This role is not eligible for new Skilled Worker visas in accordance with the current immigration rules. From 22 July 2025, the Government introduced changes to the Skilled Worker visa route. The department cannot consider sponsoring you for this role unless you have held a Skilled Worker visa prior to the 22 July 2025 changes. If you have held a Skilled Worker visa continuously, please raise this during your vetting checks and eligibility will be assessed in accordance with the immigration rules and transitional provisions in place. If you are applying for this role and you have not held a Skilled Worker visa prior to the 22 July 2025 changes, you will need to consider your options for obtaining and/or maintaining your right to work in the UK in light of these changes. Successful applicants must ensure they have and maintain the legal right to live and work in the Civil Service and in the United Kingdom. The Department will continue to comply with UK Immigration Rules applied in the UK and Civil Service. You can read more about Skilled Worker visas and the eligibility criteria here.
Overview
Someone like you There's no such thing as a typical prison officer. Our officers come from different walks of life, just like the offenders they work with. Whether you're a parent, a teacher, have worked in retail, the armed forces, or just feel like you're a natural people person, you'll have the empathy, self-confidence, great communication skills and resilience we want. No matter the challenge, you'll take the time to build constructive, positive and professional relationships with prisoners who could be at the lowest point in their lives. Teamwork plays a vital role in this environment, so you'll need to be fully committed to supporting your colleagues and understand the importance of acting as one team to keep the prison, and everyone who works here safe. You will be required to work various shifts and some weekends. An extraordinary job In this unique career, you'll have the opportunity to carry out many different roles in any one day. One minute you're a peacekeeper, the next you're a counsellor or a teacher. You'll work directly with prisoners in a unique environment, helping to protect the public and make a positive impact.
Responsibilities
During the recruitment process you will be assessed on the behaviours, strengths and abilities you need to become an effective prison officer. These include:
* communicating and influencing
* managing a quality service
* making effective decisions
* caring
Your natural strengths are assessed to find out what motivates and energises you. We will also assess your numerical, written English and spoken English abilities. Online Tests
* Online tests: Once you have completed your initial application form, you will be invited to complete stage 1 of the online test, to see if you have the basic judgement and numerical skills expected of a prison officer.
* If you are successful, we will invite you to the stage 2 online test (task-based assessment) to see if you have the natural behaviours and qualities needed to be an effective prison officer.
The online assessment centre (OAC) On successful completion of the online tests, we will invite you to an online assessment centre where we test to see if you have the abilities, behaviours and strengths to be a prison officer. Read more about the application process.
* Job offers: merit vacancy — This is a merit job vacancy. If you are successful at the online assessment centre, you will be added to a merit list based on your score. When all applicants have completed the assessment centre, the prison will make job offers to individuals with the highest scores first when positions become available. You can stay on the merit list for 12 months. After this, you'll need to apply again.
* If your application is unsuccessful at the sift/assessment stage, a six month waiting period will be applied during which time you will not be allowed to submit any further applications for prison officer positions.
* Operational Support Grade (OSG): Our Online Assessment Centre will assess you against the key criteria to become a prison officer and determine your suitability for appointment as an OSG. If you are unsuccessful following attendance at your OAC, we may offer you an alternative role as an OSG.
Medical and Fitness: Once we identify a vacancy for you, we will invite you to complete a medical and fitness test. This will cover an eyesight test, hearing test and basic health screening, including a blood pressure check. Please note we are not able to facilitate medical and fitness assessments outside of the UK. Applicants will be required to attend a UK-based medical and fitness assessment centre to progress their application.
Qualifications
* 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 establishments are in rural locations; a driving licence and own transport is beneficial but not essential (unless specified). Shift start/finish times are fixed.
* 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.
* The initial training is 37 hours a week. After training, you can choose to work 37, 39 or 41 hours a week. Salary reflects weekly hours: 37 hours = £33,746; 39 hours = £35,875; 41 hours = £38,003.
* All salary figures quoted include any additional allowances applicable to the role/location. Prisons operate 24/7; you will cover various shift patterns including evenings, some nights, weekends, and public holidays.
* Benefits: 25 days' annual holiday (rising to 30 days after 10 years' service); paid time off for public holidays and 1 extra privilege day; Civil Service pension with employer contributions of 28.97%; cycle to work scheme, travel loans and other benefits.
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 recruitment principles. Diversity & Inclusion: The Civil Service is committed to attracting, retaining and investing in talent wherever it is found. Reasonable adjustment support: As a Disability Confident employer, the MoJ is committed to ensuring everyone can demonstrate their skills. Please read the candidate guidance for more information on adjustments. The MoJ also supports the Veterans initiative and Redeployment Interview Scheme as described in the original text.
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