Operational Support Grade HMP Guys Marsh; Prison Support

Job Overview

Full Time, Part Time, Job Share, Flexible Working.

Location:

Yeovil/Salisbury. This role is part of the prison support team and involves a wide range of physical tasks, including lifting, walking, standing for long periods and lone working on day and night shifts. You will receive full training and support from the team.

• Ensuring secure entry and exit of staff, visitors and vehicles.
• Carrying out searches of staff, prisoners, visitors and vehicles.
• Walking around the prison site to escort vehicles and contractors.
• Issuing and collecting staff keys and radios.
• Walking around the prison site patrolling and searching perimeter fence areas.

• Operating the prison radio system.
• Monitoring CCTV and reporting suspicious activities.

• Welcoming visitors on arrival and escorting them if required.
• Monitoring and logging mail coming into the prison.
• Reporting contraband items and preserving evidence.
• Ensuring cell doors are locked and all prisoners are safely accounted for.

• Photographing prisoners.
• Processing prisoners’ property and parcels.
• Supervising prisoners when required.
• Exchanging clothing and property.
• Assisting prison officers escorting prisoners.
• Walking around the prison delivering and collecting food trolleys or using an electric tug vehicle.

• Collecting mail from the local sorting office, which may involve lifting heavy sacks.
• Monitoring the prison’s Personal Identification Number phone system.
• Maintaining the log of PIN phone requests from prisoners.

• Understanding and conforming to national and local policies, responding appropriately to incidents and emergencies.

No formal qualifications are required. Key qualities include good judgement, common sense, responsibility and teamwork.

The salary figures quoted are for a 37‑hour working week inclusive of a 20% unsocial hours allowance.

• Annual leave: 25 days on appointment, increasing to 30 days after 10 years’ service (pro‑rata). 9 bank, public and privilege holidays.
• Access to a paid Level 2 apprenticeship in customer service.
• Access to the Civil Service pension scheme.
• Season ticket loans, retail discounts, an Employee Assistance Programme and a Cycle to Work scheme.

You will work an average of 37 hours per week, which includes night shifts, evenings, weekends and bank/public holidays on a rolling shift pattern. Shift dates and times vary by establishment and can be discussed at interview.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition. All candidates are welcome to apply; support for reasonable adjustments is available.