Prison Custody Officer (PCO)

Package Description

£23,268 per annum with incremental increases rising to a £26,500 at 4 years’ service. Excellent benefits including free meals and parking, group discount schemes and pension with 28 days holiday (inclusive of Bank Holidays).

40 hour shift pattern working week, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays.

Sodexo reserves the right to close this advert early if we are in receipt of a high number of applications.

Job Introduction

Great Prison Custody Officers (PCOs) are key to the smooth running of our prisons.  They have an important role to play in supporting prisoners with their rehabilitation and creating a positive and safe environment.

What makes a great PCO?

We’re looking for people who will be a natural fit for the job.  Background and experience are not important. It’s the kind of person you are that matters. We can teach you the rest.

• Are you responsible, reliable and good at building trust with others?
• Are you the sort of person who:
• Is reliable, true to your word and can always be depended on to get things done?
• Always treats others fairly and with respect?  Are you able to see past bad behaviour and start each day afresh?
• Is quick to notice things, such as changes in people’s moods or when something isn’t quite right?
• Is consistent – people know where they stand with you.  Do you stick to the important rules (or if not you have very good reasons not to)?
• Can easily connect and talk to all sorts of people from different backgrounds on their level?
• Is straightforward and ‘tell it as it is’?
• Helps others out including helping people find ways to help themselves?
• Keeps calm under pressure

Recruitment process:

• Full completion of application form on Sodexo careers website by 1st July 2021. (You must have completed the online questionnaire and have a CV uploaded or your application will automatically be rejected)
• Start Date of Training Courses: 
  • 21 June 2021
  • 2nd August 2021

You will be required to complete a mandatory 7 week training course.  No annual leave can be taken during this period.

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

Main Responsibilities

What’s the job like?

You might be working on a main wing with a team of other PCOs responsible for prisoners.  Your role will involve everything from managing the regular prison routines, (locking & unlocking, supervising meals and recreation time to escorting people to prison work and education). You’ll need to deal with the more challenging aspects of prison life such as abusive and violent behaviour. You’ll be working with all sorts of prisoners including those on long sentences, people convicted of serious crime and vulnerable individuals.

The Ideal Candidate

Why be a PCO?

People enjoy it for many reasons.  Some enjoy the variety and challenge of working with very different people and dealing with all sorts of issues. Others get a buzz from seeing the prisoners improve and progress (however small the changes).

Many PCOs appreciate the security and stability of the regular work routines. Others appreciate shift patterns, which allow them flexibility to carry out their responsibilities outside of work.

In this role you will be required to write reports and use IT systems and software packages independently. Basic skills are required but training will be given as part of induction and ongoing development.

As a requirement to meet the standard in becoming a Custody and Detention PCO, functional skills levels will need to be met. If you cannot prove you have Maths and English grade C or above, or the equivalent of, you will be required to take tests as part of the selection process.

You may be required to complete a 12 month apprenticeship and upon successful completion, you will achieve a Level 3 standard in Detention and Custody that is recognised nationally in the field, along with a salary increase

About The Company

In the UK and Ireland, Sodexo employs around 30,000 people, and partners with clients in many sectors across business and industry; schools and universities; sports and leisure; energy and resources; government and agencies; healthcare; justice and defence.

Sodexo’s connected; people-centric approach brings together a diverse range of expertise. The breadth of services it offers ranges from food and hospitality; cleaning; reception; concierge (Circles); security; property management and technical services through to data driven workplace strategy and design (Wx); employee engagement and recognition services (Sodexo Engage) and personal home services through Prestige Nursing + Care and the Good Care Group.

Vital Spaces is Sodexo’s value proposition that puts people at the heart of everything we do, bringing together services and solutions and focusing on the productivity and wellbeing of people wherever they are.

Sodexo is committed to being an inclusive employer; we welcome and encourage applications from people with a diverse variety of experiences, backgrounds and identities.

We’re a Disability Confident Leader employer. We’re committed to changing attitudes towards disability, and making sure disabled people have the chance to fulfil their aspirations.

We are building on our support to the Armed Forces community through the development of specific pathways within our recruitment process to  support ex-forces personnel and reservists, those applying for jobs with us who meet the ideal candidate criteria for the role advertised are guaranteed to progress to the selection process

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 5 years’ worth of references and request employment history details from the HMRC.