HM Prison and Probation Service
202607: Prison Officer - HMP Deerbolt
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202607: Prison Officer - HMP Deerbolt
Prison Officer – HMP Deerbolt
Location: HMP Deerbolt, Bowes Rd, Barnard Castle, DL12 9BG Starting Salary: £36,816 (39-hour week incl. 20% unsocial hours) Region: North East England Vacancy Type: Merit Closing Date: 23rd July 2026
About the Role
An opportunity to make a difference while being part of a incredible team that helps shape people’s futures. This is more than just a job—this is a chance to protect the public and support prisoners’ reform.
Key Responsibilities
Prison Officers have a unique role in society that will bring variety and challenge to every day:
- Givepeacekeepers – Quick*thinking and *decisive action essential to maintain order
- Counsellor – Providing support and guidance to prisoners to help them make positive changes
- Educator – Mentoring and developing life skills to reduce reoffending
- Influencer – Inspiring prisoners to rebuild their lives and contribute positively to society
- Team leader – Promoting unity and collaboration amongst colleagues
You’ll build rapport with prisoners to understand their needs, take prompt action to manage risks, and work closely with colleagues to maintain a lawful, safe, and secure environment.
Opportunities
An extraordinary role unlike other routes you can explore.
- Fast-track career: This can be your first step into an exciting civilian career, or the first rung on the ladder of an established prison service career.
- Train to practice qualification: you can use the training to begin working towards a degree in Penology and Criminology.
- Freedom to explore: On completion of training, promote internally whilst continuing to work with prisoners. Alternatively, transfer to other agencies such as probation (commencing a possible probation career) or other programmes. For organisations like the MoD, Police and others.
- Development, learning and support: We provide a variety of staff development, training and learning programmes. An introduction to mentoring, leadership, business management, welfare and health is available via tailored learning opportunities for your career development. Open access courses are readily available for free.
The unique opportunities are influenced by the makeup of an average day’s work, tying in with the diverse backgrounds, differing interests and different motivations that people bring to work.
Eligibility
To qualify for this critical national role, applicants must meet the following essential requirements:
Age and Education
- Serious applicants normally have no formal education requirements other than GCSE (grades 9-4 or A-C) in English, Maths and Science.
- However, all applicants without exception will be assessed against areas such as excellent communication skills, judgement, honesty, fairness, team leadership and organisational skills during the recruitment process.
If you feel a mismatch between your history and the required outcome, we are instructing you to book a call to discuss the assessment and how we can accommodate detail elsewhere.
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Health and Fitness
The job requires physical exertion, short bursts of running, walking or cycling while maintaining direction, for a sustained period, whilst cruising through densely populated environments.
You will be required to undertake a medical and fitness test, including:
- Eyesight Test: Crown Vision Standard without glasses or contact lenses (5.1).
- Hearing: Without hearing aids
- Height: Adults must stand a minimum of 4½ feet 6 inches (137 cm) in height (unless appeal accepted).
Security Clearance (Absolutely Critical)
All applicants will undergo a thorough security and criminal record check, including:
- Attempted criminal history arising through local police checks.
- Requirements for yearly DSC vetting checks.
Travel and Location
Due to the job’s nature, you will often work unsocial hours, weekends, and work in geographically diverse locations. You may need to consider ownership (if applicable) of reliable transportation, but this is not mandatory unless specified.
Please review the housing market and public transport links in DL12 regarding arrangements during shift working prior to submitting your application.
Direct transport is helpful, although current notices suggest that all HMP officers will need to review adequate daily commuting arrangements upon approval.
Requirements
Commitment to integrity and fairness is critical to all aspects of the job and marks out officers for whom the role has been specifically created.
Key Qualities We Look For
- Empathy: Relating to prisoners experiencing difficult circumstances.
- Empowerment: Offering encouragement and optimism to those seeking to turn their lives around outside prison walls.
- Motivation and Impact: Closing gaps between opportunity and achievement for prisoners themselves as well as the wider community.
Rather than expecting prior experience, our ability to say “the world needs more remarkable people like you” is key.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Civil Service and the HM Prison and Probation Service welcome employees from all walks of life. We guard against any discrimination by further promoting fair treatment of all individuals and welcome applications from all diverse applicants, including those with disabilities and supporting their accommodations.
Actionable adjustments like extended test time, telework support during interviews, and disability-friendly multilingual support where feasible are applicable.
Salaries & Hours
The starting salary is £36,816 (for a 39-hour week including 20% unsocial hours allowance).
Future eligibility rewards increased shifts to 37, 39, or 41 hours:
- 37 Hours/Year (3 x £34,928)
- 39 Hours/Year (3 x £36,816)
- 41 Hours/Year (3 x £39,334)
Others Shifts
- Some weekends
- Days
- Night shifts
Benefits
Apart from an engaging role, you will also get:
🔹 **25 days of holiday per year ((rising to 30 after 10 years) 🔹 Extra Privilege Day (SPF) 🔹 Civil Service Pension (28.97% employer contribution) 🔹 Availability of the Cycle to Work Scheme, Health & Wellbeing support credit, Travel Loans
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Further details here
Assessment Process
1. Applications
All initial applications will be assessed on what we know as the established competition, ‘merit.’
2. Online Tests
Comprised of two mandatory sections:
- Stage 1: Tests numeracy for quick decision-making processes
- Stage 2: Values-based assessment (annotated as valuable skills through each stage)
If screening failed on Stage 2, consider completing assessments within 6 months before re-application is required.
Alternatively: Share Direct Focus Expertise for consolidation on tried and tested assessment tools
3. Assessment Centre
After passing preliminary checks, you’ll move to an Online Assessment Centre (OAC).
Strengths and abilities—they are your ticket:
🔹 Communicating and influencing 🔹 Managing quality service 🔹 Effective decision-making 🔹 The core of care
An A in assessments leads to a merit list where:
- *Stations Offer "It’s still good every day, and it’s not ruined."
- Interview scheduling extended up to 12 months as the application is available. Meet all criteria thereafter.
Author’s Note: If inappropriate links uncomfortable exploration, one authentic alternative can be found elsewhere.
Operational Support Grade (OSG) Role Option
During placement on existing OAC, bargaining on specialization to other voluntary roles such as an Operational Support Grade lasts up to 6 months should you opt for specialized humanities or relevant existing past military skills in securing the benefit of the selected field.
Medical and Fitness Assessment
Once you’re selected, pass mandatory medical tests, which include:
- Vision (individual threshold)
- Hearing ability
- General fitness
Before you appear, all tests must be conducted from embodying within UK premises.
How to go about it? Appointment Aim:
🔹 Book Appointment via the candidate information centre
Veteran Support Scheme
A vigorous effort is made to aim toward high level invites for former military personnel.
Guided details: Visit Here
Post-Unemployment Screening
If Particular Roles consider techniques that compromises maximum potential capabilities — potechn振り and alternative design relocation education.
Available via interview procedure consultation for ("assisted" based excess candidates in process upon application heat-inquiries). >>>(( Both)***
Job Contact Support
✉️ Email: MoJ-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com ⏰ Time: Monday-Friday (8 AM – 6 PM)
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Please mention Job Reference No. 19410
Dukes additional reference support at any stage while extending support to amateurs falling out by constraints or secret problem leads.
:::starting-end-comments: The job will close date on 23 July 2026:::
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