OSG to Prison Officer Fast Track

As an OSG you already have the knowledge of what it’s like to work in a prison and the expertise that comes with being in the service. With all the training, support and teamwork you need, this is the chance to use your experience to take the next step in your career.

Take on more responsibility, push yourself with a challenge and be rewarded by working closely with prisoners to help turn their lives around.

As you already have some of the essential knowledge and experience needed, we have shortened the usual application process:

Step 1: Fill out our short application form. This gives you the option of selecting your preferred establishment and one second choice.

Don't apply via your @justice account, we need you to apply via your personal email address so you can be contacted when not in work.

Step 2: After you’ve submitted your application, you’ll be invited straight through to the online assessment centre (OAC), skipping the online tests.

Step 3: If you’re successful at the OAC, we’ll invite you to the medical and fitness assessment, and start speeding you through the vetting process if there are spaces at one of your chosen establishments.

Step 4: You could begin your training as early as November.

If applying for a youth justice worker role you will undertake an additional role play at the OAC relating to the youth estate.

If applying for a women’s prison, following a successful result at the OAC, you will also need to complete the women’s prisons additional assessment which requires written responses to three behaviour-based questions. You will do this assessment online at a time that suits you best and each response requires a 250 word answer.

You will be unable to apply for Askham Grange, Bure, Chelmsford, East Sutton Park, Hatfield, Littlehey, Stafford, Swansea, Usk/Prescoed and Wakefield because they will not be open to receiving successful candidates on this occasion.

Downview, Drake Hall, Eastwood Park, Foston Hall, Low Newton, New Hall, Send and Styal will be open to female applicants only because an occupational requirement exception under Schedule 9 of the Equality Act 2010 is in place for these establishments at the current time.

If you take up post at Bullingdon, Portland, The Verne, Wayland or Winchester you will get up to £8,000 gross (inclusive of tax) home-to-work travel expenses for a period of 3 years from the date you commence employment paid at 0.45p per mile.

Please note we are unable to sponsor any individuals via the Skilled Worker Sponsorship/Tier 2 (General) work visa. 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 prison officer application centre information portal is the official and only place to get the most up to date information to help you prepare for the online assessment centre.

Your pay will be calculated as a promotion in line with HMPPS pay policy and you will move to the appropriate pay point. You will also be entitled to any additional payments operating at the establishment to which you are appointed.

You will start on a 37-hour contract until your initial training is complete. After this you can choose to increase your hours to 39 or 41 hours a week.

You can also earn more if overtime is available in your establishment. Listed below for illustrative purposes are the starting salaries across England and Wales. Your exact salary will be confirmed once you are issued with a contract.

Inner London

Brixton, Pentonville, Wandsworth, Wormwood Scrubs:

37 hours	£36,164
39 hours	£38,445
41 hours	£40,726

Outer London

Downview, Feltham, High Down:

37 hours	£36,363*
39 hours	£38,530*
41 hours	£40,697*

* includes a market supplement of £2,000

Belmarsh, Isis:

37 hours	£34,363
39 hours	£36,530
41 hours	£38,697

South and South East

Aylesbury, Bullingdon, Elmley, Swaleside and Woodhill:

37 hours	£34,402*
39 hours	£36,351*
41 hours	£38,300*

* includes a market supplement of £3,500

Bedford, Coldingley, Cookham Wood, Grendon and Springhill, Highpoint, Huntercombe, Send, Stanford Hill, Stocken, The Mount, Winchester:

37 hours	£32,902*
39 hours	£34,851*
41 hours	£36,800*

* includes a market supplement of £2,000

Other locations

All other government-run prisons in England and Wales:

37 hours	£30,902
39 hours	£32,851
41 hours	£34,800

Taking up post as a prison officer

All new prison officers in England and Wales will begin their career by attending and completing all elements of their foundation training.

Week 1 to 10: Following a local induction at your ‘home’ prison you will go on a foundation training programme at a designated learning centre. This will usually be close to your ‘home’ prison location.

Week 11 onwards: You will be back at your ‘home’ location where you will carry on with your on the job learning and be given support locally to build upon your skills, knowledge and behaviours gained at the foundation stage.

You will receive full pay and expenses during your training.

The foundation training programme prepares you for life as a prison officer and you will learn and practise all the key skills and behaviours that are vital to the role including:

• How to look after people in custody.
• Search and security procedures.
• De-escalation techniques.

