202510:Prison Officer - HMP Nottingham

Eligibility for Skilled Worker visa

This role is not eligible for new Skilled Worker visas in accordance with the current immigration rules. From 22 July 2025, the Government introduced changes to the Skilled Worker visa route. The department cannot consider sponsoring you for this role unless you have held a Skilled Worker visa prior to the 22 July 2025 changes. If you have held a Skilled Worker visa continuously, please raise this during your vetting checks. Successful applicants must ensure they have and maintain the legal right to live and work in the Civil Service and in the United Kingdom.

Overview of the Role

Someone like you: There is 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 are a parent, a teacher, have worked in retail, the armed forces, or just feel like you are a natural people person, you have the empathy, self‑confidence, great communication skills and resilience we want. Teamwork plays a vital role in this environment, so you will 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.

Responsibilities

• Work various shifts and some weekends.
• Carry out many different roles in any one day: peacekeeper, counsellor or teacher.
• Build constructive, positive and professional relationships with prisoners.
• Support colleagues and act as one team to keep the prison safe.
• Support your spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English or Welsh where specified.

Qualifications

• Be at least 18 years old at the point you commence employment.
• Meet the Civil Service nationality requirements.
• Pass a medical and fitness assessment; meet the required eyesight standard in both eyes (with and without corrective lenses).
• Meet the required hearing standard without the use of hearing aids.
• Have a suitable standard of hearing for safety reasons.
• Have a valid UK driving licence if you are offered an operational support grade role.
• For safety reasons, everyone training to be a prison officer needs a suitable standard of hearing.

Assessment Process

After completing 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. If you are successful you will be invited to stage 2, a task‑based assessment to show if you have the natural behaviours and qualities needed to be an effective prison officer. On successful completion of the online tests you will be invited to an online assessment centre where we test to see if you have the abilities, behaviours and strengths required. Read more about the application process.

Salary and Benefits

• Annual salary reflects weekly hours:
  • 37 hours a week = £33,746 a year
  • 39 hours a week = £35,875 a year
  • 41 hours a week = £38,003 a year
• 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 with employer contributions of 28.97%.
• Cycle to work scheme, travel loans and other benefits.

Application Process

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. If you are successful at the online assessment centre you will be added to a merit list based on your score. After all applicants have completed the assessment centre the prison will make job offers to individuals 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/assessment stage a six‑month waiting period will be applied during which time you will not be allowed to submit any further applications for prison officer positions.

EEO & Diversity Statement

The Civil Service is committed to attracting, retaining and investing in talent wherever it is found. We are a diversity and inclusion employer committed to ensuring everyone can demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities. All candidates will be assessed fairly and no discrimination or harassment policies apply.

Closing Date

Closing Date: 27th October 2025. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check and, where required, baseline personnel security standard checks.