Prison Officer

Serco; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 33,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading public service provider is seeking a Prison Officer at HMP Fosse Way. The role involves supervising prisoners, overseeing programs, and ensuring their safety and well-being. Competitive salary starting at GBP27,300, with career development opportunities. Applicants must be committed to making a difference. The position is based in Leicester; candidates should ideally live within a 30-mile radius.

Benefits

Opportunity for career advancement

Free parking on site

Free gym access

Health & Wellbeing Benefits

Pension scheme

Qualifications

• Commitment to making a difference to the lives of others.
• Ability to supervise and support prisoners.
• Strong communication, teamwork, resilience, and patience.

Responsibilities

• Supervise prisoners in all aspects of prison wing activity.
• Oversee work and education programmes.
• Manage security and administrative processes.
• Support prisoners at risk of self-harm.

Job description

Prison Officer
HMP Fosse Way
LE18 4WS

What’s in it for you?

Your starting salary will be GBP27,300 pa, increasing to GBP28,350 after 12 months and to GBP32,288 at 3 years’ service. We are committed to progressing you through your PCO Portfolio or PCO Apprenticeship which would increase your salary to GBP32,288 as soon as either is completed, typically within 12–18 months of joining. We also offer:

• Opportunity to earn approximately GBP37,800 including overtime (overtime availability cannot be guaranteed; this is based on an average of 4 hours per week)
• Clear career development pathways to transition into operational management positions with salaries ranging from GBP36,000 to GBP42,000
• Free parking on site
• Free use of the gym
• Free food whilst on shift
• Pension scheme
• Health & Wellbeing Benefits
• Reward & Recognition scheme
• Serco discounts including cinema, online shopping discounts, leisure centre memberships and the Blue Light discount card

Discover lots of information about the Prison Officer role here. Is this the right career for you? Our Prison Officers come with all different work and life experiences. What you’ve done before doesn’t matter; what matters is that you’re committed to making a difference to the lives of others. We focus on transferable skills and behaviours such as communication, teamwork, resilience and patience to help people—the rest you’ll learn during your 10-week training course and through our experienced colleagues. As a Prison Officer, you’ll be at the forefront of ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of everyone around you. It’s a job where your contribution really counts as you work to give prisoners structure within their lives, encourage positive choices, and support them on their journey to rehabilitation. Day to day you’ll be involved in:

• Supervising prisoners in all aspects of prison wing activity
• Overseeing work and education programmes, encouraging prisoners to participate
• Operational matters such as prisoner headcounts, prison cell searching, security and administrative processes
• Managing prisoners who are at risk of self-harm

Preparing for your recruitment journey

You’ll be invited to complete an online assessment. If you pass the initial online assessment, you will be invited to attend a virtual competency-based interview, Maths and English assessment. Once you have passed this assessment, you will be invited to HMP Fosse Way for a Welcome Briefing about the Prison and the role, a Group Session, Mobility Assessment and a visit around the Prison. After passing assessment, you’ll attend a 10-week Initial Training Course (ITC) at the Prison, which requires 100% attendance. This consists of 8 weeks classroom-based training and 2 weeks shadowing to give you a real taste of life on the job. The ITC provides high quality training; you’ll complete a Diploma in Custodial Care, First Aid and undergo Control and Restraint training. Why Serco?

• Meaningful and vital work: Prison Officers help ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of prisoners, staff and visitors, and play a vital role in reducing reoffending rates.
• A world of opportunity: Opportunities to progress into Ops Management or specialist services such as Psychology, Education, Health, or the Animal unit.
• Great people: You’ll receive training and support from friendly colleagues in a safeguarding-focused environment.

Please note that this position is based at HMP Fosse Way in Leicester, with limited public transport options. Due to shift patterns, applicants should consider their commute time and transportation options. We recommend candidates live within a 30 mile radius of the location to maintain punctuality, work-life balance and job satisfaction.

What else do I need to know

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, and all offers of employment are subject to security clearance checks and satisfactory employment references. You’ll be required to provide 5 years of employment and education history as part of these checks. This role is not eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship under current UK Home Office rules, as it does not meet the required salary or skill level criteria. While we encourage applications to other roles, candidates who already have a valid right to work in the UK through other immigration routes or permissions must meet the minimum eligibility criteria:

• Have at least two years remaining on your current visa to ensure sufficient time in the role
• Have lived in the UK for at least one year, as the vetting process requires a counter-signatory from a recognised professional who has known you for that duration

For general right-to-work guidance, please visit the UK Home Office website.

About Serco

At Serco, not only is the nature of the work important, but everyone has an important role to play, from caring for vulnerable people to managing complex public services. We are a team of 50,000 people responsible for delivering essential public services around the world in areas including defence, transport, justice, immigration, healthcare and citizen services. We are innovators, committed to redesigning and improving public services for the benefit of everyone. By joining Serco you will have access to our Global Employee Networks – SercoInspire (Gender), SercoEmbrace (Multicultural), SercoUnlimited (Disability).