Prison Officer - HMP Woodhill

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

03-Sep-2026

Location

Milton Keynes

AO

Job ID

20629

Descriptions & requirements Prison officer - HMPWoodhill

Starting salary: £40,316(for a 39 hour weekinc 20% unsocial)

City/Town:Milton Keynes

Region:South 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 areunlikely to be sponsoredif 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 atgov.uk .

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

Due to the security status of this prison 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)

An extraordinary job. Done by someone like you.

Prison officers protect the public and help make an impact onprisoners' 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.

Someone like you

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.

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.

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 (see nationality requirements 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)

Whilst tattoos are permitted, including those that are visible, they must not be deemed as offensive, discriminatory, violent or intimidating in any way. Facial tattoos are generally not acceptable, except where this is for cultural, religious, or medical reasons.

Due to the security status of this prison 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)

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:

• UK nationals
• 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 of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSSon 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

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
• 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 = £38,428 a year
• 39 hours a week = £40,316 a year
• 41 hours a week = £42,834 a year

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

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). Most prisons work with a changing shift pattern of 39 hours a week.

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

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

• communicating and influencing
• managing a quality service
• 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.

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). We use this assessment to understand how well you demonstrate the values needed to be an effective prison officer.

If you successfully pass the Values Based Assessment (VBA), you'll be eligible to progress to the Online Assessment Centre (OAC), where we'll assess the behaviours, strengths and abilities needed to become a Prison Officer.

As demand for assessment places can vary, candidates who achieve a higher pre-determined VBA score may be invited to the OAC sooner. This approach is applied consistently and fairly to all applicants within the campaign.

If you meet the required VBA pass mark but are not selected for an initial invitation, you will remain under consideration and may be invited to attend an OAC as additional assessment capacity becomes available.

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)

On successful completion of the online test, we will invite you to an online assessment centre where we test to see if you have the abilities, behaviours and strengths to be a prison officer.

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:

• to return in the future
• taken a gap year before or following university
• travelled for a year
. click apply for full job details