First Time Prison Officer Recruitment Scheme

Role overview

This national recruitment scheme is for people taking on their first prison officer post and who are open to relocating. The role offers the chance to build a career in a busy prison environment, gaining broader experience than is often available in smaller establishments.

Applicants should note that sponsorship is not assured. Each candidate must make sure they already have, and can keep, the correct right to work in the UK. Skilled Worker visa sponsorship may be available only where eligibility rules are met, but due to current immigration requirements and hiring timelines, candidates who need sponsorship are unlikely to be supported through this campaign.

You are encouraged to review your right-to-work position carefully before applying. The department will continue to follow the immigration rules that apply to the UK Civil Service.

Relocation and placement

If you move more than 75 minutes away from where you currently live to join a prison, you may receive a stronger overall package: higher take-home pay, accommodation support for up to 23 months, and a paid monthly journey home.

You will be asked to select three or more prisons where you would be willing to work. Wherever possible, the hiring team will try to place you in one of those locations, but the final assignment will depend on where staffing need is greatest at the time.

After 23 months, you will be moved to a prison within daily commuting distance of your permanent home address.

Prison locations

Potential placements include prisons in Cowlinge, Onley, Startforth, Grove, Fortuneswell, Bovingdon, Griston, Clipsham, Eastchurch, Norwich, Upper Arncott, Erlestoke, Guy's Marsh, and Lichfield, across multiple regions of England.

What the role involves

Prison officers help keep the public safe while also supporting prisoners to make positive changes in their lives. The work is active, varied, and fast-moving, with no two shifts being the same.

In a single day, you might be required to act as a peacekeeper, guide, mentor, or teacher. The role involves direct interaction with prisoners in a highly secure environment, with a strong focus on safety, professionalism, and positive influence.

You will work as part of a team and need to support colleagues while helping maintain the safety of prisoners, staff, and the wider prison environment.

Working pattern

This is a shift-based position. You will be required to work a variety of shifts, including some weekends. Prisons run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so schedules may include evenings, nights, weekends, and public holidays. Public holidays are added to your holiday allowance.

Fixed start and finish times apply, so reliable transport planning is important. A driving licence and your own transport can help, especially where prisons are in rural areas, but they are not mandatory unless stated for a specific site.

Additional paid hours may sometimes be available.

Pay and financial support

Pay depends on the prison location and your weekly hours. The quoted salaries are based on a 37-hour contract during your initial training period. After training, you can choose to increase your hours to 39 or 41 per week.

For a 37-hour week including unsocial hours allowance, starting salaries are:

• £33,746 at HMP Deerbolt, HMP Erlestoke, HMP Guys Marsh, HMP Norwich, HMP Onley, HMP Portland, HMP Swinfen Hall, HMP The Verne, and HMP Wayland
• £35,746 at HMP Highpoint, HMP Stocken, and HMP The Mount
• £37,247 at HMP Bullingdon and HMP Elmley

Prisons marked with an asterisk also receive a separate market supplement allowance, which is paid only at those sites.

When you transfer to another prison after the first 23 months, your pay will be adjusted to match that prison’s rate.

In addition, the scheme includes accommodation support of up to £750 per month for up to 23 months, reimbursement for one monthly trip from your deployed prison to the prison nearest your home, and a recruitment and retention bonus of £1,500 after the first 12-month period and again after the 23-month period.

Benefits

• 25 days of annual leave, increasing to 30 days after 10 years of service
• paid time off for public holidays plus one additional privilege day
• Civil Service pension contributions of up to 20% of salary
• cycle to work scheme, travel loans, and other staff benefits

Who this role suits

This opportunity may suit people from many different backgrounds, including parents, teachers, retail workers, armed forces veterans, and those who naturally enjoy working with people. The key qualities are empathy, confidence, resilience, and the ability to communicate clearly.

You should be comfortable building constructive, professional relationships with prisoners, including people who may be at a very low point in their lives.

Eligibility and requirements

To become a prison officer, you must be at least 18 years old when employment begins and meet the Civil Service nationality rules. You also need to pass medical and fitness assessments because the work is physically active.

A suitable standard of eyesight is required in both eyes, with and without corrective lenses. For safety reasons, trainee prison officers also need adequate hearing without the use of hearing aids.

No formal qualifications are needed. The employer is looking for personal qualities and practical strengths rather than academic credentials.

The role is broadly open to UK nationals, Irish nationals, Commonwealth nationals with the right to work in the UK, certain EU/Swiss/Norwegian/Icelandic/Liechtenstein nationals and their eligible family members under the EUSS, some people with qualifying EUSS-related leave, and certain Turkish nationals and family members with Civil Service work rights.

Assessment process

The recruitment process evaluates behaviours, strengths, numerical ability, and written and spoken English.

You will first complete an online application and then take stage 1 of the online test, which checks basic judgement and numerical reasoning. If successful, you will move to stage 2, a values-based assessment. Candidates who were unsuccessful at stage 2 in the previous six months may apply again.

Successful candidates are then invited to an online assessment centre, where abilities, behaviours, and strengths are reviewed. After that, you will complete medical and fitness testing, including eyesight, hearing, and basic health checks such as blood pressure.

Merit process and hiring rules

This is a merit-based vacancy. If you pass the online assessment centre, your name will be placed on a merit list according to your score. When vacancies become available, job offers are made to the highest-scoring candidates first.

You can remain on the merit list for 12 months. After that, you must apply again. A successful assessment centre pass remains valid for 12 months if you apply for other prison officer vacancies.

If your application is unsuccessful at sift or interview stage, you must wait six months before submitting another prison officer application.

Equality, conduct, and support

The Civil Service Code sets the standards expected of civil servants. Recruitment is carried out on the basis of merit, fairness, and open competition.

The employer encourages applications from people of all backgrounds and aims to reflect the wider society it serves. The organisation promotes diversity, inclusion, wellbeing, and a workplace where people feel respected and that they belong.

As a Disability Confident employer, reasonable adjustments can be requested during the recruitment process and in the workplace. Support is available for online tests and the online assessment centre.

Complaints process

If you believe the recruitment process has not followed the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, a formal complaint can be raised in this order: Shared Services Connected Ltd, Ministry of Justice Resourcing, and then the Civil Service Commission. Shared Services Connected Ltd can be contacted on 0345 241 5358, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm, or by email at Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com.