Prison Officer

Working as a prison officer is challenging, fast paced, requires a ‘can do’ attitude and is incredibly rewarding.

Using the skills and life experience you gained in the military, you will have the opportunity to:

act as a positive role model to prisoners and help them learn new skills
manage challenging behaviour
and ensure the safety of prisoners and staff

You’ll work as part of a well-trained team with a clear sense of purpose, helping to reduce reoffending and protect the public.

To apply to be a prison officer you'll need to:

be at least 18 years old
have the right to work in the UK
be reasonably fit, have good eyesight and hearing.
Meet Civil Service recruitment: nationality rules - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
To work in a high security prison, you must have been resident in the UK for the last three years.

Visa Sponsorship

Please note, we are unable to sponsor prison officer applicants via the Skilled Worker Sponsorship/Tier 2 (general) work visa.

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

Your pay depends on where you work in England and Wales, and your weekly shift hours.
You will start on a 37-hour contract until your initial training is complete. After this you can choose to increase your hours to 39 or 41 hours a week.
You can also earn more if overtime is available in your prison.

Example starting salary for a 39 hour week (including 20% unsocial hours allowance)
Inner London	£38,445
Outer London	£36,530 to £38,530 *
South and South East	£34,851 to £36,351 *
Other locations	£32,851

*includes market supplements.

As a prison officer, you will get:

25 days annual holiday (rising to 30 days after 10 years’ service)
Civil service pension with employer contributions of over 27%
paid time off for public holidays and 1 extra privilege day*
generous maternity leave cover
cycle to work scheme and travel loans
property rental deposit loans
access to local keyworker housing schemes
employee assistance programmes
paid special leave for Reservists to participate in the continuous mandatory period of training.
reward and recognition scheme
free access to prison gym and sports facilities
access to employee benefits and a discounts portal, including a Blue Light card

*Operational grades within prisons operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week and you will be expected to work on some public and bank holidays. Any that you do work will be added to your annual leave entitlement.

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion

When people come to work for us we want them to feel safe and that they belong, are treated with empathy and respect, and have the support and solidarity of their colleagues and managers, so we can all deliver our services fairly and in response to individual needs. In joining us, you join an organisation which is committed to the values of humanity, openness, together and purpose.

Assessment Centre

Our prison officer assessment centre is designed to assess if you have the skills and fitness levels needed to become a prison officer. To support you to fast track to employment, on the day we'll:

let you know if you've been successful
confirm which prison you'll be assigned to and your start date
start your pre-employment checks.*

*Please come prepared with your Armed Forces disclosure form, your Armed forces reference number and your address and work history for the past 5 years. Please also bring your pension information, and if you have ever been subject to an IVA, bankruptcy or insolvency bring any information relating to this. As part of the checks, you will also need to identify someone who will act as a Countersignatory for you, therefore please provide their contact details.

What happens at the Assessment Centre

We have a dedicated portal which will explain what to expect at your Assessment Centre.

OSG

Learn more about the Operational Support Grade role.