202606: Prison Officer - HMP Deerbolt

Full Time, Part Time, Part Time/Job Share, Flexible Working

25-Jun-2026

Location: AO

Job ID: 18616

Descriptions & requirements

Prison officer - HMP Deerbolt

Starting salary: £35,875 (for a 39 hour week inc 20% unsocial)

City/Town: Darlington

Region: North East

Vacancy type: Merit

Sponsorship is not guaranteed, and applicants are responsible for ensuring they have, and can maintain, the appropriate right to work in the UK.

Skilled Worker visa sponsorship may be available for this role, subject to eligibility and in line with the UK Immigration Rules in force at the time of application. However, due to current immigration requirements and recruitment timescales, candidates who require Skilled Worker visa sponsorship are unlikely to be sponsored if applying to this campaign.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to consider their right to work in the UK carefully before applying. You can read more about Skilled Worker visas and eligibility criteria at gov.uk .

The Department will continue to comply with UK Immigration Rules applied in the UK and Civil Service.

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.

Who we're looking for

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, and everyone who works here safe. You will be required to work various shifts and some weekends.

Key responsibilities

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.

Requirements

To become a prison officer, you will need to:

• Be at least 18 years old at the point you commence employment
• Meet the Civil Service Nationality requirements
• Pass a medical and fitness assessment as part of the application process
• Meet the required eyesight standard in both eyes (with and without corrective lenses)
• Have a suitable standard of hearing (without the use of hearing aids)
• Maintain tattoos that are not offensive, discriminatory, violent or intimidating; facial tattoos not generally acceptable unless for cultural, religious or medical reasons
• For high security (Category A) prisons, have been a resident in the UK for the last 3 years

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.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• Nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• Nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members who have made a valid application for settled or pre settled status under the EUSS
• Individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Successful applicants must ensure they have and maintain the legal right to live and work in the Civil Service and in the United Kingdom.

Essential skills

• Communication and influencing skills
• Commitment to quality
• Care and understanding

Pay

The initial training is 37 hours a week. After training, you can choose to work 37, 39 or 41 hours a week. Your annual salary will reflect your weekly hours.

• 37 hours a week = £33,746 a year
• 39 hours a week = £35,875 a year
• 41 hours a week = £38,003 a year

All salary figures quoted include any additional allowances that are applicable to the role/location.

Benefits

• 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 with employer contributions of 28.97%
• Cycle to work scheme, travel loans and other benefits

Recruitment and assessment

During the recruitment process you will be assessed on the behaviours, strengths and abilities needed to become an effective prison officer. These include:

• Communicating and influencing
• Managing a quality service
• Numerical, written English and spoken English abilities

Online tests Once you have completed your initial application form, you will be invited to complete Stage 1 of the online test, to see if you have the basic judgement and numerical skills expected of a prison officer.

If you are successful, we will invite you to the Stage 2 online test (values based assessment). This assessment helps us understand how well you demonstrate the values needed to be an effective prison officer.

If you were unsuccessful at the Stage 2 online test in the last 6 months, you can now re apply.

The online assessment centre (OAC) will test to see if you have the abilities, behaviours and strengths to be a prison officer. Successful candidates are added to a merit list based on their 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. Candidates remain on the merit list for 12 months; after that you'll need to re apply. If your application is unsuccessful at the sift/assessment stage, a six month waiting period applies during which you will not be allowed to submit any further applications for prison officer positions.

Medical and fitness assessment

Once you identify a vacancy for you, you will be invited to complete a medical and fitness test. This will cover an eyesight test, hearing test and basic health screening, including a blood pressure check. We are not able to facilitate medical and fitness assessments outside of the UK; applicants will be required to attend a UK based medical and fitness assessment centre to progress your application.

EEO statement

This position is open to all UK nationals and residents, subject to the Nationality requirements section above, and is compliant with the Civil Service Equality and Diversity policy.

Closing date: 25th June 2026