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- Tasks: Become a prison officer, supporting prisoners and ensuring safety in a dynamic environment.
- Company: Join HMP Guys Marsh, a vital part of the UK's justice system.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25 days annual leave, a Civil Service pension, and flexible working hours.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in people's lives while building a rewarding career.
- Qualifications: No formal qualifications needed; just bring your empathy and communication skills.
- Other info: Open to various backgrounds; must be 18+ and meet health standards.
The predicted salary is between 32448 - 36541 £ per year.
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202503: Prison Officer – HMP Guys Marsh, Blandford Forum
col-narrow-left
Client:
HM Prison Service
Location:
Blandford Forum, United Kingdom
Job Category:
Other
–
EU work permit required:
Yes
col-narrow-right
Job Reference:
bae18f4dfe0c
Job Views:
31
Posted:
12.08.2025
Expiry Date:
26.09.2025
col-wide
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 Guys Marsh, Guy\’s Marsh, Shaftesbury SP7 0AH
City / Town
Yeovil
Region
South West
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 jobIn 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.
Find out more about this varied role and day-to-day life as a prison officer.
Job details
To become a prison officer, you will need to:
- be at least 18 years oldat the point you commence employment
- meet the Civil Service Nationality requirements (see nationality requirements section below)
- as this is a physically active job, you will need to pass a medical and fitness assessment as part of the application process
- meet the required eyesight standardin 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)
- Whilst tattoos are permitted, including those that are visible, they must not be deemed as offensive, discriminatory, violent, or intimidating in any way. Facial tattoos are generally not acceptable, except where this is for cultural, religious, or medical reasons.
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 (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 before applying.
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- 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)https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSSon or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirementshttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules.
From 4 April 2024, the Government increased the salary threshold for Skilled Worker visas. The change means that HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) cannot guarantee sponsorship for those seeking sponsorship via the Skilled Worker visa route.
If you are applying to be a prison officer and you do not meet the new eligibility criteria for sponsorship, you will need to consider your options for obtaining and/or maintaining your right to work in the UK in light of these changes.
HMPPS will continue to comply with UK Immigration Rules applied in the UK and Civil Service.
You can read more about Skilled Worker visas and the eligibility criteria here.
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
- 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 = £32,448 a year
- 39 hours a week = £34,494 a year
- 41 hours a week = £36,541 a year
All salary figures quoted include any additional allowances that are applicable to the role/location.
Prisons operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This means you will have to cover various shift patterns that will include evenings, some nights, weekends and public holidays (these days are added to your holiday allowance). Most prisons work with a changing shift pattern of 39 hours a week.
You may also have opportunities to work additional paid hours.
- 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 pensionwith employer contributions of28.97%
- cycle to work scheme, travel loans and other benefits
Read more about prison officer 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:
- communicating and influencing
- managing a quality service
- 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.
If you are successful, we will invite you to the stage 2 online test (task-based assessment) to see if you have the natural behaviours and qualities needed to be an effective 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.
Read more about the application process.
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.
When 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’ll 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.
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 gradeOSG. If following attendance at your OAC, you are unsuccessful in your application to become a prison officer, we may instead offer you an alternative role as an 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
TheCivil Service Codesets out the standards of behaviour expected of Civil Servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined inthe Civil Service Commission\’s recruitment principles.If you feel the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you can raise a formal complaint in the following order:
- Shared Services Connected Ltd: call 0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am – 6pm) or email[emailprotected]
- Ministry of Justice Resourcing
- The Civil Service Commission.
Diversity & Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Planand theCivil 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.
Before completing online tests or attending an online assessment centre, it is essential to arrange reasonable adjustment support. Due to practical and logistical constraints, our assessors cannot accommodate requests on the day of the assessment centre. 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 tick ‘yes’ when it asks if you think you might need it.
The jobholder must be able to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English or (when specified in Wales) Welsh.
Allowance Details
Please refer to additional job description attachment
Additional Information
If you require any assistance, please call 0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am-6pm) or e-mail [emailprotected] . Please quote the job reference 3637.
The jobholder must be able to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English or (when specified in Wales) Welsh.
Closing date: 11th June 2025.
Band-3-PO-Safe-Decent-and-Secure-JD048-v8.0 (1).pdf – 150KBOpens in a new window
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. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans
Redeployment Interview Scheme
Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are \’at risk of redundancy\’.
MoJ are able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidate\’s will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.
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.
This is to help you decide whether the prison officer role is right for you, and your responses in the activity will not form part of your application.
You can access the activity here Interactive Activity
Allowance
Please refer to additional job description attachment.
Contact Information
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 Guys Marsh, Guy\’s Marsh, Shaftesbury SP7 0AH
Salary
£32,448 – £36,541
City / Town
Yeovil
Region
South West
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 jobIn 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.
Find out more about this varied role and day-to-day life as a prison officer.
Job details
Eligibility
To become a prison officer, you will need to:
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 (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 before applying.
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
Further information on nationality requirementshttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules.
From 4 April 2024, the Government increased the salary threshold for Skilled Worker visas. The change means that HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) cannot guarantee sponsorship for those seeking sponsorship via the Skilled Worker visa route.
If you are applying to be a prison officer and you do not meet the new eligibility criteria for sponsorship, you will need to consider your options for obtaining and/or maintaining your right to work in the UK in light of these changes.
HMPPS will continue to comply with UK Immigration Rules applied in the UK and Civil Service.
You can read more about Skilled Worker visas and the eligibility criteria here.
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:
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.
All salary figures quoted include any additional allowances that are applicable to the role/location.
Prisons operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This means you will have to cover various shift patterns that will include evenings, some nights, weekends and public holidays (these days are added to your holiday allowance). Most prisons work with a changing shift pattern of 39 hours a week.
You may also have opportunities to work additional paid hours.
Benefits
Read more about prison officer 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:
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.
If you are successful, we will invite you to the stage 2 online test (task-based assessment) to see if you have the natural behaviours and qualities needed to be an effective 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.
Read more about the application process.
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.
When 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’ll 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.
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 gradeOSG. If following attendance at your OAC, you are unsuccessful in your application to become a prison officer, we may instead offer you an alternative role as an 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
TheCivil Service Codesets out the standards of behaviour expected of Civil Servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined inthe Civil Service Commission\’s recruitment principles.If you feel the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you can raise a formal complaint in the following order:
Diversity & Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Planand theCivil 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.
Before completing online tests or attending an online assessment centre, it is essential to arrange reasonable adjustment support. Due to practical and logistical constraints, our assessors cannot accommodate requests on the day of the assessment centre. 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 tick ‘yes’ when it asks if you think you might need it.
The jobholder must be able to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English or (when specified in Wales) Welsh.
Allowance Details
Please refer to additional job description attachment
Additional Information
If you require any assistance, please call 0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am-6pm) or e-mail [emailprotected] . Please quote the job reference 3637.
The jobholder must be able to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English or (when specified in Wales) Welsh.
Closing date: 11th June 2025.
Band-3-PO-Safe-Decent-and-Secure-JD048-v8.0 (1).pdf – 150KBOpens in a new window
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. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans
Redeployment Interview Scheme
Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are \’at risk of redundancy\’.
MoJ are able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidate\’s will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.
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.
This is to help you decide whether the prison officer role is right for you, and your responses in the activity will not form part of your application.
You can access the activity here Interactive Activity
Allowance
Please refer to additional job description attachment.
Contact Information
If you require any assistance, please call 0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am-6pm) or e-mail [emailprotected] . Please quote the job reference 3637.
The jobholder must be able to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English or (when specified in Wales) Welsh.
Closing Date –11th June 2025.
Level of security checks required Enhanced Baseline Standard (EBS)
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202503: Prison Officer - HMP Guys Marsh employer: HM Prison Service
Contact Detail:
HM Prison Service Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land 202503: Prison Officer - HMP Guys Marsh
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the key behaviours and strengths that are being assessed during the recruitment process. Focus on demonstrating your communication skills, decision-making abilities, and empathy in any interactions you have with the recruitment team.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the online tests by practising judgment and numerical skills. There are many resources available online that can help you brush up on these areas, so take advantage of them to boost your confidence before the assessment.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your personal qualities during the assessment centre. Think about examples from your life where you've demonstrated resilience, care, and understanding, as these traits are crucial for a prison officer role.
✨Tip Number 4
If you have any relevant experience, whether it's in teaching, retail, or the armed forces, be ready to discuss how those experiences have equipped you with the skills needed for this role. Relating your background to the job can make a strong impression.
We think you need these skills to ace 202503: Prison Officer - HMP Guys Marsh
Some tips for your application 🫡
Understand the Role: Before applying, take time to understand what being a prison officer entails. Familiarise yourself with the responsibilities and skills required, such as communication, empathy, and decision-making.
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experiences that demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively, work in a team, and handle challenging situations. Use specific examples from your past roles to showcase these skills.
Craft a Strong Cover Letter: Write a cover letter that reflects your passion for the role and your understanding of the impact prison officers have on prisoners' lives. Mention how your personal qualities align with the job requirements.
Prepare for Online Assessments: Since the application process includes online tests, practice your judgment and numerical skills beforehand. Familiarise yourself with the types of questions you might encounter to boost your confidence.
How to prepare for a job interview at HM Prison Service
✨Show Your Empathy
As a prison officer, you'll need to connect with individuals from various backgrounds. During the interview, share examples of how you've demonstrated empathy and understanding in past roles, whether in teaching, retail, or any other field.
✨Demonstrate Strong Communication Skills
Effective communication is crucial in this role. Prepare to discuss situations where your communication skills made a difference, especially in conflict resolution or team collaboration. This will showcase your ability to manage relationships with both colleagues and prisoners.
✨Highlight Your Resilience
Working in a prison environment can be challenging. Be ready to talk about times when you've faced adversity or stressful situations and how you managed to stay calm and focused. This will illustrate your strength of character and suitability for the role.
✨Understand the Role's Demands
Familiarise yourself with the specific responsibilities of a prison officer, including shift patterns and the need for flexibility. Showing that you understand the demands of the job will demonstrate your commitment and readiness to take on this important role.
