Prison Officer - HMP Swansea
| Posting date: | 03 February 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £35,875 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 25 February 2026 |
| Location: | Swansea, Wales |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | HM Prison and Probation Service |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: |
Summary
Job details
Eligibility
To become a prison officer, you will need to:
· 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 (both 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 as offensive, discriminatory, violent, or intimidating in any way. Facial tattoos are generally not acceptable, except where this is 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 to Work
Some prison establishments are situated in rural locations with limited public transport options; therefore, a driving licence and own transport is beneficial but is not an essential requirement of the role (unless specified). Please note that shift start, and finish times are fixed, and it is your responsibility to get to and from your place of work on time for the start of your shift. Please carefully consider the location of this vacancy and your transport options before applying.
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) 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.
Essential skills
You don’t need qualifications to become a prison officer. Personal qualities are more important. You need to show:
· communication and influencing skills
· commitment to quality
· effective decision-making
· care and understanding
Pay
The initial training is 37 hours a week. After training, you can choose to work 37, 39 or 41 hours a week. Your annual salary will reflect your weekly hours.
· 37 hours a week = £33,746 a year
· 39 hours a week = £35,875 a year
· 41 hours a week = £38,003 a year
All salary figures quoted include any additional allowances that are applicable to the role/location.
Prisons operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This means you will have to cover various shift patterns that will include evenings, some nights, weekends and public holidays (these days are added to your holiday allowance). Most prisons work with a changing shift pattern of 39 hours a week.
You may also have opportunities to work additional paid hours.
Eligibility
To become a prison officer, you will need to:
· 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 (both 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 as offensive, discriminatory, violent, or intimidating in any way. Facial tattoos are generally not acceptable, except where this is 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 to Work
Some prison establishments are situated in rural locations with limited public transport options; therefore, a driving licence and own transport is beneficial but is not an essential requirement of the role (unless specified). Please note that shift start, and finish times are fixed, and it is your responsibility to get to and from your place of work on time for the start of your shift. Please carefully consider the location of this vacancy and your transport options before applying.
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) 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.
Essential skills
You don’t need qualifications to become a prison officer. Personal qualities are more important. You need to show:
· communication and influencing skills
· commitment to quality
· effective decision-making
· care and understanding
Pay
The initial training is 37 hours a week. After training, you can choose to work 37, 39 or 41 hours a week. Your annual salary will reflect your weekly hours.
· 37 hours a week = £33,746 a year
· 39 hours a week = £35,875 a year
· 41 hours a week = £38,003 a year
All salary figures quoted include any additional allowances that are applicable to the role/location.
Prisons operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This means you will have to cover various shift patterns that will include evenings, some nights, weekends and public holidays (these days are added to your holiday allowance). Most prisons work with a changing shift pattern of 39 hours a week.
You may also have opportunities to work additional paid hours.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.