Eleanor’s expectation vs reality
When asked if she had any misconceptions of the role before starting, Eleanor said that she doesn’t think she did “because I had family members talk me through it, but I definitely didn't know what to expect when I joined because they worked in a different prison and obviously every prison is different.” Eleanor works in HMP/YOI Isis which is a Category C men’s prison in South East London and young offender institution for young offenders who are aged 18-30. Before starting, Eleanor also didn’t know what department she would be going into. She says, “it was interesting to find out that I’d be in the finance department…I didn’t realise how much finance was involved in the prison service until joining.”
Benefits and challenges of the role
As a Business Administrator, you’ll get a great range of Civil Service and Prison Service benefits, including generous annual leave and pension contributions and flexible working. Eleanor notes that “flexible working hours is a great benefit to everyone that works here. It always benefits people who have other things in their life.” There are also great on-the-job training and progression opportunities.
As for challenges, Eleanor explains that “you take each day at a time so there are problems that pop up, but you’ve got your team around you. You can get past most challenges, and if not, someone’s always there to help you.”
Skills and qualities for success in the role
Eleanor shared some insights into what makes a good Business Admin. She explains that “you definitely have to be organised in your role in the sense of making sure that you’ve got set tasks to do during the day and that they get done, as well as multitasking.” She also thinks that “customer service and communication are good skills to have in this role. We don't talk to customers but use this skill when speaking to other staff members and making sure that communication gets across to other departments.” Before becoming a Business Admin, Eleanor was in various customer-facing roles which was useful experience to have. She says, “you have to be patient especially when explaining something to someone that is frustrated”.
Day-to-day responsibilities
Eleanor went on to talk us through her day-to-day responsibilities shedding light on her routine tasks: “As a Business Admin, it's a lot of answering requests from prisoners, doing phone calls and emails and spreadsheets. In my prison, we’ve got an app called the biometrics, where prisoners can make requests on an electronic system, and we can answer them.” The role involves a mix of administrative tasks, but this can vary depending on which department you are placed in, for example Eleanor is currently in the business hub and so deals “with a lot of finance, such as ordering. We also deal with PIN credit, which is something that prisoners get when they have money. It allows them to request money to go on their phone that’s in their cell and that manually has to be done every day.”
Training and development
As a Business Admin you won’t complete any fitness training because it’s a non-operational role and direct encounters with prisoners are unlikely. Prior to starting, Eleanor completed Nomis training which is “essentially an online system that can be used for everything from charging offenders to looking up offenders”. The Nomis online courses cover a wide variety of training needed to do the job effectively.
As a Business Admin, you’ll play a vital role in keeping our prisons running. From organising, producing, and maintaining accurate records, to acting as a point of communication for their teams, our Business Admins get involved in an incredible variety of work.
If you’ve got the ambition to grow and develop, and the patience and attention to detail to thrive in a team environment, we want to hear from you.
]]>Register your interest in our national business administration campaign.
Cynthia, you’ve been very busy over the festive season, working Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years’ Eve- how do you balance your work schedule with your personal commitments?
I am also a carer for my godmother and am mindful that I will be working over the holiday period. I pre-organised a Christmas meal on 22nd December and invited our families. I don't have a lot of time for myself over the holiday period because I am working. My preferred treat is usually lunch and spa day shared with a friend. My birthday is in a few weeks, and I've booked time off which I am looking forward to.
What was the biggest challenge you faced working over the festive period?
Getting offenders involved in activities was the biggest challenge and Christmas is often a trigger for them. I am mindful that two new offenders spend a lot of time in their rooms which isn’t unusual, especially since Covid. However, recently they’ve been leaving their rooms more to engage with other offenders and staff more which is nice to see.
Can you tell us a bit about your role and your duties and responsibilities?
I've worked at this approved premises since February. I am enjoying the new challenge of working in a new premises and it has certainly made the time pass quickly. As a frontline member of staff, I deal with offenders’ day-to-day needs, including all planned and reactive duties. Staff are responsible for monitoring offenders according to their licence conditions. We also help offenders with mental and physical needs by arranging appointments and dispensing medication which are strictly monitored.
Staff also organise rehabilitative activities for offenders throughout the year and outside agencies come in to work with offenders too. They help them with numerous activities such as cooking, music, yoga and art. One of our main activity providers we work with in the Southwest is Activity Hub who provide purposeful activities for offenders. We've also recently acquired an allotment. Although, there is not an awful lot to do there except turn over the ground and make it ready for planting in the spring.
We have an offender who learned to do leatherwork while he was in prison. So, he makes handbags, belts, and all sorts of things. We’re encouraging him to make smaller items, things that he could sell in the future like key rings as they take less time to make and are likely to earn him a regular income. He’s showing a lot of the others how to do extremely well-crafted leather work.
How important is teamwork when working on approved premises?
Working together with colleagues as a team is really important. I work with a fantastic team and appreciate them. My colleague Kim and I worked together over Christmas and New Year which was great because we enjoy engaging offenders in rehabilitative activities.
What do you think is the most rewarding part of your role?
When offenders arrive, some are quite guarded. But we soon see the barriers coming down as staff engage in meaningful conversation with them. By the end of their residency, you can see a change in their attitude being more receptive and relaxed around the staff. After being in the service for over twenty-four years I have supervised many offenders and found all the departments I have worked in equally rewarding. The challenge is to be firm, fair and consistent. Approved premises are an enabling environment where offenders feel they can live and be supported to turn their lives around. We have many successes which is rewarding, and it is extremely important to see offenders progress and move on. Overall, the feedback we receive is very good, most people leave feeling more optimistic about their future than before they arrived.
Approved premises provide residential supervision for offenders released on licence and offer a structured environment to support rehabilitation and resettlement.
The Probation Service is currently recruiting for residential workers in approved premises across several regions. If you are interested in applying, then please visit our vacancy pages here
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What are the biggest challenges you face working over Christmas?
I think the fact that it can be a very lonely time for the offenders is one of the biggest challenges when working over Christmas and New Year's. Some prefer to spend time on their own and it's that balance of trying to not push it in their faces and make them feel that they have to be happy, and have to get involved in everything. They know that staff are there 24/7. If they wanted to have a one-to-one conversation. And, if they want to sit in their room, they know that we'd be checking on them regularly just to make sure they're OK. I think it's that fine balance of trying to understand that it’s a difficult time. As well as trying to make it a positive environment where we've got things on to distract them which can help them from returning to substance misuse, negative thinking or losing their motivation to succeed and make positive changes.
Also, the allocation of home leave is a big factor. You might get some offenders who are like, “Well, they’ve got home leave- why haven’t I got home leave?”. Some may want to spend time with their family, but because of restrictions, and assessments, it’s not been approved. So, sometimes you have people who are obviously quite upset that they’ve not had home leave approved or it’s too soon for them to be tested in that environment, which you need to manage.
What are the best things about working over Christmas?
The real positive aspect of working over this period is, I think, being able to support offenders. I tend to work over this period to add some consistency, and a familiar face because I work there quite often and they get to know staff. I think they're quite grateful that they know the people generally who are working Christmas Day want to be there over that time to support them. It’s really positive being able to support them and see them progress. Seeing how they handle the day as well is really rewarding. It's a very tough day for quite a lot of them. So, seeing them get through it and manage it well is always good.
Can you tell us a bit about your work history and how you came to be working in an approved premises for the probation service?
I've done lots of different roles working both in the front frontline and back-office. I started as a case administrator and was then a probation services officer for about 8-9 years in Offender Management. I've always done additional work usually on a weekend, first in Community Payback and then I moved over to approved premises. I've always had a love for the operational side, and I could never choose between the two, so I do both. It helps me significantly in my business manager role as I have a ground-level knowledge of current issues.