There may be a further two-week residential course if you work in a high security prison. Training is available throughout your career. You could choose to specialise in working with vulnerable prisoners, become a dog handler or train as a physical education instructor.

Taking up post in the women’s estate

Our eight-week foundation course for women’s prisons training has some bespoke aspects which differ to that of our male prisons course. The women’s prisons training package ensures that you are:

• Skilled to assess, manage and support women in custody, including their specific risks and requirements.
• Able to respond to women in custody in a way that focuses on their needs.
• Confident in dealing with the complex environment of a female prison.

Taking up post in the Youth Custody Service

As a youth justice worker, you will need the drive and commitment to work with children and young people aged 15 to 18. You will begin your career with 12 weeks of training.

You will begin your career with 9 weeks of training specialising in working with children and young people in custody.

This training ensures you are fully equipped and ready for an operational role. You will learn:

• How to de-escalate situations, and, if necessary, safely restrain children and young people using Managing and Minimising Physical Restraint (MMPR) techniques.
• All aspects of working in youth custody from security to policy.
• Practical skills – whether that be locking doors or de-escalating an incident – with support from trainers.
• Youth specific interventions including motivational interviewing, restorative justice and trauma informed approaches so you can use them confidently.

Training is likely to take place away from your home unless you have a training centre near you. You will receive full pay and expenses. At the end of the training, you will be awarded a NVQ Level 3 qualification.

As part of the youth justice worker role, you must complete a Level 4 Child, Young Person and Family Practitioner apprenticeship. You will learn about speech, language and communication needs, and the essential skills for child protection and safeguarding. You will be given time, support and technology to help you balance your working duties. All studies are fully funded.

Eligibility

To be able to apply via this scheme you must:

• be a directly employed OSG, appointed through open and fair competition;
• have passed your six-month probation period; and
• not be subject to any formal procedures which remove you from the avenue of promotion or having direct prisoner supervision.

If you are employed on a fixed term contract basis, then you must have completed six months effective service.

In addition, as per external prison officer recruitment, you will be ineligible to apply if you have been unsuccessful at the online assessment centre or had three failed attempts at the medical and fitness assessment within the last six months.

To become a prison officer or youth justice worker, you will need to:

• be at least 18 years old;
• have the right to work in the UK;
• be reasonably fit and able to pass our fitness test;
• have good eyesight in both eyes (both with and without corrective lenses);
• have a suitable standard of hearing (without the use of hearing aids); and be able to speak with confidence in English or (when specified in Wales) Welsh.

To work in a high security prison (category A) you must have been a resident in the UK for the last 3 years.

If applying for a youth justice worker role, you also need to show you have the skills to work with children and young people.

Essential skills

You don’t need qualifications to become a prison officer or youth justice worker. Personal qualities are more important. You need to show:

• good communication and influencing skills;
• commitment to quality;
• effective decision-making; and
• care and understanding.

If applying for a youth justice worker role, you also need to show you have the skills to work with children and young people.

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Disability, accessibility and special requirements

We welcome and encourage applications from all candidates and are committed to supporting all candidates to take part in the recruitment process. This includes supporting individuals who have a disability by making reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process. We are also able to provide support to candidates who require adjustments to the assessment process due to more temporary difficulties (e.g. linked to a recent injury).

We will ask you within your application form if you would like to request reasonable adjustments. If you feel you require any kind of support and/or would like to discuss this with someone, please indicate ‘yes’ to requesting reasonable adjustments within the application form. Please also review the additional information provided in the application form which relate specifically to the assessments used as part of the recruitment process.

There are a range of disabilities such as physical, neurological, intellectual or learning difficulties and mental health conditions which may underpin candidates’ requests for reasonable adjustments. We understand that the support requested will be unique to every candidate and we will work with you to help you to identify your individual requirements.

We make reasonable adjustments so that all candidates are given a fair opportunity to undertake the recruitment process. Therefore, disclosing information regarding your disability or access requirements will have no impact on the outcome of your application, regardless of your request or the role you have applied to. For some job roles (e.g. prison officer), if you inform us of a disability/access requirement which could impact your ability to meet the required standards of the role (e.g. eyesight/fitness requirements) we will explore this further with you.

How we can support you

There are many types of reasonable adjustments that can be made during assessment processes, and the type or combination you choose to request will depend on your individual requirements.

Examples of some types of adjustments include:

• Extra time to complete assessments
• Providing a break within an assessment
• Additional time between assessments
• Providing interview questions in a written format as well as orally
• An assessment at a certain time of day where possible (e.g. morning or afternoon)
• Coloured overlays/filters or different fonts for assessment materials

This is not intended to be an exhaustive list but rather some examples.

