Prison Officer – HMP Belmarsh, London | Visa Sponsorship Available

HipHopTune Media; London; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 41,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the UK recruitment sector is seeking Prison Officers for HMP Belmarsh in London. This role offers opportunities for stability, progression, and a meaningful career in public service. The position entails supporting rehabilitation while ensuring safety in a demanding environment. Suitable candidates must possess strong communication skills and a commitment to quality service.

Benefits

25 days’ annual holiday

Civil Service pension with employer contributions

Cycle to work scheme

Paid time off for public holidays

Qualifications

• Strong communication and influencing skills required.
• Commitment to quality and understanding necessary.
• No formal qualifications needed, personal qualities valued.

Responsibilities

• Protect the public and help prisoners.
• Build positive relationships with prisoners.
• Manage various shift patterns including nights and weekends.

Skills

Communication

Influencing

Commitment to quality

Care and understanding

Job description

Prison Officer – HMP Belmarsh, London | Visa Sponsorship Available

HM Prison & Probation Service is recruiting Prison Officers at HMP Belmarsh in London, offering a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact in a vital public service role. With 20 positions available and flexible working patterns including full-time, part-time, and job share, this role is ideal for individuals seeking stability, progression, and purpose.

Candidates must demonstrate strong communication and influencing skills, a commitment to quality, and the resilience to thrive in a challenging but rewarding environment. Applicants must have been residing in the UK for at least 3 years and meet eligibility criteria.

Visa sponsorship is available for those who qualify. Join one of the UK’s key justice institutions and play a crucial role in supporting rehabilitation and maintaining safety.

Position: Prison Officer

Salary: £36,082 – £40,632 per year

Job Type: Full-Time

Location: London

About the Role

An extraordinary job. Done by someone like you.

Prison officers protect the public and help make an impact on prisoners’ lives.

If you have the integrity, skills and strength of character we’re looking for, this fast-paced role could be the start of a successful career.

Due to the security status of this prison a Counter-Terrorism Check (CTC vetting) will need to be undertaken. Proof that you have been a resident in the UK for the last 3 years is needed to complete the CTC vetting process. Applicants who do not meet the residency requirement will not be able to take up post at this prison. (please refer to CTC section below)

Someone like you

There’s no such thing as a typical prison officer. Our officers come from different walks of life, just like the offenders they work with. Whether you’re a parent, a teacher, have worked in retail, the armed forces, or just feel like you’re a natural people person, you’ll have the empathy, self-confidence, great communication skills and resilience we want. No matter the challenge, you’ll take the time to build constructive, positive and professional relationships with prisoners who could be at the lowest point in their lives.

Teamwork plays a vital role in this environment, so you’ll need to be fully committed to supporting your colleagues and understand the importance of acting as one team to keep the prison, and everyone who works here safe.

You will be required to work various shifts and some weekends.

An extraordinary job

In this unique career, you’ll have the opportunity to carry out many different roles in any one day. One minute you’re a peacekeeper, the next you’re a counsellor or a teacher. You’ll work directly with prisoners in a unique environment, helping to protect the public and make a positive impact.

Find out more about this varied role and day-to-day life as a prison officer.

To become a prison officer, you will need to:

• Be at least 18 years old at the point you commence employment
• Meet the Civil Service Nationality requirements (see nationality requirements section below)
• As this is a physically active job, you will need to pass a medical and fitness assessment as part of the application process
• Meet the required eyesight standard in both eyes (both with and without corrective lenses)
• For safety reasons, everyone training to be a prison officer needs a suitable standard of hearing (without the use of hearing aids)
• Whilst tattoos are permitted, including those that are visible, they must not be deemed as offensive, discriminatory, violent, or intimidating in any way. Facial tattoos are generally not acceptable, except where this is for cultural, religious, or medical reasons.

To work in a high security prison (category A) you must have been a resident in the UK for the last 3 years.

Due to the security status of this prison a Counter-Terrorism Check (CTC vetting) will need to be undertaken. Proof that you have been a resident in the UK for the last 3 years is needed to complete the CTC vetting process. Applicants who do not meet the residency requirement will not be able to take up post at this prison. (please refer to CTC section below)

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 before applying.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• 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 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

From 4 April 2024, the Government increased the salary threshold for Skilled Worker visas. The change means that HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) cannot guarantee sponsorship for those seeking sponsorship via the Skilled Worker visa route.

If you are applying to be a prison officer and you do not meet the new eligibility criteria for sponsorship, you will need to consider your options for obtaining and/or maintaining your right to work in the UK in light of these changes.

HMPPS will continue to comply with UK Immigration Rules applied in the UK and Civil Service.

Successful applicants must ensure they have and maintain the legal right to live and work in the Civil Service and in the United Kingdom.

Essential skills

You don’t need qualifications to become a prison officer. Personal qualities are more important. You need to show:

• Communication and influencing skills
• Commitment to quality
• Care and understanding

Pay

The initial training is 37 hours a week. After training, you can choose to work 37, 39 or 41 hours a week. Your annual salary will reflect your weekly hours.

37 hours a week = £36,082 a year

39 hours a week = £38,357 a year

41 hours a week = £40,632 a year

All salary figures quoted include any additional allowances that are applicable to the role/location.

Prisons operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This means you will have to cover various shift patterns that will include evenings, some nights, weekends and public holidays (these days are added to your holiday allowance). Most prisons work with a changing shift pattern of 39 hours a week.

You may also have opportunities to work additional paid hours.

• 25 days’ annual holiday (rising to 30 days after 10 years’ service)
• Paid time off for public holidays and 1 extra privilege day
• Civil Service pension with employer contributions of 28.97%
• Cycle to work scheme, travel loans and other benefits

Assessment Process

During the recruitment process you will be assessed on the behaviours, strengths and abilities you need to become an effective prison officer. These include:

• Communicating and influencing
• Managing a quality service
• Caring

Your natural strengths are assessed to find out what motivates and energises you. We will also assess your numerical, written English and spoken English abilities.

Online Tests

Once you have completed your initial application form, you will be invited to complete stage 1 of the online test, to see if you have the basic judgement and numerical skills expected of a prison officer.

If you are successful, we will invite you to the stage 2 online test (task-based assessment) to see if you have the natural behaviours and qualities needed to be an effective prison officer.

The online assessment centre (OAC)

On successful completion of the online tests, we will invite you to an online assessment centre where we test to see if you have the abilities, behaviours and strengths to be a prison officer.