Job Description

The OSG role does not attract Sponsorship via the Skilled Worker visa/Tier 2 (general) work visa.

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.

Accommodation is not provided.

An extraordinary job. Done by someone like you.

As part of our prison support team, your work will be varied and help to keep the prison moving.

This is an active role where you will be doing a range of physical tasks. These can include lifting and carrying, plus long periods of standing and walking. There will also be periods of lone working whilst undertaking tasks on both day and night shifts.

You will not always be in contact with prisoners, it depends on the prison you work in. You will have full training and a supportive team by your side.

Life as an OSG

Your Job Can Include

Gate duties

ensuring the secure entry and exit of staff, visitors, vehicles.
carrying out searches of staff, prisoners, visitors and vehicles
walking around the prison site to escort vehicles and contractors
issuing and collecting staff keys and radios
walking around the prison site patrolling and searching perimeter fence areas

Control room

operating the prison radio system
monitoring CCTV, ensuring all suspicious activities are reported.

Visits

welcoming visitors on their arrival
escorting them if needed

Correspondence

monitoring and logging mail coming into the prison
reporting any contraband items, preserving evidence where needed

Night duties

ensuring cell doors are locked and all prisoners are safely accounted for.

Reception

photographing prisoners
processing prisoners’ property and parcels coming into the prison.

Prisoner supervision

sometimes supervising prisoners
exchanging clothing and property
helping prison officers escort prisoners around the prison

Food delivery

walking around the prison delivering and collecting food trollies, or sometimes using an electric tug vehicle

Driving duties

transporting prisoners and their escorts to their destination
collecting mail from the local sorting office, which may involve lifting heavy sacks.

Phone calls

monitoring the prison’s Personal Identification Number (PIN) phone system
maintaining the log of PIN phone requests from prisoners
completing relevant records

Procedures and protocol

understanding and conforming to national and local policies, responding appropriately to incidents and emergencies

You do not 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.

National - £27,840

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.

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.

Hours

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

How To Apply

Stage 1

Tell us about yourself Click apply and fill in your personal details on our application form
Take a short online test When you apply, you will receive an email with detailed instructions on how to take our online test. This is a behaviour-based assessment that assesses whether you have the right natural strengths and behavioural preferences to become an Operational Support Grade. You will complete a series of mini tasks that are designed to elicit your natural behavioural preferences (e.g., how you naturally tend to make decisions). Whilst the tasks themselves aren’t set in the context of the role; they are designed to observe the behaviours that are most important for the role. This will take around 40 minutes to complete, but there is no time limit. 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.

Stage 2

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

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.

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.

For more information please visit our website

Job offers: ‘merit’ vacancy.

This is a ‘merit’ job vacancy. If you are successful at the interview, you will be added to a merit list based on your score.

When all applicants have completed the assessment, the prison will make job offers to those with the highest scores first when positions become available.

You can stay on the merit list for 12 months. After this, you will need to apply again.

If your application is unsuccessful at the sift/Interview stage, a six-month waiting period will be applied during which time you will not be allowed to submit any further applications for Operational Support Grade positions.

The jobholder must be able to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English or (when specified in Wales) Welsh.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's . Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

To Shared Service Connected Ltd (0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com);
To Ministry of Justice Resourcing (resourcing-services@justice.gov.uk).
To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)

Reasonable Adjustment Support

As a Disability Confident employer, the MoJ is committed to ensuring that everyone can demonstrate their skills, talent, and abilities. Offering reasonable adjustment support to candidates when they apply for one of our jobs is just one way we do this.

Before completing online tests or attending an interview, it is essential to arrange reasonable adjustment support. Due to practical and logistical constraints, our assessors cannot accommodate requests on the day. Therefore, we kindly request that you let us know in plenty of time if adjustments are required. This will help ensure the right support is in place for you when you need it.

Applying for reasonable adjustment support has been made simple. Just select ‘yes’ in the application form when it asks if you think you might need it.

Diversity & Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain, and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

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