Role Profile

Job Description (JD)
Band 2
Group Profile - Support Services Operations (SSO)
Job Description - SSO : Operational Support Grade
General

Document Ref.
OR-JES-010-JD-B2: SSO: Operational Support Grade General v10.0
Document Type
Management
Version
10.0
Classification
Official
Date of Issue
9 February 2026
Status
Baselined
Produced by
Job Evaluation Assurance and Support Team
Authorised by
Reward Team
JD Evidence

OR-JES-010-JD-B2 : SSO : Operational Support Grade General v10.0

Job Description
Job Title
SSO: Operational Support Grade General
Group Profile
Support Services Operations
Organisation
Support
Level
Band
2

Overview of the
This is a support services operations job in an establishment.
job

Summary
The job holder will carry out a range of activities across key
areas of the establishment including gate procedures, visitor
checks and monitoring, censorship of mail and telephones and
reception duties. They will also be flexibly deployed to provide a
range of other support service activities within operational areas
of an establishment when required.

This is an operational support job with no line management
responsibilities.  This role is rotational.
Responsibilities,
The job holder will be required to carry out the following
Activities and
responsibilities, activities and duties:
Duties
•  Gate/Portal duties: ensuring the secure entry and exit of staff,
visitors/vehicles; carry out searches of staff, prisoners, visitors,
contractors and vehicles.  Issue and collect staff keys/radios.
•  Contractor Escorts: be responsible for identifying and
escorting vehicles and contractors within the establishment.
•  Emergency Control Room/Control Room: operate the
establishment radio system and monitor Closed Circuit
Television (CCTV) ensuring all suspicious activities are
reported and ensure personal actions are compliant with
Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA). May be
required to train staff in radio procedures. May also be
required to review CCTV tapes of visits, labelling and storing
in compliance with protocols.
•  Visits: book visits; identify and process visitors on their arrival,
escorting them if required; ensure all visitors both domestic
and official are appropriately searched and their details are
collated; monitor CCTV.
•  Censors/Correspondence: monitor/log mail and report any
illicit or contraband items, maintaining the preservation of
evidence.
•  Monitor phone calls made by prisoners.
•  Night Duties: ensure cell doors are locked/secure and all
prisoners are safely accounted for.
•  Reception: assist in supporting appropriate tasks within
reception ensuring that any prisoner queries and property are
processed appropriately; Photograph prisoners; Collate all
relevant documentation for the Reception/Property process;
OR-JES-010-JD-B2 : SSO : Operational Support Grade General v10.0

Search/x-ray incoming prisoner property and parcels accepted
in Reception; Receive items for prisoners and check all seals
are intact on property storage.
•  Prisoner supervision: supervise prisoners as required;
undertake prisoner clothing/property exchange and assist
officers with free flow movement and the receiving of prisoners
when required.
•  Food delivery: undertake food trolley delivery and collection,
which may involve the use of an electric tug vehicle.
•  Driver: transport prisoners and their escorts to their destination
in the cellular vehicle where applicable; Collect mail from local
sorting office.
•  Monitor the prisoners Personal Identification Number (PIN)
Phone system maintaining the log of PIN Phone requests from
prisoners; Complete all relevant paperwork keeping an audit
trail of conversations.
•  Complete Security Incident Reports (SIR) for intelligence
gained from monitoring phone calls or illicit/contraband items
found.
•  Check that any legal numbers are registered solicitors.

Undertake other support services tasks including:

•  Understand, apply and conform to national and local polices.
•  Respond appropriately to invoke emergency procedures in line
with Local Security Strategy (LSS) and National Security
Framework (NSF), utilising knowledge of local contingency
plans and the actions required in relation to incidents.  Any
initial decisions or actions will need to be referred to
management for further action.
•  Undertake administrative duties relating to area of work as
required.

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
•  Working Together
•  Managing a Quality Service
•  Delivering at Pace
Strengths
It is advised strengths are chosen locally, recommended 4-8.
Essential
•  Use of IT
Experience
OR-JES-010-JD-B2 : SSO : Operational Support Grade General v10.0

Technical
•  Required to undertake a 2-week OSG induction
Requirements
•  Must hold a valid driving licence if there will be a local
requirement to drive vehicles.  Driving and navigating is an
appropriate OSG duty as defined in PSI42/1997,
Operational Support Grade: Schedule 3
Ability
•  Numerical skills

Minimum
•  All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to
Eligibility
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
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-010-JD-B2 : SSO : Operational Support Grade General v10.0