Operational Support Grade - HMP Bullingdon (Prison Support Role)

Ministry of Justice; Bicester; Hybrid; GBP 24,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Season ticket loans

Retail discounts

Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle to Work scheme

Job summary

Ministry of Justice in Bicester is recruiting for prison support roles with a mix of day and night shifts on a rolling 37-hour pattern. The job involves physical tasks, site security, visitor and prisoner handling, and driving duties where required.

You will receive full training and work within a supportive team. The role offers hybrid working arrangements and the opportunity to contribute to a safe, orderly prison environment in the UK.

Qualifications

• You do not need any qualifications to do this job.

Responsibilities

• Ensure the secure entry and exit of staff, visitors and vehicles.
• Carry out searches of staff, prisoners, visitors and vehicles.
• Walk around the prison site to escort vehicles and contractors.
• Issue and collect staff keys and radios.
• Patrol perimeter fence areas and monitor access points.
• Operate the prison radio system and monitor CCTV.
• Welcome visitors and escort them if needed.
• Monitor and log mail coming into the prison.
• Report contraband items and preserve evidence where needed.
• Ensure cell doors are locked and prisoners are accounted for.
• Photograph prisoners and process prisoners' property.
• Supervise prisoners where required and assist in escorts.
• Deliver and collect food trolleys or operate an electric tug vehicle.
• Collect mail from local sorting office and monitor PIN phone system.
• Understand and conform to national and local policies and incident procedures.
• Work as part of a team to keep the prison running smoothly and safely.

Job description

Full Time, Part Time, Part Time/Job Share, Flexible Working

20-Aug-2026

Location

Bicester

AA

Number of jobs available

8

Job ID

20655

Descriptions & requirements

An extraordinary job. Done by someone like you.

As part of our prison support team, your work will be varied and help to keep the prison moving. This is an active role where you will be doing a range of physical tasks. These can include lifting and carrying, plus long periods of standing and walking. There will also be periods of lone working whilst undertaking tasks on both day and night shifts.

You will not always be in contact with prisoners, it depends on the prison you work in. You will have full training and a supportive team by your side.

Address

HMP Bullingdon, Patrick Haugh Rd, Bicester OX25 1PZ

City / Town

Bicester

Region

South Central

Travel to Work – Some prison establishments are situated in rural locations with limited public transport options, therefore a driving licence and own transport is beneficial but is not an essential requirement of the role (unless specified*). Please note that shift start and finish times are fixed and it is your responsibility to get to and from your place of work on time for the start of your shift. Please carefully consider the location of this vacancy and your transport options.

Accommodation is not provided.

Life as an OSG

• ensuring the secure entry and exit of staff, visitors, vehicles.
• carrying out searches of staff, prisoners, visitors and vehicles
• walking around the prison site to escort vehicles and contractors
• issuing and collecting staff keys and radios
• walking around the prison site patrolling and searching perimeter fence areas

Control room

• operating the prison radio system
• monitoring CCTV, ensuring all suspicious activities are reported.

Visits

• welcoming visitors on their arrival
• escorting them if needed
• monitoring and logging mail coming into the prison
• reporting any contraband items, preserving evidence where needed
• ensuring cell doors are locked and all prisoners are safely accounted for.

Reception

• photographing prisoners
• processing prisoners’ property and parcels coming into the prison.
• sometime supervising prisoners
• exchanging clothing and property
• helping prison officers escort prisoners around the prison
• walking around the prison delivering and collecting food trollies, or sometimes using an electric tug vehicle

Driving duties

• collecting mail from the local sorting office, which may involve lifting heavy sacks.
• monitoring the prison’s Personal Identification Number (PIN) phone system
• maintaining the log of PIN phone requests from prisoners

Procedures and protocol

• understanding and conforming to national and local policies, responding appropriately to incidents and emergencies

You do not need any qualifications to do this job. Helping to keep a prison running smoothly and safely requires good judgement, common sense, responsibility and, above all teamwork.

The salary figures quoted are for a 37-hour working week inclusive of 20% unsocial hours working allowance which is included in the salary to reflect the requirement to work nights, evening, and weekend shifts.

In addition to your base pay, you will receive:

• annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after 10 years’ service (calculated on a pro-rata basis)
• 9 days bank, public and privilege holidays
• access to the generous Civil Service pension scheme
• season ticket loans, retail discounts, an Employee Assistance Programme, and a Cycle to Work scheme.

Hours

You will work an average of 37 hours per week, and this will include working night shifts, evenings, weekends, and Bank/Public holidays on a rolling shift pattern (these days are added to your holiday allowance) 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

Working for the Civil Service

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. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

• To the Civil Service Commission (details available here )

Reasonable Adjustment Support

As a Disability Confident employer, the MoJ is committed to ensuring that everyone can demonstrate their skills, talent, and abilities. Offering reasonable adjustment support to candidates when they apply for one of our jobs is just one way we do this.

Before completing online tests or attending an interview, it is essential to arrange reasonable adjustment support. Due to practical and logistical constraints, our assessors cannot accommodate requests on the day. Therefore, we kindly request that you let us know in plenty of time if adjustments are required. This will help ensure the right support is in place for you when you need it.

Applying for reasonable adjustment support has been made simple. Just select ‘yes’ in the application form when it asks if you think you might need it.

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working.Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised roles, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to a MoJoffice location, which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed on the completion of pre-employment checks.

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions