202510 : Prison Officer - HMP Wakefield Futures

Overview

HMP Wakefield Future Campaign

This role is not eligible for new Skilled Worker visas in accordance with the current immigration rules. You can read more about Skilled Worker visas and the eligibility criteria here. Applying for your first prison officer role and happy to relocate? Get your career off to a great start, gaining valuable experience working at HMP Long Lartin for 23 months before returning to HMP Wakefield permanently.

We are recruiting not just for officers who are needed today, but for prison officers to fill vacancies at HMP Wakefield in years to come. We need officers now to fill vacancies at other prisons and that is why we are recruiting to this special futures scheme that guarantees you a prison officer role at HMP Wakefield permanently but for the first 23 months of your service you will be working at HMP Long Lartin.

It’s a great opportunity. You will benefit from a greater variety of experience; you will also get help towards your accommodation costs paid for up to 23 months, receive a recruitment and retention payment paid at 12 months and 23 months, and a paid monthly trip home. You won’t be on your own and you will be with other new officers who, like you, will be returning to HMP Wakefield at the end of their 23 month deployment.

What’s on offer?

• We will pay your accommodation costs (up to £750 per month) for up to 23 months
• You will be able to reclaim the cost of a monthly trip between HMP Long Lartin and HMP Wakefield
• You will also be paid a recruitment and retention bonus of £1500 after the first 12 month and 23-month period

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.

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
• caring

To become a prison officer, you will need to:

• be at least 18 years old at the commencement of employment
• meet the Civil Service Nationality requirements
• pass a medical and fitness assessment
• meet the required eyesight standard in both eyes
• for safety reasons, meet a suitable standard of hearing

CTC vetting will be required to work at HMP Long Lartin.

How to apply

The online application begins with important details such as your National Insurance number and right to work in the UK. You will then be invited to complete the online test, to see if you have the basic judgement and numerical skills expected of a prison officer. If you pass the online test, we will invite you to an online assessment centre (OAC).

Salary and hours

Starting Salary – £33,746 – HMP Long Lartin

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.

Benefits

Read more about prison officer benefits

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.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission\’s recruitment principles. If you feel the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you can raise a formal complaint by contacting Shared Services Connected Ltd: call 0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am – 6pm) or email Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com.

Equality, diversity and wellbeing

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging.

Disability support

As a Disability Confident employer, we are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout the recruitment process and in the workplace. You can request reasonable adjustments within the application form.

Need assistance?

If you need assistance, please call 0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am-6pm) or email MoJ-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com.