Job Description (JD)
Band 3
Group Profile - Prison Officer(PO)
Job Description - PO : Safe, Decent and Secure
Young People
Document Ref.
OR-JES-472-JD-B3 : PO : Safe, Decent & Secure YP
v8.0
Document Type
Management
Version
8.0
Classification
Official
Date of Issue
10th April 2025
Status
Baselined
Produced by
Job Evaluation Assurance and Support Team
Authorised by
Reward Team
JD Evidence
OR-JES-472-JD-B3 : PO : Safe, Decent & Secure YP v8.0
Job Description
Job Title
PO : Safe, Decent and Secure Young People
Group Profile
Prison Officer
Organisation
Delivery
Level
Band
3
Overview of the
This is an operational job in an establishment.
job
All staff have a responsibility to safeguard and promote the
welfare of children. The post holder must undertake the
appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that
they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the
organisation.
Summary
The job holder will supervise and support young people, ensuring
all services are provided to a high standard and that security and
control are maintained at all times, adhering to local and national
policies.
The specific duty of the job holder is to supervise, manage and
control young people on the residential unit and during daily
purposeful activity decently, lawfully, safely and securely whilst
carrying out all activities.
This is a rotational, operational job with no line management
responsibilities.
Responsibilities,
The job holder will be required to carry out the following
Activities and
responsibilities, activities and duties:
Duties
• Support the delivery of the Service Level Agreement between
the Youth Justice Board and the Directorate of Public Sector
Prisons.
• Support the achievement of qualitative and quantitative
service standards that are compliant with the Youth Justice
Board’s National Minimum Standards and the policy on Care
and Management of Young People.
• Ensure compliance with Section 11 duty to safeguard and
promote welfare under the Children Act 2004.
• Supervise young people activities including exercise and
association, maintaining the cleanliness of the wing and
making sure that meals are served in-line with establishment
policy.
• Lock young people securely in their rooms at each lock up
period, keep account of the unit roll and make sure that young
people are accounted for.
• Support vulnerable young people and pass any relevant
concerns to wing managers/staff, Healthcare, Safer Custody
department and personal officer.
• Share identified young people needs with reception staff.
• Unlock young people in a timely manner.
OR-JES-472-JD-B3 : PO : Safe, Decent & Secure YP v8.0
• Deal with any instances of self-harm in-line with suicide and
self-harm prevention strategies.
• Support young people in line with the Personal Officer
strategy, completing reports on young people as requested,
within time limits set, which contribute to sentence planning
and young people progress.
• Encourage responsible and respectful behaviour in young
people.
• Receive and progress applications and complaints.
• Maintain young people records by completing behaviour report
entries and data entry onto the young people database.
• Carry out accommodation / fabric checks, including searching
young people.
• Complete all administration in support of main duties including
ordering cleaning materials and completing regime monitoring.
If undertaking Reception Officer duties the following will also be
part of this job:
• Identify new reception young people and provide them with a
one to one interview explaining the establishments rules,
regimes, activities and support mechanisms available.
• Receive and discharge young people and their property in/out
of the establishment, ensure all property is searched in
accordance with local and national policy and the Local
Security Strategy (LSS) and National Security Framework
(NSF).
• Ensure that all property is accounted for and the appropriate
documentation is completed. Record property and set up
storage record.
• Account for all young people located in the reception area.
• Check that warrants of committal are acceptable and contain
the correct details of the young people.
• Identify and screen for potential Category A young people on
arrival, advising them of their status for example remand or
sentenced and explain restrictions.
• Enter young people details into young people database.
• Apply the relevant rulings in all areas of Public Protection,
showing awareness of Multi-Agency Public Protection
Arrangements (MAPPA) and Risk to Children Procedures
(RCPA).
• Provide initial assessment and screening of Assessment and
Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) documentation .
• Complete the first part of the Cell Sharing Risk Assessment
(CSRA).
• Issue a set of establishment clothes and bedding to new
receptions.
• Arrange a translator to explain the reception process to
Foreign National young people.
• Refer any disabled young people to the Disability Liaison
Officer.
• Process young people for police productions and courts and
handovers to Immigration.
• Share identified young people needs with first night/induction
staff.
OR-JES-472-JD-B3 : PO : Safe, Decent & Secure YP v8.0
• Supervise reception orderlies.
