Prison Officer

Prison Officer – HMP Lindholme, HMP Moorland and HMP Hatfield

Employer: HM Prison & Probation Service
Job reference: 473759
Location: Doncaster, Yorkshire and the Humber
Salary: £34,928–£39,334 per year, depending on hours
Starting salary: £36,816 for a 39-hour week, including 20% unsocial hours allowance
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, part-time, flexible working and job share
Number of positions: 20
Closing date: 29 October 2026 at 11:55pm

About the role

HM Prison & Probation Service is recruiting Prison Officers to work across HMP Lindholme, HMP Moorland and HMP Hatfield in the Doncaster area.

Prison officers play an important role in protecting the public and supporting prisoners to make positive changes. The role involves working directly with prisoners in a challenging and fast-paced environment.

You could find yourself acting as a peacekeeper, counsellor, teacher or mentor during the course of a working day.

The employer is looking for people with integrity, resilience, confidence and strong communication skills. Previous experience in a prison environment is not required.

Who can apply?

There is no specific qualification requirement to become a prison officer. Personal qualities and the ability to demonstrate the required behaviours are important.

You should be able to demonstrate:

• Good communication and influencing skills
• Commitment to providing a quality service
• Effective decision-making
• Care and understanding
• Resilience and confidence
• The ability to build positive and professional relationships
• A strong commitment to teamwork

You must be at least 18 years old when you start employment.

Eligibility requirements

Because this is a physically active role, successful applicants must pass medical and fitness assessments.

Applicants must also meet the required eyesight and hearing standards.

Tattoos are permitted, including visible tattoos, provided they are not considered offensive, discriminatory, violent or intimidating. Facial tattoos are generally not accepted except for cultural, religious or medical reasons.

For positions in a high-security Category A prison, applicants must normally have been resident in the UK for the previous three years.

Salary and working hours

The initial training period is 37 hours per week.

After training, prison officers can choose to work 37, 39 or 41 hours per week, with salary reflecting the number of hours worked:

• 37 hours: £34,928 per year
• 39 hours: £36,816 per year
• 41 hours: £39,334 per year

The figures include applicable allowances for the role and location.

Prisons operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so staff will work a range of shifts, including evenings, some nights, weekends and public holidays.

There may also be opportunities to work additional paid hours.

Training and assessment

Applicants will complete a recruitment and assessment process covering the behaviours, strengths and abilities required for prison officers.

The process includes:

1. Initial application
2. Stage 1 online test covering basic judgement and numerical skills
3. Stage 2 Values-Based Assessment
4. Online Assessment Centre
5. Medical and fitness assessment once a suitable vacancy is identified

The assessment will consider areas including communicating and influencing, managing a quality service, effective decision-making and caring.

Applicants will also have their numerical, written English and spoken English abilities assessed.

Candidates who successfully complete the assessment centre will be placed on a merit list. Job offers are made to candidates with the highest scores as vacancies become available.

The merit list can remain valid for up to 12 months.

Medical and fitness assessment

Successful candidates will need to complete a medical and fitness assessment, including eyesight, hearing and basic health screening.

Medical and fitness assessments cannot be completed outside the UK. Applicants who progress to this stage must attend a UK-based assessment centre.

Operational Support Grade opportunity

The Online Assessment Centre may also assess candidates for suitability for an Operational Support Grade (OSG) role.

If a candidate is unsuccessful for the Prison Officer position but meets the requirements for an OSG position, they may be offered the alternative role.

Visa sponsorship and right to work

Skilled Worker visa sponsorship may technically be available subject to eligibility, but the advert specifically states that candidates requiring Skilled Worker sponsorship are unlikely to be sponsored for this campaign.

Applicants are responsible for ensuring they have and can maintain the appropriate right to work in the UK.

This means this vacancy should not be treated as a reliable sponsorship opportunity for applicants who currently require Skilled Worker visa sponsorship.

The role is broadly open to eligible UK nationals, Irish nationals, eligible Commonwealth nationals and certain individuals with EU Settlement Scheme status or other qualifying UK immigration status.

Benefits

The role includes:

• 25 days’ annual leave, increasing to 30 days after 10 years’ service
• Paid public holidays
• One additional privilege day
• Civil Service pension with employer contributions of 28.97%
• Cycle to work scheme
• Travel loans
• Other Civil Service benefits

Application process

Applications must be completed online. Candidates who meet the initial requirements will be invited to complete the relevant online assessments.

Applicants who require reasonable adjustments should indicate this on the application form before completing online tests or attending the assessment centre.

Candidates should also consider transport arrangements carefully, as some prison establishments are in rural locations and shift start and finish times are fixed.

How to apply

Applications close at 11:55pm on Thursday 29 October 2026.

Job reference: 473759
Advertiser: HM Prison & Probation Service

Source: Civil Service Jobs