https://jobs.civilservice.gov.uk/company/nghr/jobs.cgi?SID=b3duZXI9NTA1MDAwMCZvd25lcnR5cGU9ZmFpciZqY29kZT0xMzg3Mjk5JiZyZXFzaWc9MTM4NjAwNjExNy1kYzUzM2M0ZDQ0MWRlMzcxYjFlMDRhMzhkZGEwYzkxOTc0MjFhYzk4

Don’t know if the link will work, you might have to register/log in.

I think it works.

Wow hats off to someone who’ll do that job for that money.

Im surprised no medical is required

That’s what I thought.
Hats off to them for doing such a needed job. Come on government, more money please.

thanks for the heads up Jim
the lad has just been md from the army….this would be ideal for him.

The Prison Service offers a generous salary package. The national starting salary for Prison Officers is £18,720 (inclusive of base pay and 17% addition for unsocial hours working) for working a 37 hour week. There is an option to commit to work up to four additional hours per week which are paid at an enhanced rate and would increase the indicative starting salary to £20,796 (inclusive of base pay, 17% addition for unsocial hours working and for additional committed hours). Establishments in Inner and Outer London attract a higher indicative starting salary.

From the Ministry of Justice website. Even with the added 17% you would be pushing it to call that salary generous considering the responsibilities involved. Hats off indeed.

See a lot of jobs in various position come up in HMPs on the CS Jobs site – a whole load in the East Midlands today.

Bet it’s a good job on the occasions you have a good day, bet it’s a ballache most of the time though.

That’s a lot of work for a low wage..IMO but as needs must there will be a lot of people grateful for the wage.

As an ex prison officer, that wage is an insult for the shit you put up with as a prison officer.

that £18,720 includes the 17% uplift.
I bet you don’t even get to beat the prisoners up.
I agree with easygirl, that is insulting.

You’d have to pay me a lot more than that to work in Wakefield.

Wakefield was always known as one of the hardest prisons to work in when I was there 27 years ago

Ton, sorry to hear that. Hope he’s ok about it, and best of luck to him!

**** that….
For that money I’d rather stack shelves or work in McDonald’s.

As an ex prison officer, that wage is an insult for the shit you put up with as a prison officer.

Ah, someone else who knows.

That wage is an actual insult for what the job entails. I’m back tomorrow to face god knows what. 😕

CaptainFlashheart – Member

Ton, sorry to hear that. Hope he’s ok about it, and best of luck to him!

flash, I think he knew it was coming to be honest. just did not want to tell me and his mum.
bust his ankle on week 12, spent 14 weeks in rehab, got back to full training for 5 weeks, and bust same ankle again.
he only had 7 weeks to passing out.
I have managed to line him a job up for when he comes out.
I hope he get its sorted and goes back in.
only time will tell.

I’m curious as to what would be a good wage for the job?

I agree, I wouldn’t do that job for that money, but it also seems to me a largely unskilled job with an element of ‘danger money’. 30k, 40k, 50k?

Equally I wouldn’t run a bank for 500k either, so it’s not like I’m looking down on the job, I’m just curious as to what people feel it’s actually worth.

At least 30k.
Nurses and firemen should be paid more too.

what’s the national average wage these days? £26k? IMHO that’s a pretty insulting salary for the job, stress, violence, responsibility, risk of getting sacked/sued/prosecuted/hep B from being bitten/spat on etc etc….

The Role of a Prison Officer? Here you go, a largely ‘unskilled job’ (I know what you mean though)

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmselect/cmjust/361/361.pdf

Edit, Cheers Julian, you been there?

Or even having a contact put out on you which is what happened to my stepdad doing that job and why he had to relocate.

Upset the wrong inmate it seems.

You might feel it deserves more but on a basic level if they have enough people with the right skills applying then the salary is right. High salaries are generally to attract people with scarce(r) skills or to unattractive jobs. No-one’s going to pay more than is necessary out of the kindness of their heart, and nor should they when it’s taxpayers that are footing the bill. To put it another way, could most of the kind of people they want/need get other jobs which pay better?

If there is a shortage of suitable candidates, or serious issues with staff retention/turnover then yes, the salary could be out of line. I’m not aware if any of those issues exist in the prison service or not.

You might feel it deserves more but on a basic level if they have enough people with the right skills applying then the salary is right. High salaries are generally to attract people with scarce(r) skills or to unattractive jobs. No-one’s going to pay more than is necessary out of the kindness of their heart, and nor should they when it’s taxpayers that are footing the bill. To put it another way, could most of the kind of people they want/need get other jobs which pay better?

If there is a shortage of suitable candidates, or serious issues with staff retention/turnover then yes, the salary could be out of line. I’m not aware if any of those issues exist in the prison service or not.

In other words, ‘I don’t know what I’m talking about cos I’ve never worked in a modern day prison?

Anyway, I’m off to bed, sweet dreams everyone.

The occupation isn’t relevant, the same rules apply. My bother is a fireman, he does a fantastic job and I wish he got paid more for it. But whenever his service have vacancies they are oversubscribed and there are many people out there willing and able to do an equally good job. If potential firemen were in short supply, or if the existing ones started to jump ship to some new private fire service for more money, then my brother’s service would have to look at their salaries.

Same’s true of anything. If no-one wanted to work in a bar for £5 an hour (or whatever it is now) any more then wages would have to rise to attract people to the job. Which of course would mean more expensive beer…

For that money I’d rather stack shelves or work in McDonald’s.

I disagree. I work part time taking cons out of jails across Scotland for court appearances hospital appts, funerals etc. I get to travel round much of the country, work with a good regular partner, and find some of cons I talk to quite entertaining.

