Prisoner Custody Officer (PCO)

Job Introduction

It takes a special kind of person to be a Prisoner Custody Officer and it could be someone like you.

We don’t expect you to come with experience of working in prisons, as we will provide a full nine week training course to equip you with the knowledge and skills required to make a difference in your new role.

HMP Bronzefield is the UK’s only privately-managed female only prison and the largest of its kind in Europe.  Join us and you’ll be part of Sodexo’s Justice Services; we’re a leading provider of rehabilitative custodial services and along with the opportunities that offers, you’ll be able to take a real pride in changing lives for the better through reducing re-offending and risk of harm, and transforming the futures of prisoners under your supervision

Role Responsibility

You’ll develop and change lives

As a Prison Custody Officer (PCO), you’ll play an integral role in maintaining a safe and secure environment for staff, prisoners and visitors alike. As well as supporting your team in ensuring the smooth running of the prison, you’ll build the kind of relationships with offenders that will encourage them to change their attitude, behaviours and prospects.

You’ll be working with individuals with a broad range of personal experiences and complex problems, with many at risk of causing themselves or others harm. This means you’ll need to be understanding and compassionate, acting as a role model to motivate and inspire individuals to take control of their own rehabilitation.

You’ll also need to be passionate about delivering high-quality service and care, and be ready to handle challenging situations with diplomacy and confidence. Most of all, we’re looking for people with a positive attitude, and the ability to act with empathy, as well as authority.

This means you’ll be able to contribute through:

• Maintaining effective supervision and control of prisoners, ensuring that all prisoners are accounted for throughout the day
• Working closely with prisoners on a day-to-day basis, playing an active role in the custody, sentence management and rehabilitations, drafting reports as required
• Promoting a number of positive procedures, strategies and schemes, including: anti-bullying, prisoner incentives and earned privileges, suicide and self-harm prevention, violence reduction, anti-drugs, health and safety
• Ensuring that all prisoners have access to purposeful activities , and play an active role in delivering rehabilitation programmes
• Responding to incidents when necessary and staying up to date on contingency plans

The Ideal Candidate

What you’ll bring to the team

We’ll invest in you with a comprehensive training programme to provide you with the skills to make a difference and develop professionally. If you also have the following attributes then you could be a valuable addition to our team:

• High level of interpersonal skills, including assertiveness and self-motivation
• Good level of numeracy and literacy
• Demonstrable experience in a challenging environment where attention to detail is vital
• Proactivity, great organisation and communication skills
• Excellent listening skills and a professional attitude
• Reliability, punctuality and an understanding of good standards
• A good level of fitness

Please note: initial communication will be via email, please monitor your junk and spam folders to ensure you are aware of next stage requirements.

Recruitment process

•Full completion of application form on Sodexo careers website by 04 June 2017 (online questionnaire, CV uploaded and contact details)

•Fitness test (bleep test level 5.4):  17 June 2017

•Face to Face interview: 22 June to 27 June 2017

•Start Date of course: 04 September 2017 (You are required to complete a mandatory 9 week training course, no annual leave can be taken during this time)

•Number of Jobs Available – 30.

Dates could be subject to change.

Package Description

£21,281.25 per annum + recurring £287.75 monthly London Weighting. Salary will increase by £500 after successful completion of a mandatory 9 week training course and then by a further £500 upon completion of 6 month probation period.

There is also a £4,500 allowance.

Excellent benefits including personal and professional development opportunities, season ticket loans, free meals, free parking, subsidised gym membership, group discount schemes, pension and 28 days holiday.

Flexible and part time hours also available.

Please note: initial communication will be via email, please monitor your junk and spam folders to ensure you are aware of next stage requirements.

About the Company

In the UK and Ireland, Sodexo employs some 35,000 employees to deliver integrated facilities management services to clients at over 2,000 locations in the corporate, healthcare, education, leisure, defence and justice sectors. With an annual turnover of over £1bn, we provide everything from catering, cleaning and reception to security, laboratory and grounds maintenance services, enabling our clients to focus on their core business.

Sodexo and our clients are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults within a regulated activity. Certain roles will require applicants to undergo screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and/ or Disclosure Scotland.

Please note all roles within Sodexo Justice are subject to security and recruitment checks which may include a Social Media Check. You will also be asked to provide 3 years’ worth of references and request employment history details from the HMRC.