Benefits
Working for HM Prison Service brings many rewards besides those of seeing the difference you'll make to the lives of prisoners. Below is an outline of the benefits you'll enjoy as a Prison Officer.
Salary
The Prison Service offers a generous salary package. The starting salary is £18,135 (£21,561 in London) rising to up to £28,136. Salary progression will be on an annual basis dependent upon performance. Some establishments also have an additional local pay allowance ranging from £250 to £4,250 depending on location:
- £250: HMP Birmingham, HMP Bristol, HMP Littlehey, HMP Long Lartin, HMP Onley
- £1,100: HMP Winchester , HMP Lewes
- £2,600: HMYOI Aylesbury, HMP Bedford, HMP Bullingdon, HMP Bullwood Hall, HMP Chelmsford, HMP Grendon & Springhill, HMYOI Reading, HMP Woodhill
- £3,100: HMP Coldingley, HMP Downview, HMP High Down, HMP Send, HMP Belmarsh
- £4,000: HMYOI Feltham, HMYOI Huntercombe, HMP Latchmere House, HMP The Mount
- £4,250: HMP Brixton, HMP Holloway, HMP Pentonville, HMP Wandsworth, HMP Wormwood Scrubs
Annual Leave
Conditions of service require that annual leave is recorded in hours. Annual leave allowance is 4 weeks 2 days (22 days) on entry, rising to 5 weeks (25) days after 1 years’ service. This equates to 171.6 hours on entry, rising to 195 hours after 1 years’ service.
Part time and job share will be pro rata.
Bank, Public and Privilege Holidays
You are entitled to 11 days (or 86 hours) in recognition of bank, public and privilege holidays. These hours are added to the annual leave allowance.
Pension
The Civil Service offers a choice of two pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.
Training
The Prison Service is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.
Flexible working hours
The Prison service offers a flexible working system for certain grades.
Work Life Balance
The Prison Service is keen to encourage alternative working arrangements. Work life balance provides greater opportunities for staff to work more flexibly wherever managers can accommodate requests to do so.
Season ticket advance
After two months' service, you'll be eligible to apply for a season ticket advance to purchase a quarterly, or longer-period season ticket for travel between home and your place of work.
Childcare vouchers
The Prison Service offers a childcare vouchers scheme. The scheme enables staff to take part of their salary in the form of Childcare Vouchers. This is known as a Salary Sacrifice. The vouchers can then be used to help meet the costs of any form of registered or approved childcare for children aged 0-16. The vouchers are exempt from tax and National Insurance contributions.
