FAQs for Prison Officer Application: Working Hours, Benefits, Online Tests, Training, Lecture notes of Communication

Download FAQs for Prison Officer Application: Working Hours, Benefits, Online Tests, Training and more Lecture notes Communication in PDF only on Docsity! Applying to be a prison officer: frequently asked questions What will my working hours be? What will I be paid? What benefits am I entitled to as a prison officer? Pension scheme Annual Leave Bank, public and privilege holidays Work life balance Childcare Voucher scheme Season Ticket Loan Cycle to Work scheme Exclusive discounts Employee Assistance Programme GAYE - Give As You Earn Prison Service Sports Association (PSSA) What qualifications do I need? What happens when I apply? What will I be assessed on during my application? What is involved in the online tests? What happens at the Recruitment Assessment Day (RAD)? What do I need to do to prepare for the fitness tests? What training will I get? What is involved in the Prison Officer Entry Level Training course? Do I have to wear a uniform? What will my working hours be? Prison officers can opt to work either a 37, 39 or 41 hour week. You will work on a rolling shift pattern, usually of 39 hours, which includes some nights and some weekends and some public and bank holidays (any public or bank holidays you work will be added to your annual leave allowance – find out more below). Your salary will be dependent on the number of hours you work. You will have the opportunity to work overtime in certain circumstances. Work life balance options such as part time hours and job shares are also available, subject to completion of your 10-week full-time POELT course and Induction. What will I be paid? Your pay will depend on a number of factors, including the number of hours you work and your establishment. The national starting salary for a prison officer working shifts and 39 hours per week is £21,326. If you choose to work shifts and 41 hours per week, the starting salary is £23,052. You will also be entitled to a wide range of benefits. You can find out more below. What benefits am I entitled to as a prison officer? Pension scheme Employees are automatically enrolled into a Civil Service Pension Scheme. If you choose to join this scheme, you may contribute an average of 5.45% of salary depending on your earnings and we will make an average of 18% employer contribution. http://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/ Annual Leave Annual leave starting at 25 days per year rising to 30 days per year after 10 years’ service. Bank, public and privilege holidays Although prisons operate 24/7 and you will be expected to work on some public and bank holidays, you are still able to enjoy these 9 additional holidays and they will be added to your annual leave entitlement. Work life balance The Prison Service is keen to encourage alternative working arrangements. Work life balance provides greater opportunities for staff to work more flexibly wherever managers and establishments can accommodate requests to do so. Requests for flexible working are subject to completion of your 10-week POELT course, which must be completed full time. Childcare Voucher scheme If you are a parent and have parental responsibility for a child living with you aged up to 15 (16 if your child has a disability) you could make savings on childcare costs by using our childcare voucher scheme. You will be able to deduct the cost of purchasing childcare vouchers from your earnings before tax and National insurance is deducted. What training will I get? You will complete a 10-week prison officer entry level training (POELT) course before you begin your role. During the course new officers will be required to complete the SFJ Level 3 Diploma in the management and care of individuals in the custodial environment. What is involved in the Prison Officer Entry Level Training course? Prison officer training is 12 weeks in duration; 10 weeks of that is the POELT course and weeks 1 and 12 are hosted by the home establishment. Week 1 provides new officers with the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the establishment layout, the role of the establishment and the work they will be expected to carry-out after training. Week 2 – 11 is formal training which is delivered at one of a number of training sites across England and Wales, this is known as Prison Officer Entry Level Training (POELT). On successful completion of the formal training new officers will return to their establishment for week 12 where they will have a consolidation week, this gives them the opportunity to apply the learning from formal training. The course combines a mixture of theory and practice based classroom and dojo activities, each session within the course aims to give new officers a knowledge and understanding of the following: · Health and safety responsibilities · Organisational, legal and moral responsibility to those in custody · Communication and interpersonal skills · Safer custody in custodial environments · Offending behaviour and methods for reducing re-offending · Operating safely · Operating securely · Recording and reporting · Use of force · Searching individuals · Escorting · Pro-social behaviour in working relationships with individuals New Officers are continually assessed during the course using a range of different practical and written assessment methods. All assessments are designed to test skills and to check knowledge, for example the practical assessments aim to demonstrate competence in: · Radio procedures and urgent message · Rub down searching · Full search · Cell searching · Handcuff · Accommodation Fabric check · Roll checks · Locking and unlocking During the course new officers will be required to complete the SFJ Level 3 Diploma in the management and care of individuals in the custodial environment. The main objective of this qualification is to provide them with the knowledge, and many of the skills, required to work in custodial environments. It is a requirement that they complete this qualification during the POELT course in order to take up full duties as a Prison Officer. In order to gain the qualification they must successfully complete: · a written final summative assessment paper (knowledge & scenario based questioning) · 12 knowledge-based work books (Level 3 qualification) · a range of practical skills assessments (Level 3 qualification) · use of force - theory and practical (Level 3 qualification) · demonstrating and maintaining professional standards They are also required to complete the following: · work with others to produce a work based project · a weekly personal development journal · a range of personal reflection records Do I have to wear a uniform? Yes, you will be provided with a uniform.