If Residential Unit is used as First Night/Induction
accommodation, in addition the job holder will:
• Deliver an effective induction in line with requirements.
• Interview new arrivals ensuring a needs assessment is
completed and appropriate referrals are made for young
people who require interventions.
• Brief all young people giving clear guidance and ensuring they
are aware of how to seek help and information.
• Deal with any young people concerns or issues raised at
induction meeting.
• Coordinate and support listeners network ensuring that any
advice given is supportive and accurate.
• Support vulnerable young people and pass any relevant
concerns to wing managers/staff, healthcare, safer custody
dept and personal officer.
• Share identified young people needs with reception staff.
If Residential Unit is used as Care and Separation Unit (CASU),
in addition the job holder will:
• Advise staff on adjudications processes, check all paperwork
is correct including any relevant evidence available. Escort
young people to adjudication room, supervise and on
completion of adjudications update young people database
accordingly.
• Collate referrals for the Independent Adjudicator.
• Enter any adjournments into room diary with details and place
in appropriate file/tray.
• Aware of any young people care plans, history sheets and
observation book entries and compliance with national
segregation policies, observe/record hourly all young people
awarded cellular confinement.
• Complete and collate all Control and Restraint, mechanical
restraints and dirty protest paperwork for young people
located within the unit .
• Work with healthcare/safeguarding in outgoing care and
planning.
Undertake other Prison Officer tasks as follows:
• Supervise, manage and control young people decently,
lawfully, safely and securely whilst carrying out all activities.
• Exercise the Power of a Constable.
• Conduct searches on young people, staff and visitors as
required.
• Undertake external escorts.
• Undertakes ‘first on scene’ incident response.
• Establish, develop and maintain professional relationships with
young people and staff.
• Maintain and update systems in-line with local agreements.
• Prepare relevant documentation to managers for
verification/quality checking purposes.
OR-JES-472-JD-B3 : PO : Safe, Decent & Secure YP v8.0
• Attend and contribute to relevant meetings as required.
• Complete and update Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan.
• Understand and comply with national/local policies and
legislation.
The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is
at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The Job holder
is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks
of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments
may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme
and shall be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.
An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence
through the medium of English or (where specified in Wales)
Welsh.
Behaviours
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
Strengths
It is advised strengths are chosen locally, recommended 4-8.
Essential
Experience
Technical
Job holders must complete specific training in their specialism
Requirements
once they take up post.
All candidates are required to pass an on line application and
numeracy assessment, attend and pass a variety of assessments
at Recruitment Assessment Centre; these include a written
assessment, role plays, medical assessment and a fitness test.
Ability
• Fitness Standard
• Medical Standard
• Numerical Ability
OR-JES-472-JD-B3 : PO : Safe, Decent & Secure YP v8.0
Minimum
Employees on Fixed Term contracts who wish to apply for
Eligibility
this internal vacancy should be aware that they must be
employed by the Civil Service at the time of appointment to
the post as well as at the time of application.
• Eligibility for a Prison Officer post can be from external
applications and from existing staff who wish to transfer to the
post.
• All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to
taking up post.
• All external candidates are subject to 6 months’
probation. Internal candidates are subject to probation if they
have not already served a probationary period within HMPPS.
• All staff are required to declare whether they are a member of a
group or organisation which HMPPS consider to be racist.
Hours of Work
37 hour working week (standard).
(Unsocial Hours)
Allowances
Additional Conditioned Hours (ACH)
Band 3 Prison Officers have the option to commit to working
between 1 -4 Additional Committed Hours (ACH) on top of the
standard 37 hour week. These hours are non-pensionable and
paid at an enhanced rate.
HMPPS Staff on closed pay structures only:
Additional Conditioned Hours Pensionable (ACHP)
Staff moving from a closed 39 hour pay structure will be eligible
for the two protected pensionable additional committed hours
(ACHP). They will work a 39 hour week consisting of the
standard 37 hour week and a further 2 additional hours (ACHP)
paid at plain time pensionable rate.
Unsocial Hours Working:
This role requires working regular unsocial hours and a payment
at the current organisational rate will be paid in addition to your
basic pay to recognise this. Unsocial hours are those hours
outside 0700 - 1900hrs Monday to Friday and include working
evenings, nights, weekends and Bank / Public holidays.
OR-JES-472-JD-B3 : PO : Safe, Decent & Secure YP v8.0