202601: Prison Officer - HMP Lewes

HMP Lewes, 1 Brighton Road, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 1EA

Starting salary: £35,875 (for a 39 hour week inc 20% unsocial)

This role is not eligible for new Skilled Worker visas in accordance with the current immigration rules.

An extraordinary job. In this unique career, you’ll have the opportunity to carry out many different roles in any one day.

During the recruitment process you will be assessed on:

• 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 (without the use of hearing aids)
• be permitted to have visible tattoos that are not offensive, discriminatory, violent or intimidating; facial tattoos are generally not acceptable unless for cultural, religious or medical reasons
• have been a resident in the UK for the last 3 years if you wish to work in a high‑security (category A) prison

How to apply:

Once you have completed your initial application form, you will be invited to complete an online test to assess your basic judgement and numerical skills. If you pass the online test, we will invite you to an online assessment centre (OAC). Upon successful completion of the OAC and allocation to a vacancy, you will be invited to a medical and fitness test, covering an eyesight test, hearing test and basic health screening, including a blood pressure check.

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 = £33,746 a year
• 39 hours a week = £35,875 a year
• 41 hours a week = £38,003 a year

All salary figures quoted include any additional allowances. The standard working week of a prison officer is based on a 39 hours per week shift pattern.

Benefits:

• 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

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.

Our Online Assessment Centre (OAC) will assess you against the key criteria to become a prison officer and also determine your suitability for appointment as an operational support grade OSG. 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.

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 recruitment principles. If you feel the recruitment process has breached these principles, you can raise a 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.

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

Just tick ‘yes’ when it asks if you think you might need a reasonable adjustment.