Exeter Vehicle Base, EX5
1 EWPermanent 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 year C1 = £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 –
Serco Inspire (Gender), Serco Embrace (Multicultural), Serco Unlimited
(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&icareers UK@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&icareers UK@serco.com to
discuss.