You've had a lot of great experience in the Probation Service, what keeps you motivated?
Seeing the impact that the work can have on people really motivates me, when you see people successfully move on from approved premises. The main thing is knowing that you are contributing to protecting the public, reduce offending and importantly, to protect victims. Sometimes they keep in touch and let us know how they're doing. We don't always get success stories all of the time, but when you do it really makes it so worthwhile. You see them go through a journey, starting with what you read about them on paper and how they present themselves, to learning to trust and take on the support and help. Seeing them progress, address their offending behaviour and reduce their risk, getting involved in some of the activities, learning new skills and successfully moving on and making those steps to change is really worthwhile, and I think that's why I’ve stayed working in probation for so long.
The Probation Service is currently recruiting staff across several regions. If you are interested in finding out more about our roles then please visit our vacancy pages here
]]>The Probation Service is encouraging qualified probation officers who have left the Service to consider returning and to check out the flexible working and great benefits on offer to those working in these important roles.
We spoke to Nicola who returned to the Probation Service after a few years out, working for a charity and caring for her young daughter.
I’d been out of university a year when I first started training as a probation officer. I always wanted to do something like that and it was between probation and social work, I think back in the day they were quite similar.
it's funny because this is the only “proper job” I ever had I guess, and I ended up being here for 15 years and becoming a senior probation officer.
Why did you make the decision to leave?
It wasn't like a conscious decision that I wanted to leave probation, I wasn’t even looking. It was more that another opportunity came up that was quite interesting, working as a CEO of a small local charity.
So there was nothing really that that made me want to leave. it was more like trying something else.
The charity was working with victims of domestic abuse, and actually we were contracted to work with female offenders, so I still very much had a close link with probation all of that time. I think that probably helped with leaving and then coming back, because it felt like I never completely severed all ties.
So although you were out of the Probation Service for a few years you were actually driven by the same kind of values and job satisfaction outside of the Service too
Yes, I want to help and support people and that's always at the back of my mind, no matter what I'm doing job wise. You know, I probably wouldn't fit in very well in a corporate world!
And what led you to come back?
Being a CEO was quite full on and there's just no way that I could do that kind of job part time so after maternity leave with my little girl I just made a personal decision that I didn’t want to work full time at the moment, it was quite a simple decision really. And I was still a qualified probation officer, so here I am!
I think I always suspected that I might come back. To be honest. You know, I didn't leave in a way that was like, oh, thank goodness I'm out. I'm never going back.. It was more like, oh, I'll just try this out. And you know, I can always go back.
Was it straightforward to return?
Yes, I still had a few people that I knew, working in my old team, so I just put the feelers out and then just at the right time, there was an advert that came out for a permanent post. And the role was advertised as full or part time.
So now I work “half time” - I do a long Monday so I can do evening appointments if I need to and then two short days, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Have you noticed any changes to the Probation Service in the time you’ve been away?
I think the main changes are on the administrative side of things, just getting to grips with new processes and that kind of stuff, how you used to record this and now you record it that way etc.
But I think when you strip it back to the main work, sat in front of offenders, it’s the same really. And you know how to do that.
And are you finding that it is still the same kinds of things that are the most rewarding, or the most challenging?
I like the face to face stuff. That's probably what everyone would say. No one likes the admin and sitting in front of their computer screen.
I was doing less of the face to face when I was here last because of being in a senior probation officer position and I quite like doing more of that now, as a practitioner.
And re the challenges, yes, I suppose you always have the slightly trickier cases, but I don’t mind that really.
The Probation Service is working hard at the moment to recruit colleagues within probation teams that can support at all levels, can you talk a bit about the support you get and team working?
Yes, that’s really important. It's a job that's got lots of different aspects to it. So you've got to use all of the people around you and all of their skills.
We share advice and best practice throughout the day. That happens all the time and that's really important.
All probation officers go through ebbs and flows, people feel stressed and all the rest of it, and you rely on your colleagues. And that’s been pretty good, I think your colleagues are what keeps you going.
What would you say to those ex-probation officers who are considering returning to the Probation Service?
I’d say if you enjoyed the job, then you probably will still enjoy the job!!
The Probation Service is currently recruiting for qualified probation officers across several regions. If you are interested in applying then please visit our vacancy pages here.
]]>Being in the Civil Service for 15 years, Myra didn’t quite start her journey like most do. It was her love for mosaics which created her destiny in the Prison Service.
Why did you join the Prison Service?
I didn't join the Prison Service through a job ad. I was out in the community doing mosaics as a community artist. I came in to do a project at a Cat A prison. The Muslim community had put together a lump sum of money for this project in order to create an ‘Islamic Garden’ for the prison so during family visits they could sit around the mosaics. I then shadowed an art tutor to get a feel of how to work within that environment.
When a position became available, I was asked if I wanted to take over the class and that’s I how I got in. So, the mosaic didn’t end up happening until three years later because I ended up working in the Education department as an art teacher. I know that isn’t how you normally start working in the Prison Service. It felt more like destiny.
After two years of being in the Education department, I went over from education to the uniform side as an instructional officer. It went from a class of eight then up to 12, 14, 22 – by the time I finished there were 80 prisoners that were doing mosaics. It’s great – there’s mosaics which prisoners have made which have been installed all around the UK.
What did your family and friends think about you when joining the Prison Service?
They thought I was mad. My sons, in particular, were worried sick. Which is what the new HMPPS advert portrays. But they also supported the fact that they knew I loved every minute of working with the prisoners. I think they were just relieved to see me home every single day without having any harm done.
My sons still feel the same - I don’t think that will ever change. But if I was to say, ‘I'm going to leave’, they'd all be relieved. But my comeback to that is: If you treat people with respect, they will treat you with respect. I’ve never experienced disrespect in all the years I’ve worked in the Prison Service. So, for me, I feel safe.
What are your main responsibilities and how do these align with your values?
I think because I like to treat people with respect, I get that back. It comes down to communication. I have a positive attitude which rubs off onto people. If you go in with a positive attitude, make it clear what you want to achieve, what you expect from the prisoners, and how you’ll treat them, then expect that in return. I put across my values and it filters down.
I remember thinking when I first started in the role that, everyday I step into the classroom, it’s a bit like going on stage and I’ve got to do a good performance – and if not, then these people will not come back. So it’s about being who I am and if I’m being respectful to them and treating them as equals as best I can, within the compliments that we have, then they will see that and that filters down.
When I was doing the mosaics, we had a huge project for a park. It was a three-metre by three-metre Snakes and Ladders board which we created as a mosaic. It took 20 prisoners almost a year to complete it - they worked really hard on it. However, two of the prisoners were released before the project was finished but they knew the project installation date. On the day of the installation at the park, two men came out of a car and introduced themselves and the former prisoners. They proceeded to tell me how they couldn’t see the end of the project because they were released but they didn’t want me to install it on my own. They got the grout and buckets of water and helped me install it. I don’t think that would have happened if we didn’t have mutual respect.
I’ve now been a chaplain for eight or nine years. I do all the meet and greets. So when anyone new comes in, it’s part of my role to see that they’re settled and have contact with their family. I cover funerals, deliver good news and bad news. The Chaplaincy department is the heartbeat of the Prison Service. We’re the ones who staff and prisoners come to. We’re out of uniform, we have the counselling techniques, and we’re there to listen.
What one piece of advice would you give to someone considering joining the Prison Service?
Don’t judge people because everybody has a back story. Their story might be so difficult for them to be able share to a complete stranger and someone in a uniform. They may have gone from institution to institution and lost trust along the way. The first encounter with them counts. It’s about adapting with each other.
