Prison Officer

Prison Officer Jobs at HMP Eastwood Park – 20 Vacancies, Salary Up to £39,334

Employer: HM Prison & Probation Service
Location: HMP Eastwood Park, Falfield, near Bristol, South West England, GL12 8DB
Salary: £34,928–£39,334 per year, depending on working hours
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, part-time, flexible working and job share
Number of vacancies: 20
Job grade: Administrative Officer
Reference number: 473510
Closing date: 29 October 2026 at 11:55 pm

Visa sponsorship: Skilled Worker sponsorship may be available, but applicants who require sponsorship are unlikely to be sponsored for this recruitment campaign.

Job Overview

HM Prison & Probation Service is recruiting 20 Prison Officers at HMP Eastwood Park, a women’s prison in Falfield, near Bristol.

This permanent opportunity is suitable for people who want to build a career in the prison service while helping maintain safety, support rehabilitation and protect the public.

Prison officers work directly with women in custody, building professional relationships, managing challenging situations and supporting prisoners through their time in prison.

You do not need specific qualifications to become a prison officer. The employer places considerable importance on personal qualities, including communication, resilience, sound judgement, empathy and teamwork.

Salary and Working Hours

The salary depends on the number of hours you choose to work after completing initial training.

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

The advertised salary figures include applicable allowances for the role and location.

Initial training is based on 37 hours per week. After training, you can choose to work 37, 39 or 41 hours per week.

Prisons operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You must therefore be prepared to work shifts that may include evenings, some nights, weekends and public holidays. Additional paid hours may also be available.

About the Role

Working as a prison officer involves a varied range of responsibilities. Your duties may change throughout the day depending on the needs of the prison and the people in your care.

You will help maintain a safe and secure environment, communicate with prisoners, make decisions under pressure and work closely with colleagues.

HMP Eastwood Park is a women’s prison. The employer highlights that many women in custody have experienced difficult backgrounds, including emotional, physical or sexual abuse. Officers must therefore demonstrate understanding, empathy and professionalism while maintaining appropriate boundaries.

The role requires resilience and the ability to build constructive relationships with people who may be experiencing challenging circumstances.

Essential Skills and Personal Qualities

You do not need formal qualifications to apply, but you must demonstrate the personal qualities required for the position.

These include:

• Good communication and influencing skills.
• A commitment to providing a quality service.
• Effective decision-making.
• Care, empathy and understanding.
• Confidence and resilience when dealing with difficult situations.
• The ability to work effectively as part of a team.
• Professionalism and integrity.

You must also be comfortable working in a physically active environment and following prison security procedures.

Eligibility Requirements

To be considered for a Prison Officer position, you must:

• Be at least 18 years old when you start employment.
• Meet the Civil Service nationality requirements.
• Pass the required medical and fitness assessments.
• Meet the required eyesight standards, with and without corrective lenses.
• Meet the required hearing standard without hearing aids.
• Have tattoos that comply with the employer’s rules. Offensive, discriminatory, violent or intimidating tattoos are not permitted. Facial tattoos are generally unacceptable, except for cultural, religious or medical reasons.

Successful applicants must also complete the required security checks, including an enhanced criminal record check and the relevant personnel security checks.

Important: The advert states that a three-year UK residency requirement applies to work in a high-security Category A prison. Applicants should confirm the applicable security and residency requirements for their appointment.

Is a Driving Licence Required?

A driving licence and access to your own transport are beneficial but are not essential requirements for this vacancy.

HMP Eastwood Park is in a location where public transport options may be limited. You must make sure you can arrive for your shifts on time because shift start and finish times are fixed.

Is Visa Sponsorship Available?

Skilled Worker visa sponsorship is unlikely for this recruitment campaign.

The employer states that sponsorship may be available, subject to eligibility and the UK Immigration Rules in force when an application is made. However, candidates who require Skilled Worker sponsorship are unlikely to be sponsored because of current immigration requirements and recruitment timescales.

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

Meeting the nationality requirements for a Civil Service position does not automatically mean you qualify for a Skilled Worker visa.

If you are applying from outside the UK and require employer sponsorship, carefully consider this restriction before investing time in the application process.

You can check the official eligibility guidance on the UK government’s Skilled Worker visa page.

Training and Assessment

Applicants will go through several stages during recruitment.

1. Initial online test

After submitting your application, you will be invited to complete the first online test. This assesses basic judgement and numerical skills relevant to the role.

2. Values-Based Assessment

Successful candidates will progress to a second online test designed to assess how well they demonstrate the values required of a prison officer.

Candidates who meet the required pass mark may be invited to the next stage as assessment places become available.

3. Online Assessment Centre

The Online Assessment Centre assesses the behaviours, strengths and abilities needed to perform the role effectively.

4. Written behaviour-based questions

After successfully completing the assessment centre, you will be invited to provide written responses to three behaviour-based questions. These will explore your understanding of working as a prison officer in a women’s prison and your reasons for applying.

5. Medical and fitness assessment

When a suitable vacancy is identified, successful candidates will be invited to complete medical and fitness checks. These include eyesight and hearing tests and basic health screening, including a blood pressure check.

Important: The employer cannot arrange medical and fitness assessments outside the UK. Applicants must attend a UK-based assessment centre to progress their application.

The recruitment process also assesses communication, managing a quality service, effective decision-making and caring.

Candidates who were unsuccessful at the second online test within the previous six months may now reapply.

What Happens If You Pass the Assessment?

This is a merit-based vacancy.

Candidates who successfully complete the Online Assessment Centre will be placed on a merit list according to their assessment scores.

Job offers will be made to candidates with the highest scores first as vacancies become available. The merit list can remain valid for 12 months.

If you are unsuccessful at the sift or assessment stage, a six-month waiting period will apply before you can submit another application for a prison officer position.

The assessment process may also establish your suitability for an Operational Support Grade (OSG) position. If you are unsuccessful in your application for a prison officer role, you may be offered an alternative OSG position.

Employee Benefits

HM Prison & Probation Service offers a range of employment benefits, including:

• 25 days of annual leave, increasing to 30 days after 10 years of service.
• Paid time off for public holidays.
• One additional privilege day.
• Civil Service pension with an advertised employer contribution of 28.97%.
• Cycle-to-work scheme.
• Travel loans and other employee benefits.
• Opportunities to work additional paid hours.

The employer also provides reasonable adjustment support for eligible applicants who need assistance during online tests or assessment activities. Requests should be made in advance so arrangements can be put in place.

How to Apply

To apply, review the full job description and complete the online application through the official recruitment website.

Before applying, check the eligibility requirements, shift arrangements, assessment stages and visa sponsorship restrictions.

Application deadline: 29 October 2026 at 11:55 pm.

Job reference: 473510
Advert reference: 202608

Source

HM Prison & Probation Service – Civil Service Jobs.