HM Prison and Probation Service
202607: Prison Officer - HMP Guys Marsh
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Prison Officer – HMP Guys Marsh
Location: HMP Guys Marsh, Guy's Marsh, Shaftesbury, SP7 0AH Salary: £36,816 per year (for 39 hours per week, including 20% unsocial hours allowance) Working Hours: Various shifts (including nights, weekends, and public holidays) Vacancy Type: Merit Basis Region: South West (Yeovil/Salisbury)
About the Role
An extraordinary job. Done by someone like you.
Prison officers play a critical role in protecting the public and making a positive impact on inmates' lives. This diverse, challenging, and rewarding career requires integrity, communication skills, empathy, and resilience. Whether you’re a parent, educator, ex-forces personnel, or simply someone with strong people skills, your background could make you an outstanding candidate.
No single "typical" prison officer exists—our team is made up of people from all walks of life. The role demands:
- Constructive relationships with prisoners (often at a vulnerable stage in their lives).
- Teamwork and collaboration to maintain safety and order in a dynamic environment.
- Adaptability and strength of character to handle diverse, often unpredictable situations.
Each day presents new challenges—one moment you’re a peacekeeper, the next a counsellor or educator. Your goal is to rehabilitate and safeguard, ensuring public protection while supporting positive change.
Key Responsibilities
While every day varies, core duties may include:
-
Operational Duty:
- Maintaining security, discipline, and order within the prison.
- Managing and assisting with transports, visits, and parole hearings.
- Responding to incidents, enforcing rules, and facilitating safe isolation or restraint when necessary.
- Applying correct operational procedures to ensure safety and accountability.
-
Conducive Environment:
- Promoting a positive, constructive, and secure environment for both inmates and staff.
- Collaborating with professionals to identify at-risk individuals and escalate concerns.
-
Rehabilitation & Education:
- Supporting rehabilitation programs (substance misuse, mental health, education, etc.).
- Offering guidance and encouragement to assist prisoners in reintegration into society.
-
Record-Keeping & Reporting:
- Maintaining accurate records of incidents, prisoner behaviour, and operational activities.
-
Public Protection & Compliance:
- Ensuring prisoners comply with licences and orders to prevent reoffending.
- Supporting custody functions when applicable.
Requirements
Essential Eligibility
To apply, you must:
✔ Be at least 18 years old at the time of employment. ✔ Meet Civil Service nationality requirements (see below for full details). ✔ Pass a medical and fitness assessment, including:
- Vision test (both corrected and uncorrected).
- Hearing assessment (without aids).
- General health screening (e.g., blood pressure check). ✔ Satisfy standards for hearing and eyesight for operational security reasons. ✔ Not have tattoos that are deemed offensive, violent, discriminatory, or intimidating. Most facial tattoos are unacceptable unless due to cultural, religious, or medical reasons.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
⚠️ Additional Requirement for Category A (High-Security) Prisons: You must have been a UK resident for the last 3 years.
Right to Work
Sponsorship is available for Skilled Worker visas, but current policies make sponsorship unlikely for this campaign. Ensure you hold or can secure the legal right to work in the UK prior to applying.
Selection Process
A multi-stage assessment ensures only the most suitable candidates are selected:
-
Initial Application Screen for basic judgement skills and motivation.
-
Stage 1 Online Test Assesses core abilities like numerical reasoning and judgement.
-
Stage 2 Values-Based Assessment Evaluates your alignment with the Civil Service values and job competencies (e.g., integrity, teamwork).
-
Online Assessment Centre (OAC) Covers:
- Personality and strengths (e.g., empathy, resilience).
- Cognitive tests (numerical, verbal, and problem-solving skills).
- Situational judgement exercises to test decision-making.
💡 Key Competencies Assessed:
- ✅ Strong communication and influence skills.
- ✅ Effective decision-making under pressure.
- ✅ Mental toughness and resilience.
- ✅ Caring and empathetic approach towards prisoners.
Merit-Based Selection
Successful candidates will be ranked on an appliants’ list based on their OAC scores. If a vacancy arises when you apply, you’ll be offered the role. 🔹 Merit lists remain valid for 12 months before expiry.
⚠️ Applicants who fail at the application or assessment stage must wait 6 months before reapplying.
Alternative Role: Operational Support Grade (OSG)
If your application is unsuccessful in becoming a Prison Officer after the OAC, you may be offered this supporting role instead.
Salary & Benefits
Salary Structure
-
Initial salary (post-training):
- £34,928 (37 hours/week)
- £36,816 (39 hours/week, offered for this role)
- £39,334 (41 hours/week)
-
Salaries include unsocial hours allowances.
-
Civil Service Pension: Employer contributes 28.97% of your annual salary.
-
Han"The scheme is designed to incentivise work patterns, with protection given in a range of scenarios, subject to satisfactory service".
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
** shift coverage.**
(enquiry@mpa.gov.uk) *for more information
Benefits Package
Holidays and Leave
- 25 days’ annual leave initially (increasing to 30 days after 10 years’ service).
- Paid leave for public holidays.
- 1 extra privilege day per year.
Flexibility & Support
- Cycle-to-work scheme and travel loans.
- Health and wellbeing programs, including access to NHS staff discounts.
- A generous pension scheme.
Working Environment
✅ Fast-paced, motivational career with potential for progression. ✅ Direct impact on public safety and rehabilitation. ❌ Anger, conflict, and high-stress environments — resilience is critical.
Application Notes & Deadline
Closing Date: 23rd July 2026
Supporting Documents
- Safe Decent & Secure: Job Description (PDF) (detailing specific operational standards)
Contact For Support or Enquiries
appointments MoJ Recruitment Team: 📧 Email: Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com 📞 Phone: +44 (0)345 241 5358 (Mon-Fri 8am–6pm) 📍 Quoting Job Reference [19396]
Special Initiatives
For Veterans
The MoJ offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for eligible former Armed Forces personnel. If you meet the minimum selection criteria, you’re guaranteed an interview. 🔗 More details on the Veterans Scheme
Redeployment Scheme
Applicants offered early termination with MoJ may be conssidering applying be reassigned internally rather than potentially redundancy.
Fairness and Adjustments
🆘 Disability Confident Employer: The Ministry of Justice is committed to accommodating candidates who explain their needs in advance. Select ‘yes’ in the application form if you require reasonable adjustments (e.g., accessibility for online tests).
📍 Composition must be take place in the UK only.
📝 Integrity: Usefulness Your application must be your self. service
Next Steps
- Review the person specification and leaks in the detection of fraught men break the interviews
- Complete the interactive candidate chronological step online activity for a taste of the reality of the role (said activities won’t judge your application
- Submit your application, including letters of unsuitable commends between buy observation
We look forward to welcoming you to a career that matters. 🚪
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills