Prisoner Custody Officer

Location: Bristol County & Magistrate Courts

Salary: £22,502 per annum

Working as a Prisoner Custody Officer (PCO) in Prisoner Escort Custody Services (PECS) is more than just a job, it’s the chance to be a part of something great, to join a work family where you are valued, and you can make a difference every day.  In addition to a rewarding career, we also offer:

• Base Salary of £22,502 (35hrs pw)
• We believe in recognising your contributions and growth, so as well as continuous training & development opportunities, every year, you will be eligible for a base salary increment, allowing you to see tangible progress in your earnings (year 2 - £23,062 / year 3 - £23,469 / year 4 - £23,933) 
• Pension (matched up to 6%), life insurance; 20 days annual leave (rising to 25 after 7 years’ service) plus Bank Holidays.
• A range of benefits to support the health and wellbeing of you and your family such as Employee Assistance Programme, MIND, Simply Health Care and Dental Plans and more
• Access to a range of discounts and exclusive deals such as Merlin Attractions, Mobile Phone discounts, Cinema discounts, Leisure, Retail and Hospitality discounts and more
• A supportive team & culture where you’ll get the chance to make a positive difference in a company passionate about diversity and inclusion  

We are operational 24/6 and you’ll cover various early and late shifts, 35hrs pw. Flexibility is key as due to the nature of role there are a range of different working arrangements & additional hours. There will be days when your finishing time could be unpredictable, however, we operate a rota basis (provided 12 weeks in advance) that allows you the flexibility to enjoy meaningful time off to do the things you enjoy & love.

About the Role:

As a PCO at our court, you’ll work as part of team to provide safe and secure escorting & custody services, to detainees, focusing on the physical and mental wellbeing of those in your care.

During court you’ll be responsible for every aspect of their care until it’s time for them to return to custody or to be released. Key duties include, accompanying defendants in court rooms and cells; searching property or people; ensuring food and drink is available and completing paperwork and data entry for the day.

What you need to do the job!

Our current PCO’s come to us with different work & life experiences, what you’ve done before doesn’t matter, what matters is that you’re committed to making a difference to the lives of others – the rest you will learn during your 5 1/2-weeks training course and through our experienced colleagues.

Ideally, you’ll have a current valid driver's license, be reasonably fit and have good written and verbal communications skills, using those skills to manage and control all situations.  Our roles would suit those who have a particular interest in criminology or psychology.

Try our careers assistant tool to find out more:  Careers Assistant

Our Assessment Process:

Briefing call to assess eligibility -> Competency based virtual interview -> short role-play and written exercise.

Additional Information:

All roles are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and all offers of employment are subject to Ministry of Justice Enhanced Level 2 checks with Enhanced DBS (Adult & Child Barring) and satisfactory employment references.

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About Serco
At Serco, not only is the nature of the work we do important, everyone has an important role to play, from caring for vulnerable people to managing complex public services.  We are a team of 50,000 people responsible for delivering essential public services around the world in areas including defence, transport, justice, immigration, healthcare and citizen services. We are innovators, committed to redesigning and improving public services for the benefit of everyone.

By joining Serco you will have unlimited access to our Global Employee Networks – SercoInspire (Gender), SercoEmbrace (Multicultural), SercoUnlimited (Disability) and In@Serco (LGBT & Networks). Serco Employee Networks, led by colleagues who are passionate about diversity, inclusion and belonging. 

Apply
Please click on the apply button to complete your application. Occasionally we receive a large volume of applications for our roles and when that happens we sometimes bring the closing date forward, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment. 

At Serco, we see people first and foremost for their performance and potential. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports the needs of all. As such we will make reasonable adjustments at interview through to employment for our candidates and strongly encourage applications from a diverse candidate pool. We are open to discussions around flexibility and flexible working. We operate a hybrid work structure in many of our business areas. We are proudly Disability Confident Leader employers and holder of the Silver Inclusive Employer Standard. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview.  For help with your application please contact 0345 010 4000.
 

At Serco we support fair access to employment for those with unspent criminal convictions through the ‘Ban the Box’ pledge (some may be exempt due to the nature of the role and the security clearance required). Please contact our recruitment team directly on 0345 010 4000 to discuss.