202608: Prison Officer - HMP Onley

The Methodist Church in Britain; West Midlands; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual holiday

Public holidays off + 1 extra day

Civil Service pension with employer 28

Cycle to work scheme

Opportunities to work additional paid 

Choice of 37, 39 or 41 hours a week

Job summary

Ministry of Justice is seeking Prison Officer at HMP Onley to help keep the prison safe and build professional relationships with prisoners. The role spans evenings, nights, weekends and holidays within a 24-hour regime, with training of 37 hours per week before contracting hours.

Candidates need no formal qualifications and should meet civil service eligibility, with a focus on communication, decision-making and teamwork in a demanding environment.

Qualifications

• Communication and influencing skills required.
• Commitment to quality and care for others.
• Effective decision-making under pressure.
• Teamwork and collaboration across shifts and teams.
• Clear spoken English to work with detainees and colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Protect the public and help make a positive impact on prisoners' lives.
• Build constructive, professional relationships with prisoners.
• Work directly with prisoners in a high-pressure prison environment.
• Carry out a mix of roles in a day, including keeping the peace, counselling and teaching.
• Support colleagues and act as one team to keep the prison and everyone in it safe.
• Cover shifts across evenings, some nights, weekends and public holidays.
• Complete initial training of 37 hours a week before choosing contracted hours.

Skills

Communication and influencing skills

Commitment to quality

Effective decision-making

Care and understanding

Full commitment to teamwork

English proficiency

Education

No formal qualifications needed

Job description

Prison officer post at HMP Onley, a Ministry of Justice prison, within the Onley business unit. The work centres on keeping the prison and public safe while building professional relationships with prisoners, moving between peacekeeping, counselling and teaching in one day. Shifts cover evenings, nights, weekends and public holidays across a 24-hour regime, and places are filled from a merit list. Skilled Worker sponsorship is unlikely for this campaign, and a medical, fitness, eyesight and hearing check applies.

What the job involves

• Protect the public and help make a positive impact on prisoners' lives
• Build constructive, professional relationships with prisoners
• Work directly with prisoners in a high-pressure prison environment
• Carry out a mix of roles in a day, including keeping the peace, counselling and teaching
• Support colleagues and act as one team to keep the prison and everyone in it safe
• Cover shifts across evenings, some nights, weekends and public holidays
• Complete initial training of 37 hours a week before choosing contracted hours

What’s required

Qualifications

• No formal qualifications needed

Skills & knowledge

• Communication and influencing skills
• Commitment to quality
• Effective decision-making
• Care and understanding
• Full commitment to teamwork
• Ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English (or Welsh where specified)

Checks & eligibility

• Aged 18 or over at the start of employment
• Civil Service nationality requirements met, with the legal right to live and work in the UK
• Medical and fitness assessment passed
• Eyesight standard in both eyes, with or without corrective lenses
• Suitable hearing standard without hearing aids
• Enhanced DBS check

Other

• Working shifts that include evenings, nights, weekends and public holidays
• UK residence for the last 3 years to work in a category A prison
• Tattoos permitted only if not offensive, discriminatory, violent or intimidating; facial tattoos generally not acceptable

Nice to have

• Driving licence and own transport (beneficial but not essential)

What’s offered

• 25 days' annual holiday, rising to 30 after 10 years' service
• Paid time off for public holidays plus 1 extra privilege day
• Civil Service pension with employer contributions of 28.97%
• Cycle to work scheme, travel loans and other benefits
• Opportunities to work additional paid hours
• Choice of 37, 39 or 41 hours a week after training, with salary reflecting hours