Prison Officer in Bristol

Staffline is currently seeking dedicated and experienced Prison Officers to join the team within the UK Secure Solutions business unit. This is a 3 month rolling contract based in the Caribbean. If you have experience in a similar role and have worked in a UK prison within the last 6 months we would love to hear from you. An up to date full CV is required with your application in order to apply.

Roles available: 3 x Prison Officer, 1 x Supervisor

Salary: PCO £39,000 per year, £1,000 monthly bonus. Supervisor £42,500 per year, £1,000 monthly bonus.

Contract: 3 month rolling (with renewal)

Shifts: A mixture including nights, weekends and long days.

Hours: To be confirmed by site superintendent and will not normally exceed 48 hours per week.

Your Time at Work

The Role:

• To secure, supervise and contribute to the training and rehabilitation of individuals who have been committed by the courts.
• To carry out the prison mandate of custody and create an environment whereby prisoners can lead law abiding lives within a safe and healthy prison environment and on their release.
• To assist supervising Officers in maintaining order and discipline in the Prison Institution.

Key Responsibilities:

• Maintain custody of prisoners
• Carrying out security checks and searching procedures
• Supervising prisoners, keeping account of prisoners in your charge and maintaining order
• Employing authorised physical control and restraint procedures where appropriate
• Taking care of prisoners and their property, taking account of their rights and dignity.
• Providing appropriate care and support for prisoners at risk of self harm
• Taking an active part in rehabilitation programmes for prisoners
• Assessing and advising prisoners, using your own experiences and integrity
• Writing fair and perceptive reports on prisoners.
• Promote and adhere to all Prison rules and regulations

Our Perfect Worker

1. Supervisory and Managerial Responsibility:
   • Supervise prisoners on work assignments, meal times, and recreation.
   • Supervise visitors to the Prison Institution and undertake patrol duties.
   • Maintain order and discipline on the Prison premises and among the prisoners.
   • Coordinates medical assistance for the prisoners in the event that a critical situation occurs.
   • Responsible for maintaining complete Daily Occurrence records of important events.
   • Provide reports as required to allow for follow-up action
   • Operate gates, locks and equipment
   • Enforce prison routine
2. Judgement and Decisions made:
   • Decision is often made to intercept and avoid escalation of a fluid situation which may have been as a result of misinterpretations, misconceptions, unrest or other serious incidents in the work place (e.g. fights, riots, health hazards, escape of prisoners, prisoner self-harm, smuggling of contraband)
   • When and how to apply authorised physical control and restraint techniques on prisoners.
   • When to carry out searches
3. Supervision Received:
   • Instructions received from the Senior Prison Officer on the direction of the Assistant Superintendent and the Deputy Superintendent regarding daily work assignments and shift schedules.
4. Work Complexity:
   • In addition to custodial duties, Prison Officers are called upon to build up and maintain close relationships with those in their charge. This requires Officers to balance discipline with compassion and understanding for those in their charge, along with exercising authority in coping with abusive offenders.
   • The role of a Prison Officer calls for instructing, mentoring, negotiating, counselling and pastoral leadership skills in order to help prepare prisoners to lead useful law abiding lives on release from prison.
   • Managing prisoners who are limited in literacy and have difficulty following instructions.
   • Using diplomacy in skilfully assessing situations to avoid unwanted confrontations.
   • Regularly supervising persons who may be mentally challenged.
   • Regularly dealing with disruptive and abusive prisoners contributes to stressful atmosphere for the Prison Officers.
5. Contacts:
   • Routine daily report logging for management records as well as the provision of detailed reports regarding unusual incidents.
   • Provision of fair and perspective reports on prisoners to prison management both verbally and written as needed.
   • Frequent contact with prisoners to effect change. This involves issuing of verbal instructions while escorting, supervising, training and maintaining order and discipline.
   • Verbal exchanges of information with visitors, prisoners' family members, volunteer organizations, Social Welfare Organizations and other external agencies to facilitate the provision and effectiveness of critical pathways to appropriate support, treatment and further assessment.
6. Creativity:
   • Striking a balance between maintaining discipline and order within the Prison Institution, and treating prisoners with dignity, and understanding requires innovation and creativity.
   • Use diplomacy to get prisoners and co-workers to cooperate and encourage cohesiveness.
   • Working with different personalities involves some level of creativity.
7. Knowledge:
   • An ability to work within the parameters of a Prison Institution or Correction facility.
   • Knowledge of Security Management (on the job training).
   • Excellent oral and written communication skills.
   • Knowledge of First Aid and Defibrillator procedures.
   • An ability to assess and observe behaviours.

Professional Skills Requirements:

• Continuous training in Security Management.
• Must be physically fit and medically capable.
• Training in Conflict Resolution.
• Training in Control and Restrain Techniques.
• Training in Psychology and basic Psychiatry in order to deal with the mentally challenged prisoners.

Interpersonal Skills:

• An ability to communicate effectively with all levels within the Prison Institution.
• Be patient.
• Be assertive.
• Be tolerant.
• Be able to motivate others.

Supervisory, Management or Leadership Skills:

• Organizational and planning skills necessary.
• An ability to delegate tasks to prisoners.
• Time management skills required.
• Strength and assertiveness to enable the cooperation of the prisoners.

Additional Personal Skills:

• An ability to be flexible, and alert to respond to emergency situations.
• An ability to follow instructions as directed by the Senior Prison Officer.
• Team building skills are required.
• Understanding reporting lines.
• Complete accurate record making.

Key Information and Benefits:

• All travel and accommodation provided.
• £60 per day food allowance.

In the event of a successful interview, applicants may be subject to additional screening. Individuals must also be in possession of an up to date First Aid certificate and arrange their own travel and health insurance prior to a role commencing.

About Staffline: Staffline is the UK's leading provider of flexible, temporary and permanent workforce solutions, enabling over 28,000 people into good work every day. We operate at more than 350 customer sites across England, Scotland and Wales.

Please note that our job adverts are correct at the time of publication, but some details and job responsibilities are subject to change.