]]>Do you think you can do an extraordinary job like Myra?
We're looking for someone like you. Find out more and apply now.
Can you explain the role of a probation services officer?
We maintain regular contact with offenders on probation to give them any help that we can – helping with rehabilitation and transitioning to life outside prison, and just being a support system for them as they readjust to normal life.
By doing this, our ultimate aim is that they don’t reoffend, which helps protect the public.
We also work with external agencies, to see where we can help offenders on probation find work, housing, training, education, etc. If we can help them find gainful employment, or improve their employment prospects or living conditions, it all helps towards making it less likely that they’ll reoffend in the future.
Why did you join the Probation Service?
To be honest with you, a probation officer is not something I ever considered becoming. I just happened to chance upon an advert on Indeed.com. It wasn’t intentional but I was struck by the point the advert made.
It was saying that they want people from all sorts of backgrounds, who’ve done all sorts of jobs, all levels of education, and all ages. I read through, and I thought, well, that sounds great, but let’s see if you mean it. And here I am.
What motivates you in your role as a probation services officer?
I think when you get older, you start to reflect and look back and think ‘what have I done?’ and ‘what can I do?’ I hate to say ‘give back’ because it sounds so clichéd, but it is essentially that. You think ‘what can I do beyond just living my life for myself?’ So, the chance to make an impact motivates me.
What do you enjoy the most about your role?
I’m enjoying the probation services officer role very much. It can be challenging, and of course, frustrating at times, however, I really do believe I’m doing something worthwhile. I think you would struggle to meet a nicer bunch of people than those working in probation. They are a really excellent, experienced team who go out of their way to help. And I can see the impact that they make on lives, and that’s very inspiring.
Is teamwork and the support of colleagues an important aspect of the role for you?
We do see a real impact from working together across the Probation Service. It is certainly not easy, but there are tangible results to see. And I think everybody plays a part in that. For instance, those at the front of house (reception) in our offices – they’re fantastic. Sometimes they have offenders, who may be anxious or agitated, come in and give them a hard time. So it’s not always an easy job but the team here are always so helpful and handle everything so professionally. Without them we couldn’t do what we do every day.
Where can people find out more about your role?
Anyone interested in finding out about probation roles can visit Probation Service.
]]>Prison officer, Leroy, is part of the furniture now at HMP Leyhill, guiding hundreds of prisoners through their day-to-day life at the category D prison in Gloucestershire. But Leroy admits his life could easily have gone another way. His mother spent time in prison, and he was raised by his grandmother. With his parents absent, Leroy struggled with authority before becoming a bouncer in a Bristol nightclub and then working in the custody suite at Bristol Crown Court.
He then moved into the Prison Service two-and-a-half-years ago, becoming the latest person to step into an extraordinary job. These roles – and the people who fulfil them – are at the heart of a new national Ministry of Justice (MoJ) recruitment drive this autumn.
Leroy knows he makes an impact every day and is looking forward to a long and varied career.
“I don't have a degree – but I feel like I make a difference every day.
“I feel proud when I put that uniform on,” he says. “Most of my family have criminal records, with some spending time in prison for violent offences and substance misuse. Growing up that was the reality of my life.
“For a long time I was angry at the system, but the job allows me to understand why decisions were made, and I can have peace with my childhood. I am able to understand why members of my family couldn’t come home now.
“I want to help prisoners stop reoffending so someone else doesn't have to go through what I did. I see the different agencies and wellbeing teams who are supporting prisoners and I am part of that.”
An extraordinary job
Working within prison or probation is not your average job. From putting out cell fires to helping improve the literacy of prisoners, taking the time to listen or rehabilitating some of the hardest-to-reach members of society, the everyday of this job is extraordinary.
No two shifts are the same. Officers have to make on-the-spot and effective decisions to keep themselves and those around them safe and be able to:
Leroy says his background helps him connect with prisoners and build a positive rapport – and he has even had to escort old classmates from prison to court.