Granted the pay is shite but it’s far better more varied work than plenty other jobs. I’m in the fortunate position it is optional for me. If push came to shove I could live without the money from this job. I continue doing it because I enjoy it.

In 3 years I’ve had serious problems with only one con. I’ve had to cut a ligature from the neck of another and used restraint procedures a handful of times. Most of the time my prisoner contact is one to one and without an audience, sober, and not high on drugs most cons are not a problem.

I wouldn’t comment on the dangers faced by prison officers inside jails as I’ve not done their job but I’d suggest it would also be a more varied and interesting job than many. With training and good people skills the element of danger can be controlled though not eliminated.

As I say whenever anyone is moaning about things – “at least we’re not out digging a ditch in the rain.”

Its not great money – but its not THAT bad either, I sometimes think people on here have lost touch with reality; whilst you can easily earn 2-3x that in IT management the vast majority of people don’t.

– Minimum wage for the same hours is about £11.6 k per annum.
– The quote above omits the other details 5wks leave + 10.5 days public holidays.
– Civil Service Pension (which whilst not as good as it once was is still good).
– Potential for career progression within the service.
– UK average salaries might be around £26k but (i) they are less outside London (these posts are) and (ii) they are less for people with limited experience.

I can see both sides of this argument, and it comes down to how we as a society choose to value what people do and then reward them for doing it.

The market forces that unknown talks about only really work at the successful, profitable, entertaining end of the market, those people whose lives are a bit less glamorous tend to loose out.

Plus there has been years and years of poor PR around the services that should but don’t pay that well; prison holiday camps, police own goals and corruption, NHS and care home catastrophes, poor discipline in young people (who would want to teach them??), no wonder there’s no competition for these jobs.

No there’s competition for IT Managers or Football players or X Factor contestants etc etc, fat **** lot of good they are too (and I fall into one of those!!!).

Rant over 🙂

There’s probably jobs going at Oakwood 😉

It says ‘development for prison officer role’ so it sounds like it is intended as a stepping stone to the higher grade of prison officer, and presumably more cash.

It says ‘development for prison officer role’ so it sounds like it is intended as a stepping stone to the higher grade of prison officer, and presumably more cash.

Call me cynical but IMO any general duties prisoner facing job inside a prison is a Prison Officer and should be called that and get the same terms and conditions. Is this the Prison Service version of the Police service’s PCOs?

+ 1 Poly – People on here need a reality check. That is a pretty goog wage (regardless of job) Many people dream of earning that kind of money.

The bit that I thought was harsh was that you couldn’t specify Leeds or Wakey. On £18k the travel costs to either place are going to be a big chunk of your salary if you live in Wakey and they post you to Leeds/ vice versa.

It seems to be a development position and will lead onto a better position.

Money is a bit crap but I bet it is oversubscribed with applicants.

I wouldn’t fancy it myself but each to their own.

The most worrying thing is the incredible game of BS bingo they are playing in the job description!

The wage is probably better than it will be once the service is privatised (already happening in some areas I believe).

Pay peanuts etc…

I agree, I wouldn’t do that job for that money, but it also seems to me a largely unskilled job with an element of ‘danger money’. 30k, 40k, 50k?

It’s only unskilled if you hire idiots and let them do it badly – unless of course you think being a “screw” is all about throwing people down stairs and yelling “shut it you slag”.

It seems like bloody hard trying work being a prison officer, dealing with people kept in unpleasant circumstances – people who are often substance dependent, with poor communication skills, traumatized and/or physically and mentally ill, and who don’t have access to the kinds of support they’d need to actually change any of those things. Given the choice between digging ditches in the rain and being a prison officer, I might choose ditch digger – but only because I’m too lazy and cowardly.

I’m going to apply I think.

If anyone who works in the prison service fancies giving me some pointers that would be greatly appreciated

Nealglover@Gmail.com

But the golden / bullet-proof pensions and easy working conditions that come with a public sector job make up for the low salary 😐

But the golden / bullet-proof pensions and easy working conditions that come with a public sector job make up for the low salary

Are you saying that the public sector jobs don’t add value to a package?

I have worked public sector and the pension contributions from the employer were a very significant amount.

easy working conditions

Not that I am suggesting that a Prison Officers job is “easy” but in IME the public sector are much more likely than the private to allow flexible working and make adjustments to allow employees to continue working for them. They were also much keener to offer training opportunities.

I don’t think I chose the correct smiley, i speak as a public sector worker of the last 10 years.

Basically all the daily wail types think that Public Sector pensions are a godsend however they are being whittled away left right and centre. The pensions are only ‘Good’ if you’ve weaseled your way in to a senior position in one of the few remaining schemes that offer final salary schemes – don’t tell me that this is exclusive to the public sector.

When times are good people fall over themselves to look down at the Public Sector as a load of wasters, when times are bad everyone is envious of our cushy, secure jobs. Granted some people do play the system, but those people would be playing the same games and getting away with it anywhere, its all about circumstances and how they play it.

IMO the salary is apalling given what they have to deal with, not just the subject matter but also all of the bureaucracy and other BS that would go with that job.

They may well get flexi-hours and other benefits to the working environment than elsewhere but even so they are rarely worth that much.

At least 30k.
Nurses and firemen should be paid more too.

I always wonder what has happened to all the “we ought to pay public servants more” people come election time. Seems to me that when it comes to actually voting to pay more tax so we can do so the public spiritedness seems to dry up rather quickly……. just saying like 😯

Agreed.

I’d happily pay an extra £50 a month if it meant those less fortunate than me had more access to services / opportunities in life. It would make the world a much nicer place to live than having a 20% bigger flat screen or other frivolous nonsense I’d be spending it on