Whilst we aim to confirm all adjustments requested, there may be occasions where this isn’t possible. For example, if a candidate were to request that they are not assessed on a specific behaviour outlined in the job advert this would not be possible because the behaviour has been identified as important for the job role and all candidates are assessed against this criteria. If an adjustment cannot be provided, the reasons for this will be explained to you during your contact with the reasonable adjustment scheme team.

Help with your application

During the application process, we will ask you if you require reasonable adjustments. It is important you tell us as early as possible if you would like to request reasonable adjustments so that the recruitment process runs smoothly for you.

If you do decide during the process that you do require adjustments and you have not completed all of your assessments, please contact SSCL in advance of your next assessment using the contact details below.

Can I stay in the same establishment that I am now working?

You will be asked to provide two preferred establishments to take up post. Wherever possible, we will allocate you your first choice.

Can I apply for both prison officer and youth justice worker roles?

Yes. You will be asked to provide two preferred establishments to take up post. Wherever possible, we will allocate to your first choice.

Do I get priority over people who have applied from outside of HMPPS?

Yes. As a civil servant you will be given priority for vacancies over those applying via external campaigns.

Do I need my manager’s approval before I apply?

No. You do not need your manager’s approval to apply.

What will happen to my current role if I don’t succeed?

If you try for a prison officer or youth justice worker role and your application is unsuccessful, absolutely nothing will change to your current OSG role.

I am employed on a fixed term contract – can I apply?

Yes. You can apply if you were recruited through fair and open competition and have completed six months effective service.

I am working in HMPPS through an agency – can I apply?

No. You need to be employed as a civil servant to apply through this scheme which is open to existing employees only. We would welcome your application to become a prison officer or youth justice worker but you need to apply through a campaign that is advertised externally. Please visit our website at to find jobs available to external applicants.

I only work part time – can I apply?

Yes, you can apply if you meet the eligibility criteria above.

I’m not 18 years old yet, can I apply?

Yes. You need to be 18 at the point which you take up post.

I am currently subject to a formal disciplinary procedure which removes me from the avenue of promotion, can I apply?

No. You are ineligible to apply.

As a result of a formal disciplinary procedure I am not allowed to have direct prisoner supervision, can I apply?

No. You are ineligible to apply.

Do I get time off to attend the online assessment centre?

Yes. Your establishment should free you up to attend through juggling shifts and time off in lieu (TOIL).

Do I get time off to attend the medical and fitness assessment and will my travel costs be covered?

Yes. Your establishment should free you up to attend through juggling shifts and time off in lieu (TOIL). Your travel to and from the centre should be paid either through a claim for mileage or tickets booked through the central booking system in line with travel and subsistence policy.

What will I be paid?

Your pay will be calculated as a promotion in line with HMPPS pay policy and you will move to the appropriate spine point. You will also be entitled to any additional payments operating at the prison to which you are appointed.

When would I start in the new role?

You could be in training as early as November.

I am on legacy/closed T&Cs. If I am successful at ARC, how will my pay and pensions be affected on promotion?

For promotions from closed grades, earnings for staff will never reduce (and will almost always increase) unless your working hours are reduced or you lose an allowance (excluding local pay allowances) or bespoke payment which is not payable in F&S or factored into promotion calculations. See NTS 35-2018 for more information.

I recently attended the OAC and was successful, can I have my result transferred across?

Yes. You need to apply for fast track and then email us at PrisonsResourcing-Projects@justice.gov.uk to have your result transferred across.

I recently applied for an external prison officer campaign but failed the online tests, can I apply?

Yes. You can apply.

I recently attended the OAC but was unsuccessful, can I apply?

If you were unsuccessful at the OAC more than six months ago, you can apply. If you were unsuccessful at the OAC less than six months ago, you can’t apply.

I recently had three failed attempts at the medical and fitness assessment, can I apply?

If your third failed attempt at the medical and fitness assessment was more than six months ago, you can apply. If your third failed attempt at the medical and fitness assessment was less than six months ago, you can’t apply.

Where can I find out more about what it’s really like to be a prison officer?

Try our activity to see if the prison officer role is right for you.

Where can I find out more about what it’s really like to be a youth justice worker?

Try our activity to see if the youth justice worker role is right for you.

I have a question that isn't included in this FAQ document, what should I do?

You can email your question to: PrisonsResourcing-Projects@justice.gov.uk