19666 - Operational Support Grade - HMP Wetherby (Prison Support Role)

19666 - Operational Support Grade - HMP Wetherby (Prison Support Role)

As an Operational Support Grade, you will look after the day-to day running of a busy prison, working in a close knit team to carry out a range of support services - everything from patrol and gate duties, to managing deliveries, supervising visitors, and monitoring phone calls and CCTV. You will work shifts and nights to keep things running.

Benefits and Pay

• Annual leave: 25 days on appointment, increasing to 30 days after 10 years of service (pro rata)
• 9 days of bank, public and privilege holidays
• Paid Level 2 apprenticeship in customer service
• Generous Civil Service pension scheme
• Season ticket loans, retail discounts, Employee Assistance Programme and Cycle to Work scheme

The salary figures quoted are for a 37 hour working week inclusive of a 20% unsocial hours working allowance, which is included in the salary to reflect the requirement to work nights, evenings and weekend shifts.

Hours

You will work an average of 37 hours per week and this will include working night shifts, evenings, weekends and bank/public holidays (these days are added to your holiday allowance) on a rolling shift pattern. The frequency of night shifts will vary for each establishment and can be discussed at interview. For an example of the shift times that you could be working please visit our website.

Responsibilities

• Gate/portal duties: ensure secure entry and exit of staff, visitors, vehicles; carry out searches of staff, prisoners, visitors, contractors and vehicles; issue and collect staff keys and radios.
• Control room: operate the establishment radio system and monitor CCTV ensuring all suspicious activities are reported.
• Visits: book visits, identify and process visitors on arrival, escort them if required.
• Censors/correspondence: monitor and log mail, report any illicit or contraband items, maintain the preservation of evidence.
• Night duties: ensure cell doors are locked and all prisoners are safely accounted for.
• Reception: assist with support tasks in reception; photograph prisoners; collate documentation for the property process; search/x ray incoming prisoner property and parcels; receive items for prisoners and check all seals are intact on property storage.
• Prisoner supervision: supervise prisoners as required; undertake prisoner clothing/property exchange and assist officers with free flow movement.
• Food delivery: food trolley delivery and collection, which may involve the use of an electric tug vehicle.
• Driving duties: transport prisoners and their escort to their destination in the cellular vehicle; collect mail from local sorting office.
• Phone calls: monitor the Personal Identification Number (PIN) system, maintain the log of PIN phone requests from prisoners; complete all relevant paperwork keeping an audit trail of conversations; check that legal numbers are registered solicitors.
• Procedures and protocol: understand and conform to national and local policies, respond appropriately to invoke emergency procedures and the actions required in relation to incidents.

Success Profile Behaviours

• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

Interview Process

The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of behaviours and experience. The interview is the ideal opportunity to tell us more about yourself, your work history or personal experiences so we can get to know you better and assess how you will be suited to prison work.

Language Requirement

The job holder must be able to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English or (when specified in Wales) Welsh.

Merit List Policy

• This is a 'merit' job vacancy. If successful at interview you will be added to a merit list based on your score.
• Job offers will be made to those with the highest scores when positions become available.
• You can stay on the merit list for 12 months. After this, you'll need to apply again.

Processing Details

• Closing Date: 23rd July 2026
• Interview stage assessments: 1 interview stage for this vacancy.
• Behaviours assessed at sift and interview: Communicating and Influencing, Managing a Quality Service, Making Effective Decisions, Caring.

For more information please visit our website: