487 - Operational Support Grade - HMP Nottingham (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. Unlike our prison officers, your contact with offenders is limited, although depending on the particular prison you may interact with offenders occasionally.
You don’t need any qualifications to do this job. Helping to keep a prison running smoothly and safely requires good judgement, common sense, responsibility and, above all, teamwork.
In addition to your base pay, you will receive:
annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after 10 years’ service (calculated on a pro-rata basis)
9 days bank, public and privilege holidays, The salary figures quoted are for a 37 hour working week inclusive of a 17% unsocial hours working allowance and any additional market supplement payment that will only be paid at certain locations.
Hours
You will work an average of 37 hours per week and most prisons work with a changing shift pattern which can include working some nights, weekends and public holidays (these days are added to your holiday allowance). For an example of the shift times that you could be working please visit our website www.prisonsupportroles.co.uk
Responsibilities, activities and duties
You will be flexibly deployed to perform operational roles across the prison as required. Responsibilities, activities and duties are likely to include:
gate/portal duties: ensure the secure entry and exit of staff, visitors, vehicles; carry out searches of staff, prisoners, visitors, contractors and vehicles; issue and collect staff keys/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 their arrival, escort them if required
censors/correspondence: monitor/log mail and report any illicit or contraband items, maintaining the preservation of evidence
night duties: ensure cell doors are locked/secure and all prisoners are safely accounted for
reception: assist in supporting appropriate 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, maintaining 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, responding appropriately to invoke emergency procedures and the actions required in relation to incidents
How to apply
Stage 1
Tell us about yourself
Click apply and fill in your personal details on our application form
Take a short online test
When you apply, you will receive an email with detailed instructions on how to take our online test. This is a behaviour-based assessment that assesses whether you have the right natural strengths and behavioural preferences to become an Operational Support Grade. You will complete a series of mini-tasks that are designed to elicit your natural behavioural preferences (e.g. how you naturally tend to make decisions). Whilst the tasks themselves aren’t set in the context of the role, they are designed to observe the behaviours that are most important for the role. This will take around 40 minutes to complete, but there is no time limit.
You don’t need to be a gamer to do well on this test. We’re just looking for your natural ability to succeed in the role.
Before you take the real test, we recommend taking a practice assessment through our Firefly Freedom mobile app. This will help prepare you for the real test.
Download the practice test onto your mobile device by clicking one of the below links. You will need the code ADJT to take the test.
Android Download , iOS Download
Stage 2
If you pass the test, we’ll invite you for an interview.
If you pass the test, we’ll invite you for an interview. Due to the current Covid-19 restrictions the interview may be conducted in a digital format using Skype or similar applications, we will confirm the arrangements with you in the interview invite.
At the interview we will assess you against the following Success Profile behaviours -
Communicating and Influencing
Delivering at Pace
Managing a Quality Service, We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Delivering at Pace
+ Making Effective Decisions
+ Managing a Quality Service, + 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 with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
+ 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 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
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are taking measure to ensure both candidate and staff safety, as a result, some prisons are now conducting on-line pre-recorded video interviews. All details will be sent to you before your interview.
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.
For more information please visit our website: www.prisonsupportroles.co.uk
Job offers: ‘merit’ vacancy
This is a ‘merit’ job vacancy. If you are successful at the interview you will be added to a merit list based on your score.
When all applicants have completed the assessment, the prison will make job offers to those with the highest scores first when positions become available.
You can stay on the merit list for 12 months. After this, you’ll need to apply again.
The jobholder must be able to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English or (when specified in Wales) Welsh.
Allowance Details
In addition you will receive 17% unsocial working allowance. This has been included in the salary figures quoted.
Working for the Civil Service
A Great Place to Work for Veterans’
The ‘Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans’ initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order
1- To Shared Service Connected Ltd (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com);
2- To Ministry of Justice Resourcing (resourcing-services@justice.gov.uk);
3- To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)
We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.
Disability support
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.
You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team.

access to a paid Level 2 apprenticeship in customer service
access to the generous Civil Service pension scheme
season ticket loans, retail discounts, an Employee Assistance Programme and a Cycle to Work scheme, Alongside your salary of £27,840, HM Prison & Probation Service contributes £8,065 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
• Access to learning and development
• A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
• A civil service pension
• Annual Leave
• Public Holidays
• Season Ticket Advance
For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.
Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