsorship for those seeking sponsorship via the Skilled Worker visa route. If you are applying to be a prison officer and you do not meet the new eligibility criteria for sponsorship, you will need to consider your options for obtaining and/or maintaining your right to work in the UK in light of these changes. HMPPS will continue to comply with UK Immigration Rules applied in the UK and Civil Service.

You can read more about Skilled Worker visas and the eligibility criteria here.

About the role

An extraordinary job. In this unique career, you’ll have the opportunity to carry out many different roles in any one day.

Responsibilities

• communicating and influencing
• managing a quality service
• making effective decisions
• caring

Requirements to become a prison officer

• be at least 18 years old at the commencement of employment
• meet the Civil Service Nationality requirements
• pass a medical and fitness assessment
• meet the required eyesight standard in both eyes
• for safety reasons, meet a suitable standard of hearing
• tattoos permitted but must not be offensive, discriminatory, violent, or intimidating; facial tattoos are generally not acceptable except for cultural, religious, or medical reasons
• for safety reasons, a suitable standard of hearing (without the use of hearing aids)
• to work in a high security prison (category A) you must have been a resident in the UK for the last 3 years

How to apply

Once you have completed your initial application form. You will be invited to complete stage 1 of the online test, to see if you have the basic judgement and numerical skills. If you pass, we will invite you to complete stage 2 of the online tests, which is a task-based assessment. If you pass the online tests, we will invite you to an online assessment centre (OAC). Once you’ve successfully completed the OAC and you are allocated to a vacancy, we will invite you to complete a medical and fitness test. This will cover an eyesight test, hearing test and basic health screening, including a blood pressure check.

Pay

The initial training is 37 hours a week. After training, you can choose to work 37, 39 or 41 hours a week. Your annual salary will reflect your weekly hours.

• 37 hours a week = £33,746 a year
• 39 hours a week = £35,875 a year
• 41 hours a week = £38,003 a year

All salary figures quoted include any additional allowances. The standard working week of a prison officer is based on a 39 hours per week shift pattern.

Benefits

• 25 days’ annual holiday (rising to 30 days after 10 years’ service)
• paid time off for public holidays and 1 extra privilege day
• Civil Service pension with employer contributions of 28.97%
• cycle to work scheme, travel loans and other benefits

Read more about prison officer benefits

Job offers & merit vacancy

This is a merit job vacancy. If you are successful at the online assessment centre, you will be added to a merit list based on your score. When all applicants have completed the assessment centre, the prison will make job offers to individuals 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.

Operational Support Grade Role (OSG)

Our Online Assessment Centre (OAC) will not only assess you against the key criteria to become a prison officer but will also determine your suitability for appointment as an operational support grade (OSG). If, following attendance at your OAC, you are unsuccessful in your application to become a prison officer, we may instead offer you an alternative role as an OSG. Ministry of Justice – Operational support grade.

Standards & Diversity

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, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. If you feel the recruitment process has breached the principles you can raise a complaint by contacting Shared Services Connected Ltd: 0845 241 5358 (Mon-Fri 8am-6pm) or email [e-mail]

Diversity & Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

Reasonable adjustment support

Just tick ‘yes’ when it asks if you think you might need a reasonable adjustment.