Operational Support Grade

**Operational Support Grade - HMP Swinfen Hall (Prison Support Role) - 70989**
**£23,226**
**Lichfield**:
**Overview of the job**

It takes teamwork to support our prisons.

As an Operational Support Grade, you will look after the day-to-day running of a busy prison, working in a close-knit team to carry out a range of support services - everything from patrol and gate duties, to managing deliveries, supervising visitors, and monitoring phone calls and CCTV. You will work a variety of shifts including nights to keep things running. Unlike our prison officers, your contact with offenders is limited, although depending on the particular prison you may interact with offenders occasionally.

You don’t 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.

**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 a paid Level 2 apprenticeship in customer service
- access to the generous Civil Service pension scheme
- season ticket loans, retail discounts, an Employee Assistance Programme and a Cycle to Work scheme

**National - **£23,226**

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

**Hours**

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

**Responsibilities, activities and duties**

You will be flexibly deployed to perform operational roles across the prison as required. Responsibilities, activities and duties are likely to include:

- **gate/portal duties**:ensure the secure entry and exit of staff, visitors, vehicles; carry out searches of staff, prisoners, visitors, contractors and vehicles; issue and collect staff keys/radios
- **control room**:operate the establishment radio system and monitor CCTV ensuring all suspicious activities are reported
- **visits**:book visits; identify and process visitors on their arrival, escort them if required
- **censors/correspondence**:monitor/log mail and report any illicit or contraband items, maintaining the preservation of evidence
- **night duties**:ensure cell doors are locked/secure and all prisoners are safely accounted for
- **reception**:assist in supporting appropriate tasks in reception; photograph prisoners; collate documentation for the property process; search/x-ray incoming prisoner property and parcels; receive items for prisoners and check all seals are intact on property storage
- **prisoner supervision**:supervise prisoners as required; undertake prisoner clothing/property exchange and assist officers with free flow movement
- **food delivery**:food trolley delivery and collection, which may involve the use of an electric tug vehicle
- **driving duties**:transport prisoners and their escort to their destination in the cellular vehicle; collect mail from local sorting office
- **phone calls**:monitor the Personal Identification Number (PIN) system, maintaining the log of PIN Phone requests from prisoners; complete all relevant paperwork keeping an audit trail of conversations; check that legal numbers are registered solicitors
- **procedures and protocol**:understand and conform to national and local policies, responding appropriately to invoke emergency procedures and the actions required in relation to incidents

**How to apply**

**Stage 1**
- **Tell us about yourself**
- **Take a short online test**
You don’t need to be a gamer to do well on this test. We’re just looking for your natural ability to succeed in the role.

Before you take the test you will have the opportunity to practice and prepare for the real test. You will receive information and a link to access this and the actual test once you apply.

**Stage 2**

If you pass the test, we’ll invite you for an interview.

At the interview we will assess you against the following **Success Profile** behaviours
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
- Managing a Quality Service
- Working Together

The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of behaviours and experience. It will provide the ideal opportunity to tell us more about yourself, your work history or personal experiences, so we can get to know you better and assess how you will be suited to prison work. Your Strengths will also be assessed at interview but these are not shared in advance.

**Success Profile