22318 - Operational Support Grade - Advance Into Justice (North West)

The Methodist Church in Britain; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 25 days

Civil Service pension

Season ticket loans

Hybrid working

Training

Job summary

The Methodist Church in Britain seeks an Operational Support Grade to support prison sites at Garth, Liverpool, Styal and beyond, under the Advance into Justice scheme. The role covers gate duties, searches, CCTV, visits, reception and night checks.

Shifts rotate across days, nights, weekends and bank holidays, with higher-level vetting for some sites. Two-year fixed-term contract, on-site work with power to contribute to security and welfare in multiple locations.

Qualifications

• Good judgement, common sense, responsibility and teamwork.
• Ability to carry out all spoken aspects of the role confidently in English.
• Communicating and influencing.
• Managing a quality service.
• Making effective decisions.
• Caring.

Responsibilities

• Securing entry and exit of staff, visitors and vehicles, searching them, and issuing and collecting staff keys and radios.
• Patrolling the site and perimeter fence, and escorting vehicles and contractors.
• Operating the prison radio system and monitoring CCTV, reporting suspicious activity.
• Welcoming and escorting visitors.
• Monitoring and logging incoming mail, reporting contraband and preserving evidence.
• Night duties, including locking cell doors and accounting for all prisoners.
• Reception work: photographing prisoners and processing their property and parcels.
• Supervising prisoners at times, exchanging clothing and property, and helping officers escort prisoners.
• Delivering and collecting food trolleys on foot or by electric tug.
• Collecting mail from the local sorting office, sometimes lifting heavy sacks.
• Monitoring the PIN phone system, maintaining the request log and completing records.
• Responding to incidents and emergencies in line with national and local policies.

Skills

Good judgement

English communication

Communication and influencing

Quality service management

Decision making

Caring

Job description

This Operational Support Grade post sits in prison support teams at several prisons, including Garth, Liverpool and Styal, under the Advance into Justice scheme for armed forces service leavers, veterans, spouses and reservists. It is a two-year fixed-term role covering gate and perimeter duties, searches, control room and CCTV work, visits, reception and night checks. Shifts rotate across days, nights, weekends and bank holidays, and some sites need higher-level vetting. Applicants must be eligible under the scheme and able to speak English with confidence.

What the job involves

• Securing entry and exit of staff, visitors and vehicles, searching them, and issuing and collecting staff keys and radios
• Patrolling the site and perimeter fence, and escorting vehicles and contractors
• Operating the prison radio system and monitoring CCTV, reporting suspicious activity
• Welcoming and escorting visitors
• Monitoring and logging incoming mail, reporting contraband and preserving evidence
• Night duties, including locking cell doors and accounting for all prisoners
• Reception work: photographing prisoners and processing their property and parcels
• Supervising prisoners at times, exchanging clothing and property, and helping officers escort prisoners
• Delivering and collecting food trolleys on foot or by electric tug
• Collecting mail from the local sorting office, sometimes lifting heavy sacks
• Monitoring the PIN phone system, maintaining the request log and completing records
• Responding to incidents and emergencies in line with national and local policies

Skills & knowledge

• Good judgement, common sense, responsibility and teamwork
• Ability to carry out all spoken aspects of the role confidently in English (or Welsh where specified)
• Communicating and influencing
• Managing a quality service
• Making effective decisions
• Caring

Checks & eligibility

• Eligibility under Advance into Justice as an armed forces service leaver, veteran, spouse or legal partner, or reservist
• HMPPS Enhanced Level 2 vetting and identity and security checks
• Counter Terrorism Check for some locations, requiring UK residence for the three years before applying
• Up-to-date documents to be provided when requested
• Declaration of any membership of a group HMPPS considers racist

Other

• Ability to carry out physical tasks, including lifting, carrying and long periods of standing and walking
• Ability to work alone at times, on day and night shifts
• Ability to work rolling shifts including nights, evenings, weekends and bank holidays

Nice to have

• Driving licence and own transport, which is beneficial at rural sites though not essential unless specified

What’s offered

• 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising to 30 after 10 years' service, pro rata
• 9 days bank, public and privilege holidays added to annual leave
• Civil Service pension scheme, with a choice of two schemes
• Season ticket advance after two months' service
• Season ticket loans, retail discounts, Employee Assistance Programme and Cycle to Work scheme
• Flexible working, subject to satisfactory probation and NVQ, and informal hybrid working where business need allows
• Training including security, diversity and induction, plus promotion programmes
• Employee-run networks