Operational Support Grade - HMP Guys Marsh (Prison Support Role)

Ministry of Justice; Shaftesbury; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Civil Service pension

Season ticket loans

Retail discounts

Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle to Work scheme

Job summary

Ministry of Justice in Yeovil area is seeking staff for prison support roles. The positions involve a mix of day and night shifts, with extensive training and a supportive team. Responsibilities include security entry/exit, searches, escort duties, and daily operational tasks to keep the prison running smoothly.

Hours average 37 per week with shifts on evenings, nights and weekends; travel to various establishments may be required. Accommodation not provided; driving license beneficial.

Qualifications

• No formal qualifications required.

Responsibilities

• Ensure the secure entry and exit of staff, visitors, vehicles.
• Carry out searches of staff, prisoners, visitors and vehicles.
• Escort vehicles and contractors around the prison.
• Issue and collect staff keys and radios.
• Patrol the prison site and monitor perimeter fence areas.
• Handle visits and monitor mail entering the prison.
• Photograph prisoners and process prisoners’ property.
• Drive duties including collecting mail and monitoring PIN system.
• Follow national and local policies and respond to incidents and emergencies.

Skills

Teamwork

Driving licence

Physical stamina

Job description

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

10-Sep-2026

Location

AA

Number of jobs available

8

Job ID

21736

Descriptions & requirements

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 Guys Marsh, Guy's Marsh, Shaftesbury SP7 0AH

Salary

30,491

City / Town

Yeovil

Region

South West

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

Your job can include:

• 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.
• sometimes 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

Interview dates:

To Be Confirmed

Closing Date: 10th September 2026, 23:55 hours.

We have provided detail of the assessment stages and areas being assessed to help you prepare for completing your application form, and to advise of what will be assessed following this, if you successfully pass the application stage.

Success Profiles will enable a fairer and more inclusive method of recruitment by enabling us to assess the range of experiences, abilities, strengths, behaviours and technical/professional skills required for different roles. This flexible approach to recruitment focuses more on finding the right candidate for the specific role. To find out more about Success Profiles to support your application please click here for further guidance .

We have provided detail of the assessment stages and areas being assessed to help you prepare for completing your application form, and to advise of what will be assessed following this, if you successfully pass the application stage.

Application form stage assessments

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application, including your CV, statement of suitability and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.

Interview stage assessments

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.

Behaviours

Communicating and Influencing

Managing a Quality Service

Making Effective Decisions

Caring

Strengths will be assessed at sift stage and at interview but these are not shared in advance.

The assessment criteria for the sift and interview stages are included in your preparation information and the ‘How to apply’ section of the Prison and Probation Jobs website (opens in new window)

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ are able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidate's will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

· nationals of the Republic of Ireland

· nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK

· nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families

· nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)

· individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020

· Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

In addition you will receive 20% unsocial working allowance. This has been included in the salary figures quoted.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.Please see ourcandidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Job Description Attachment

Band 2 SSO Operational Support Grade General JD010 v10.0.pdf(Job Description Supporting Documents)

Band 2 SSO Operational Support Grade General JD010 v10.0.pdf(Job Description Supporting Documents)