About the job

Job summary

Please see job description

Job description

National Prison Officer Returners Campaigns

Prison Officer Alumni Advertisement
(Offer only open to former, trained prison officers who have left the service within the last five years)

Advertisement

If you are a former prison officer with less than 5 years gap in service and have completed your probation and training, we would like you to consider re-joining us to support your former colleagues to keep prisons and the public safe. We can offer you a fast-track return to the service with no need to repeat any entry level training (diploma etc.) or complete an assessment process. Should you meet the eligibility criteria for this post you can be allocated straight to an available position. We can also offer a range of flexible working patterns and pay-scales, these offers are expanding all the time and we can discuss these with you at the point of re-appointment.
If you are not yet ready to re-join at this time, you can still be part of our Prison Officer Alumni Network to be kept up date on the latest developments for prison officer returners. If you haven’t already joined simply Click Here to learn more about the network and to register.

Full time (39 hours) and part time (19.5 hours) permanent & temporary contracts of 3, 6, or 9 months.

39-hour Salary: £31,776 (National) to £37,186 (Inner London) – paid pro rata.
19.5-hour Salary: £15,75(National) to £18,436 (Inner London).

Rates payable are on F&S terms and are therefore paid as a combination of basic salary, unsocial hours allowance and a non-pensionable additional committed hours (ACH) payment. The advertised rates assume a 39-hour working week with unsocial hours. There are, however, options to work less than, or more than (up to maximum of 41) hours at different rates of pay.

Flexible Hours – Paid by the Hour.

OFFER

Eligibility

This offer is open to all prison officers at bands 3 to 5 (or equivalent) who left the Service through resignation or retirement in the last 5 years and who, before leaving, had successfully completed their probationary year. It is also open to former prison officers who are currently working within the MOJ or other government departments.

There will be no formal selection process, but a fitness test is required. Applicants will also need to pass an Occupational Health screen, background, ID and security checks. HMPPS reserves the right to refuse reappointment to former officers on grounds of previous poor attendance or performance.

Options for working arrangements and contract

The following options are available:
• Full or part time, permanent or temporary contract – A permanent or a temporary contract for three, six or nine months either on a full (39 hours) or part time (19.5 hours) basis. In such circumstances you would be placed on normal duties as part of the roster.
• Flexible contractual terms – Our range of flexible working offers areis constantly in development as we seek innovative ways to meet the needs of our Prisons and our employees. We can discuss these options with you in more detail at the point of appointment.


Full or part time, permanent or temporary contract - Under this option you would be re-established as a prison officer at an establishment within reasonable travelling distance of your home. You will join the permanent staff and undertake the full range of duties on the roster.

We are offering temporary contracts on a three, six- or nine-month’s basis with the opportunity to extend the contract up to a maximum of two years should you wish to do so and if there is a continuing requirement for your services.
You will be appointed to the second pay point of the Band 3 pay range (one below the pay range maximum) which gives headroom for future progression.

For temporary contract appointments

Should it become apparent that your additional service is no longer required a five-week notice period will be given. You will also be expected to give five weeks’ notice that you wish to terminate your contract.

As a temporary member of staff, you will receive the full range of Civil Service benefits other than permanent tenure. You will be automatically enrolled for pension although you may opt out. You will be entitled to 25 days leave per annum, pro rata.

Re-appointment

You will be re-established as an officer of the prison to which you are appointed and will be under the direction of the Governor. It will be for the Governor, or their representative to determine how you are deployed and to what duties you are assigned.
You will be appointed as a band 3 officer. Officers taking a full or part-time temporary contract who have previously held a higher grade may be considered for duties at the higher grade at the Governor’s discretion and may be reappointed on temporary terms.

You will be issued with a prison officer’s uniform and footwear.

It will be for the Governor to determine what additional training or re-entry briefing will be required. Where C&R training is available you will be required to take it.

You will be required to complete an Occupational Health Review before being appointed.

You will be subject to pre-employment checks including police check. This is routine and will apply to anyone who has been absent from the service for more than 28 days.

As part of your application you will be asked to nominate up to three prisons where you would be available for work and that are within an hour’s travelling distance of your home. As far as possible we will allocate you to your first preference.

If you are currently employed in another civil service position you must obtain the permission of your current department to undertake any prison officer duties.

Person specification

If you require any assistance please call 0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am-6pm) or e-mail MoJ-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@sscl.gse.gov.uk. Please quote the job reference 70784


Closing date 29th December 2023.

Benefits

For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.

Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Please see job description

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

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) (opens in a new window)
• 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 (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.