202210: Prison Officer

**Details**:
**Reference number**:

- 243997**Salary**:

- £28,880**Job grade**:

- Administrative Officer- Band 3**Contract type**:

- Permanent**Type of role**:

- Operational Delivery
- Other**Working pattern**:

- Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time**Number of jobs available**:

- 20Contents

Location

About the job

**Benefits**:
Things you need to know

Location
- Maidstone, South East England, ME14 1UZAbout the job

**Job summary**:

- Please see job description**Job description**:
**Prison Officer - HMP** **Maidstone**

**HMP Maidstone - 36 County Road, Maidstone ME14 1UZ**

**Starting salary**:£30,702 **(for a 39-hour week inc 20% unsocial)

**City/Town**:Maidstone**

**Region**:Kent Surrey & Sussex**

**Vacancy type**: Pass**

**One career, many roles**

As a prison officer, you’ll be part of a diverse team, making an impact, doing meaningful work in our prisons.

Working in a prison is fast-paced and varied, and no two days are the same. You’ll work with a range of people and perform a variety of tasks - from keeping the prison safe and secure, to helping vulnerable people through a difficult time in their lives. Once you’ve qualified, you’ll have a range of opportunities to specialise and progress your career and earning potential.

It can be a challenging job, but in return you will get good pay, training, benefits and have the support of a strong team.

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

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
- making effective decisions
- and 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.

**How to apply**

You will then be invited to complete the online tests, to see if you have the basic judgement and numerical skills expected of a prison officer.

Due to the number of positions currently available, this vacancy is only open for a short period of time and only individuals who perform highest at the online tests will be invited to our online assessment centre.

**The online assessment centre**

If you pass the online tests, we will invite you to an online assessment centre.

We test to see if you have the abilities, behaviours and strengths to be a prison officer.

Once you’ve successfully completed the online assessment centre, we will invite you to complete a medical and fitness test. This will cover an eyesight test, hearing test and basic health screening, including a blood pressure check.

We will tell you what to expect and bring before the day.

**Job details**

**Eligibility**

To become a prison officer, you will need to:

- be at least 18 years old
- have the right to work in the UK
- be reasonably fit and able to pass our fitness test
- have good eyesight 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).

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

**Nationality requirements**:
This job is broadly open to the following groups:

- UK nationals
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

**Visa Sponsorship**

Please note we are unable to sponsor any individuals 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.

**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
- effective decision-making
- 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 = £28,880 a year
- 39 hours a week = £30,702 a year
- 41 hours a week = £32,523 a year

All salary figures quoted include any additional allowances.

The standard working week of a prison officer is based on a 39 hours per week shift pattern.

You may also have opportunities to work additional paid hours.

**Benefits**
- 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