202503: Prison Officer - HMP Wayland

HM Prison and Probation Service; Griston; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job description

Griston, East of England, IP25 6RL

Job Summary

Please see Job Description.

Job Description
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.

Address
HMP Wayland, Thompson Rd, Griston, Thetford IP25 6RL

Salary
£32,448 - £36,541

City / Town
Norwich/ Wayland

Region
East

Vacancy Type
Merit

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.

Job details
Eligibility
To Become a Prison Officer, You Will Need To:

1. be at least 18 years old at the point you commence employment
2. meet the Civil Service Nationality requirements
3. pass a medical and fitness assessment as part of the application process
4. meet the required eyesight standard in both eyes
5. have a suitable standard of hearing (without the use of hearing aids)
6. whilst tattoos are permitted, they must not be deemed as offensive, discriminatory, violent, or intimidating in any way.

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

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. Please consider the location of this vacancy and your transport options before applying.

Nationality Requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:

1. UK nationals
2. nationals of the Republic of Ireland
3. nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
4. nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
5. individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020

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:

1. communication and influencing skills
2. commitment to quality
3. effective decision-making
4. 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.

1. 39 hours a week = £34,494 a year
2. 41 hours a week = £36,541 a year

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

Benefits

1. 25 days’ annual holiday (rising to 30 days after 10 years’ service)
2. paid time off for public holidays and 1 extra privilege day
3. Civil Service pension with employer contributions of 28.97%
4. 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:

1. communicating and influencing
2. managing a quality service
3. making effective decisions
4. 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.

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.

Job offers: merit vacancy
This is a merit job vacancy. If you are successful at the online assessment centre, you will be added to a merit list based on your score.

Operational Support Grade Role
Our Online Assessment Centre (OAC), will not only assess you against the key criteria to become a prison officer but will also determine your suitability for appointment as an operational support grade OSG.

Medical and Fitness
Once we identify a vacancy for you, 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.

Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of Civil Servants.

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.

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.

Closing date: 30th April 2025

A Great Place to Work for Veterans
The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs.

Redeployment Interview Scheme
Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant.

What’s it really like to work as a prison officer?
Our interactive online activity will give you an insight into some of the situations prison officers may experience day-to-day in their work.

Person specification

If you require any assistance, please call 0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am-6pm) or e-mail [e-mail]. Please quote the job reference 3587.

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