Bristol Vehicle Base, BS11
8HTPermanent roles offering
job stability &
security. Working as a
Prisoner Escort Custody Driver (PCO) in Prisoner Escort Custody
Services (PECS) is more than just a role—it’s an opportunity to be
part of a professional team that plays a vital role in the justice
system, ensuring safety and security every day. In addition to a
rewarding career, we also
offer: Salary of £26,745
(40hrs pw). Training salary is £23,402 (35hrs
pw). Annual salary
increments: Year 2 - £27,411, Year 3 - £27,927, Year 4 -
£28,446 Additional driving
allowance earnings for Category B1/C1 License
holders: B1 = £600 per
yearC1 = £2,400 per
year. (C1 License holders must drive 6 cell vehicles – subject to
further terms).A
potential first-year income between £32,345 & £34,145
(depending upon license type and overtime based on a current
average of 8 hrs overtime pw).Pension (matched up to 6%), life insurance, 20 days
annual leave (rising to 25 after 7 years) plus Bank
Holidays.Discounts on
Merlin Attractions, mobile phones, cinema, leisure, retail, and
hospitality.Health and
wellbeing support: Employee Assistance Programme, MIND, Simply
Health Care, and Dental Plans.A supportive team and culture passionate
about diversity and
inclusion.We are operational 24/6, and you’ll be
expected to cover various early and late shifts, with a minimum of
40 hours per week. Flexibility is absolutely essential, as
the nature of the role involves a wide range of different working
arrangements and additional hours. There will be days when your
finishing time is unpredictable, and you may need to work beyond
your scheduled hours to meet the demands of the job. We operate on
a rota basis, which is provided 12 weeks in advance, allowing you
to plan ahead. This system ensures that, despite the long and
often unpredictable hours, you will have the flexibility to enjoy
meaningful time off to do the things you love.
About the
Role: As a PCO at our base, you’ll work as
part of a crew to provide safe and secure court transportation and
custody services. You’ll collect adult male and female detainees
between prisons, police stations and courts, always ensuring their
well-being. Depending upon operational requirements, you may
be required to remain at court, where you’ll be responsible for the
care of the detainee until they return to custody or are released.
Duties include accompanying defendants in courtrooms and cells,
searching property and people, ensuring food and drink are
available, and completing paperwork and data entry.
Key
Responsibilities:Start the day early, attend briefings to receive
assignments, including details on prisoners, pick-up and drop-off
locations, and specific risks. Check handheld devices for schedules and prisoner
information. Complete vehicle
checks. Collect prisoners
from various locations, verify paperwork and property, search
prisoners, and load them onto the
vehicle. Monitor prisoners'
welfare during transport, conduct cell checks, and provide water if
needed. Arrange comfort stops for long
journeys. Transport
prisoners to courts and handle inter-prison transfers for reasons
such as bed space management or educational
needs. Return to the
vehicle base, perform end-of-use checks, report defects, and hand
in documentation. Work beyond
contracted hours due to job demands, sometimes exceeding 50 hours a
week.Stay with
prisoners admitted to hospitals and handle emergency transfers
during incidents like prison
riots.What you need to do the
job! Our current PCOs come to us with
diverse work and life experiences. What you’ve done before doesn’t
matter; what matters is your commitment to making a difference in
the lives of others. The rest you will learn during your 5 1/2-week
training course and through our experienced colleagues.
You’ll need to hold a current driver's licence, B1 or C1 Licence
(valid CPC card desirable). Our roles would suit those who have a
particular interest in criminology or psychology. Required
skills and abilities:Ability to understand and respond to the emotional
needs of detainees. Capability to handle stressful and emotionally
demanding situations with a calm and composed
demeanour. Ability to think
on your feet and make quick, effective decisions in challenging
situations. Strong ability to
work collaboratively with colleagues to ensure the safety and
well-being of detainees. Meticulous in following protocols, conducting
searches, and completing paperwork
accurately. Adequate physical
fitness to perform duties that may involve restraining detainees
and handling long hours. Skilled in de-escalating conflicts and managing
challenging behaviour
effectively. High ethical
standards and a commitment to always maintaining confidentiality
and professionalism.Sensitivity to the
diverse backgrounds and needs of detainees, ensuring respectful and
fair
treatment.Our Assessment Process:
Briefing call to assess eligibility ->
Competency based Virtual Interview -> short role-play and
written exercise. Additional
Information: All roles are exempt from the
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, and all offers of employment
are subject to Ministry of Justice Enhanced Level 2 checks with
Enhanced DBS (Adult & Child Barring) and satisfactory
employment references. This role is not eligible for Skilled
Worker visa sponsorship under current UK Home Office rules, as it
does not meet the required salary or skill level criteria. Whilst
we encourage applications to other roles, candidates who already
have a valid right to work in the UK through other immigration
routes or permissions must meet the below minimum eligibility
criteria:Have at least two
years remaining on your current visaHave
lived in the UK for at least one year, as vetting process requires
a counter-signatory from a recognised professional who has known
you for that
duration.For general right-to-work guidance,
please visit the UK Home Office
website.#PECSAbout
SercoAt Serco, not only is the nature of the work
we do important, everyone has an important role to play, from
caring for vulnerable people to managing complex public services.
We are a team of 50,000 people responsible for delivering essential
public services around the world in areas including defence,
transport, justice, immigration, healthcare and citizen services.
We are innovators, committed to redesigning and improving public
services for the benefit of everyone. By joining Serco you
will have unlimited access to our Global Employee Networks –
SercoInspire (Gender), SercoEmbrace (Multicultural), SercoUnlimited
(Disability) and In@Serco (LGBT & Networks). Serco Employee
Networks, led by colleagues who are passionate about diversity,
inclusion and belonging.ApplyPlease click on the apply button
to complete your application. Occasionally we receive a large
volume of applications for our roles and when that happens we
sometimes bring the closing date forward, so please apply promptly
to avoid disappointment. At Serco, we see people first and
foremost for their performance and potential. We are committed to
building a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports the
needs of all. As such we will make reasonable adjustments at
interview through to employment for our candidates and strongly
encourage applications from a diverse candidate pool. We are open
to discussions around flexibility and flexible working. We operate
a hybrid work structure in many of our business areas. We are
proudly Disability Confident Leader employers and holder of the
Gold Inclusive Employer Standard. Disabled applicants who meet the
minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to
demonstrate their abilities at an interview. For help with your
application please contact j&icareersUK@serco.com.
At Serco we support fair access to employment for those
with unspent criminal convictions through the ‘Ban the Box’ pledge
(some may be exempt due to the nature of the role and the security
clearance required). Please contact our recruitment team directly
on j&icareersUK@serco.com to
discuss.