“I bring a sense of calm,” he says. “I am 6ft 4ins tall and a large build and people might think ‘here comes the muscle’ but you can talk down any conflict situation. I believe that.
“When I first started I saw someone I knew inside and I thought ‘I don’t know if I can do this’ but the way I deal with it is by knowing that when they are in my care, I’m professional and they are getting what they are entitled to. There is nothing for them to complain about. Having different types of people in our care it’s important for me to offer a different perspective which allows me to play a vital role in my team.
“I wasn’t the best behaved at school and I didn’t have a positive outlook. But I grew up when I became a bouncer and worked in court, I had to liaise with the police and realised some of my opinions were down to my behaviour. I see people in prison saying the same things I thought when I was younger. My mentality was similar.
“My family and friends weren’t sure about me becoming a prison officer but when they saw I was the same Leroy and didn’t change because of my job, it took the negatives away.
“Prisoners may think staff are robots but with me they know I’m real. It’s not a golden ticket to problem free prisons but it’s part of the puzzle.”
Someone like you.
Leroy says there is no typical day on the job – and there’s also no such thing as a typical prison officer. They come from different walks of life, just like the offenders they work with, to form one team in the Prison Service.
With no specific qualifications required to become a prison officer, the most important qualities are being able to communicate and be team players.
“You need a high work rate and be willing to chip in with different tasks,” Leroy says.
“You need to have perseverance and a can-do attitude. I have matured in the job and I feel like I am manager material now.
"Alongside that there are so many different roles to work towards as the opportunities to progress are endless."
]]>Do you think you can do an extraordinary job like Leroy?
We're looking for someone like you. Find out more about becoming a prison officer and apply now.
Ken taught French and English in Cameroon before studying a PHD in educational research at Cambridge University while working with young people with challenging behaviours. But Ken wanted a more stable career after deciding to start a family.
After finishing his PHD and publishing a book, Ken wanted to make a positive impact on people’s lives and use his teaching skills to work with prisoners and break the cycle of crime.
Since joining the Prison Service in 2006, Ken climbed the ranks to become one of HMP Woodhill’s governors and is now Head of Offender Management Unit (OMU) at HMP Whitemoor.
Career reflections
Ken says: "During the last few years of university, I was an educational research assistant on a fixed-term contract but I was keen to get into full-time employment.
"I also started working in a residential home with young people with complex emotional and behavioural problems and really enjoyed it, which is where my interest in working with those in the crime cycle began.
"I knew I wanted to work with people where I felt I could break the cycle of crime and help people get onto the straight and narrow. That’s when I spotted an advert for prison officer jobs, so I contacted the governor at the time, who explained that I had so many transferable skills from my role as a teacher and in the residential home such as working with challenging people.
“He also explained how communication skills were important because you can often get into difficult conversations with people, but my role as a teacher and in a classroom with different behaviours meant I already had the necessary skills.
"I love the job and being able to work with prisoners. I learnt straight away that there were so many opportunities for progression too, so I’m so glad I made the career move."
Meeting the challenge
"You need resilience to be a prison officer and you must have good conversation skills. It’s a challenging career and it can sometimes be demanding but I always say to new starters not to give up at the first hurdle. We play an important role in turning people’s lives around.
"It’s a rewarding career and you can pick up so many new skills every week. You can move into lots of different roles such as intelligence, working in workshops, security, or becoming a physical education instructor, to name a few."
]]>Interested in starting your extraordinary career in HMPPS?
We're looking for someone like you. Find out more and see where a career in HMPPS can take you.
The online assessment centre (OAC) is a key stage of the application process to be a prison officer. While you don’t need specific experience, qualifications or education, the OAC assesses whether you have the necessary abilities, behaviours and strengths needed for the role. As it’s online, you can complete it from the comfort of your own home and all you’ll need is a laptop/PC with a webcam.
