86681 - Operational Support Grade - HMP Highpoint (Prison Support Role)

The OSG role does not attract Sponsorship via the Skilled Worker visa/Tier 2 (general) work visa.

An extraordinary job. Done by someone like you.

As part of our prison support team, your work will be varied and help to keep the prison moving.

This is an active role where you will be doing a range of physical tasks. These can include lifting and carrying, plus long periods of standing and walking.  There will also be periods of lone working whilst undertaking tasks on both day and night shifts.

You will not always be in contact with prisoners, it depends on the prison you work in. You will have full training and a supportive team by your side.

Life as an OSG

Your job can include:

Gate duties

• ensuring the secure entry and exit of staff, visitors, 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

Control room

• operating the prison radio system
• monitoring CCTV, ensuring all suspicious activities are reported.

Visits

• welcoming visitors on their arrival
• escorting them if needed

Correspondence

• monitoring and logging mail coming into the prison
• reporting any contraband items, preserving evidence where needed

Night duties

• ensuring cell doors are locked and all prisoners are safely accounted for.

Reception

• photographing prisoners
• processing prisoners’ property and parcels coming into the prison.

Prisoner supervision

• sometimes supervising prisoners
• exchanging clothing and property
• helping prison officers escort prisoners around the prison

Food delivery

• walking around the prison delivering and collecting food trollies, or sometimes using an electric tug vehicle

Driving duties

• transporting prisoners and their escorts to their destination
• collecting mail from the local sorting office, which may involve lifting heavy sacks.

Phone calls

• monitoring the prison’s Personal Identification Number (PIN) phone system
• maintaining the log of PIN phone requests from prisoners
• completing relevant records

Procedures and protocol

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

You do not need any qualifications to do this job. Helping to keep a prison running smoothly and safely requires good judgement, common sense, responsibility and, above all teamwork.

National - £25,626

The salary figures quoted are for a 37-hour working week inclusive of 20% unsocial hours working allowance which is included in the salary to reflect the requirement to work nights, evening, and weekend shifts.

In addition to your base pay, you will receive:

• annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after 10 years’ service (calculated on a pro-rata basis)
• 9 days bank, public and privilege holidays
• access to a paid Level 2 apprenticeship in customer service
• access to the generous Civil Service pension scheme
• season ticket loans, retail discounts, an Employee Assistance Programme, and a Cycle to Work scheme.

Hours

You will work an average of 37 hours per week, and this will include working night shifts, evenings, weekends, and Bank/Public holidays on a rolling shift pattern (these days are added to your holiday allowance) The frequency of night shifts will vary for each Establishment and can be discussed at interview. For an example of the shift times that you could be working please visit our website

How to apply

Stage 1

1. Tell us about yourself
   Click apply and fill in your personal details on our application form
   
   
   
2. Take a short online test
   When you apply, you will receive an email with detailed instructions on how to take our online test. This is a behaviour-based assessment that assesses whether you have the right natural strengths and behavioural preferences to become an Operational Support Grade. You will complete a series of mini tasks that are designed to elicit your natural behavioural preferences (e.g., how you naturally tend to make decisions). Whilst the tasks themselves aren’t set in the context of the role; they are designed to observe the behaviours that are most important for the role. This will take around 40 minutes to complete, but there is no time limit.
   You don’t need to be a gamer to do well on this test. We’re just looking for your natural ability to succeed in the role.

Stage 2

If you pass the test, we’ll invite you for an interview.

Before you take the test, you will have the opportunity to practice and prepare for the real test. You will receive information and a link to access this and the actual test once you apply. 

For more information please visit our website

Job offers: ‘merit’ vacancy.

This is a ‘merit’ job vacancy. If you are successful at the interview, you will be added to a merit list based on your score.

When all applicants have completed the assessment, the prison will make job offers to those with the highest scores first when positions become available.

You can stay on the merit list for 12 months. After this, you will need to apply again.

If your application is unsuccessful at the sift/Interview stage, a six-month waiting period will be applied during which time you will not be allowed to submit any further applications for Operational Support Grade positions.

The jobholder must be able to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English or (when specified in Wales) Welsh.

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 . Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

• To Shared Service Connected Ltd (0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com);
• To Ministry of Justice Resourcing (resourcing-services@justice.gov.uk).
• To the Civil Service Commission (details available here) 

As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent, and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team.

For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please see our Disability Confident Scheme Frequently Asked Questions webpage.

Diversity & Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain, and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the 

Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

Contact Information

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com. Please quote the job reference - 86681

if you feel that your application has not been treated in line with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com) in the first instance

We have provided detail of the assessment stages and areas being assessed to help you prepare for completing your application form, and to advise of what will be assessed following this, if you successfully pass the application stage.

Supporting document 1  

Band-2-SSO-Operational-Support-Grade-General-JD010-v9.0.pdf – 185KB