First Time Prison Officer Recruitment Scheme - Long-Term High Security Estate (LTHSE) 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. Applying for your first prison officer role and happy to relocate? Get your career off to a great start, gaining valuable experience working at one of our Long-Term High Security Prisons. Move away to join a prison that's 75 minutes or more from where you currently live and not only will you benefit from a greater variety of experience than you would working at a smaller prison, but you will also get higher take-home pay, your accommodation costs paid for up to 23 months, and a paid monthly trip from your deployed prison to the prison closest to your home. Choose 3 or more prisons you'd like to work at and, wherever possible, we will aim to find you a role at one of these. You will be allocated to a prison that has the most need for prison officers at the time., 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, prisoners 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.
* be at least 18 years old at the point you commence employment
* meet the Civil Service Nationality requirements (see nationality 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)
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., 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, · 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., The jobholder must be able to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English or (when specified in Wales) Welsh.
* We will pay your accommodation costs (up to £750 per month) for up to 23 months
* You will be able to reclaim the cost of a monthly trip from your deployed prison to the prison closest to your home.
* You will also be paid a recruitment and retention bonus of £1500 after the first 12 month and 23-month period
As the prisons on First time prison officer recruitment scheme list have an ongoing need for prison officers, you should be able to start your paid training sooner than you would if you applied via our standard application process. An extraordinary job. Done by someone like you. Prison officers protect the public and help make an impact on prisoners' lives. If you have the integrity, skills and strength of character we're looking for, this fast-paced role could be the start of a successful career. No two shifts or situations are ever the same. And, as you gain experience, you'll find a range of opportunities to grow and develop into., Your pay will depend on which prison you work at and your weekly shift hours. The figures below are based on a 37 hour contract which you will remain on until you have completed your initial training. You can then choose to increase your hours to 39 or 41 hours a week. Salaries quoted include an unsocial hours allowance - 37 hours Salary - £33,746 HMP Full Sutton
* HMP Long Lartin
* HMP Whitemoor
* Salary - £37,246 HMP Woodhill
* HMP Swaleside
* Due to the security status of these prisons a Counter-Terrorism Check (CTC vetting) will need to be undertaken. Proof that you have been a resident in the UK for the last 3 years is needed to complete the CTC vetting process. Applicants who do not meet the residency requirement will not be able to take up post at this prison. (please refer to CTC section below)
You will also get:
* your accommodation costs paid (up to £750 per month) for up to 23 months.
* the cost of a monthly trip home.
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). You may also have opportunities to work additional paid hours., · 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 of up to 20% of your salary · cycle to work scheme, travel loans and other benefits Prison officer rewards & benefits | HM Prison & Probation Service (prisonandprobationjobs.gov.uk) Assessment Process During the recruitment process you will be assessed on the behaviours, strengths and abilities you need to become an effective prison officer. These include, The rewards aren't all you'll gain from a role in the Prison Service. There's the sense of achievement you feel when you've helped a prisoner to get their life back on track - the kind of experience you simply won't find anywhere else. High security prisons requiring CTC vetting If your application is successful, you will need to undergo and clear pre-employment checks. This will include His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service Enhanced Level 2 vetting, and due to the security status of the establishment Counter-Terrorism Check (CTC vetting) is also required. Proof that you have been a resident in the UK for the last 3 years is needed to complete the CTC vetting process. The residency requirements refer to the period immediately before an application is made, and not any other three-year period, or any other accumulation of time spent in the UK. If you have been out of the country for a significant period of time (usually up to one year) and maintained your UK residency you may still be considered for vetting clearance. For example:
* spent a significant period of time overseas without returning to the UK, but intend to return in the future
* taken a gap year before or following university
* travelled for a year
* spent time overseas visiting family
This is not an exhaustive list. Candidates must be able to provide correct and up to date documentation when requested during 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.