Prison Officer in Wigan

Overview

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 and eligibility will be assessed in accordance with the immigration rules and transitional provisions in place. If you are applying for this role and you have not held a Skilled Worker visa prior to the 22 July 2025 changes, you will need to consider your options for obtaining and/or maintaining your right to work in the UK in light of these changes. Successful applicants must ensure they have and maintain the legal right to live and work in the Civil Service and in the United Kingdom. The Department 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.

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.

• 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 EUSS on 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 requirements https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules. Successful applicants must ensure they have and maintain the legal right to live and work in the Civil Service and in the United Kingdom.

Selection and Assessment

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

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 and Merit Process

This is a merit 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 (OSG): 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 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.

Medical and Working Arrangements

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. Please note we are not able to facilitate medical and fitness assessments outside of the UK. Applicants will be required to attend a UK based medical and fitness assessment centre to progress their application.

Working for the Civil Service: 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 the recruitment principles you can raise a formal complaint in the following order: Shared Services Connected Ltd (contact details), 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. See the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy for details.

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. Please let us know in plenty of time if adjustments are required.

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. Visit the page for details about eligibility.

Redeployment Interview Scheme: Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ is committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are \\\"at risk of redundancy\\\". Eligible candidates may be offered an interview except in a limited number of campaigns.

Candidate Experience and Additional Information

Whats 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. You can access the activity here. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Plagiarism or misrepresentation may result in withdrawal of applications or disciplinary action.

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.

Qualifications and Requirements

• be at least 18 years old at 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 standard in both eyes (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 offensive, discriminatory, violent, or intimidating. Facial tattoos are generally not acceptable, except where 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 and Location: Travel options are constrained by rural locations; a driving licence and own transport is beneficial but not essential unless specified. Shift start times are fixed and you must arrive on time. Location considerations should be reviewed before applying.

• You don\\\'t need formal qualifications; personal qualities matter:
• communication and influencing skills
• commitment to quality
• effective decision-making
• care and understanding

Salary and Hours: The initial training is 37 hours a week. After training, you can choose to work 37, 39 or 41 hours a week. Salary examples (inclusive of applicable allowances): 37 hours = £33,746; 39 hours = £35,875; 41 hours = £38,003. Shifts can include evenings, nights, weekends and public holidays; the typical pattern is 39 hours per week. Additional paid hours may be available. Benefits include:

• 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