Location: Bedford Vehicle Base, MK44 1FD
Permanent roles offering job stability & security.
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, where you can make a difference every day. In addition to a rewarding career, we also offer:
- Salary of £28,715 (salary during training 5 ½ weeks is £25,126).
- Unlike traditional compensation structures, 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 - £29,413 / year 3 - £30,080 / year 4 - £30,771)
- In addition to above you’ll be entitled to a generous driving allowance, further enhancing the attractiveness of this role;
- C1 License (valid CPC card desirable) = £2400 / D License (with valid CPC card & Tacho Graph desirable) = £2700
- We want to be transparent about how your earnings can increase. By factoring in the base salary, driving allowance type, as well as a weekly minimum of 5 hours overtime, you can confidently anticipate growing your first-year income from £29,315 to £34,415!
- Pension (matched up to 6%), life insurance; 20 days annual leave (rising to 25 after 7 years’ service) plus Bank Holidays and 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 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
- 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 (minimum of 40hrs pw) including bank holidays (apart from Christmas Day and Good Friday). Roles at our bases start from 6.30am and due to the nature of the role, the finish time is not known, therefore flexibility is key in this role, as it is likely that you will work more than the contractual 40-hour week. Whilst it is rare, there can be occasions that you will be required to work in the evening and possibly overnight. 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 base, you’ll work as part of crew to provide safe and secure court transportation & custody services. You’ll collect detainees from prisons or police stations and transport them safely and securely to courts whilst ensuring the care of their physical and mental wellbeing.
Once you arrive at court, you’ll be responsible for every aspect of their care until it’s time for them to return to custody or 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.
You’ll need to hold a current driver's license - C1 License (valid CPC card desirable) / D License (with valid CPC card & Tacho Graph desirable) . You must 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.
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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.
#PECS
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.
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