Accessing the OAC
Once you’ve successfully completed the first 2 stages of the prison officer application process – online application and scenario-based test – you’ll receive an email inviting you to book onto your OAC. You’ll then be sent a link to join your confirmed session.
What to expect on the day
Your OAC will take about two and a half hours to complete.
An insight into the assessments
You will need to be fluent in spoken and written English.
1. Interview
To see if you could be a prison officer, you will be asked questions about:
2. Role play
This will look at how you would handle a situation that is based on real challenges you could face as a prison officer. You will be asked to take on the role of a prison officer interacting with a prisoner.
3. Written test
You will be asked to consider 2 situations you might face when working with prisoners, and write your response.
What if you don’t pass your OAC?
]]>Preparing for your OAC and need more information?
Visit our dedicated online prison officer application centre for:
- top tips to help you prepare
- details of what documents you’ll need to have available on the day
- frequently asked questions and lots more helpful information
Try our interactive online activity to give you more of an insight into what it’s like working as a prison officer.
Working as a caterer in the Prison Service is similar to working as an Army chef. We work in big, commercial sized kitchens preparing meals for large numbers of people. And there’s no difference between cooking meals for prisoners and Armed Forces personnel – if they don’t like your food, they’ll soon let you know!
When I first left the Army, after serving for nearly 16 years, I worked split shifts in a pub restaurant kitchen. Six days a week, I’d start at 9am, finish around 3pm, be back in work for 5pm and often not get home until midnight. The main reason I’d left the Army was to spend more time with my family, so it wasn’t long before I was looking for a new job with better hours.
A better work-life balance and opportunities for progression
It was the working hours that initially appealed to me when I saw an advert for a catering job at HMP Ashwell: 5 days a week, including every other weekend, and I’d get to spend evenings with my family. I applied, was successful, and started what’s been a great second career for me in prison catering. Starting off as a Band 3 caterer, I was promoted to catering supervisor within 4 years. And, following another progression 4 years later, I’ve been a catering manager ever since.
The transition from Army chef to prison caterer was easy for me. Just like in the Army, there’s a great sense of teamwork and camaraderie in a prison kitchen and the focus is on getting meals out on time for large numbers of hungry people. The main differences are that in prisons, we work alongside prisoners and the kitchen knives are kept in locked cabinets and checked in and out every day.
What it’s like working in a prison kitchen
Safety and security in a prison kitchen are taken very seriously and I’ve never felt at risk. The prisoners you work with are generally happy to be out of their cells and working. While they’re obviously in prison for a reason, they’re people just like you and me. You just need to be able to give them clear instructions and supervise their work.
Prison caterers supervise prisoners to prepare meals for the prison population. Many of the individuals you work with have little or no knowledge of catering, so a key part of your role is showing them how to cook different meals and teaching them how to work safely and efficiently in a large kitchen. The new skills prisoners learn can be beneficial when they leave prison. For some, it could simply mean they are able to cook affordable, nutritious meals for themselves and their families. Others choose to study for catering qualifications while they’re in prison, increasing their chances of employment when they return to their communities. This is one of the most rewarding parts of the job: knowing your work has an impact far beyond the kitchen.
Make an impact and get great benefits
When you work in a prison kitchen, every day is different. So you need to be adaptable and resilient. But if you’ve got good people skills, it’s a great opportunity to continue doing what you love best – cooking for others – and start every day with a sense of purpose.
Plus, you’ll benefit from a good work-life balance, career progression opportunities, job security and a range of Civil Service benefits – including a great pension.
]]>Apply now
Are you in the process of leaving the Armed Forces or a veteran?
Visit our Advance into Justice website to find out how you can transition into a rewarding second career in catering.
Not a service leaver or veteran?
If you’ve got catering experience and a catering qualification, visit our website to find out more about working in prison catering and apply today