HM Prison & Probation Service Employee Reviews

Being a prison officer is hard work lots of mental stress and anxiety for your safety, the biggest challenge is your work colleagues who will treat you like trash when you new however if you have a good time you will thrive

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HMP Berwyn

Former Prison Officer (Former Employee) - Wrexham, Wrexham - 28 November 2023

They will sell you a dream that will become a nightmare once you actually start the job. Training is fun but totally insufficient to the actual role and they will say you will do on the job learning which might entail learning from someone on the course a month ahead of you. Shadowing a shadow basically. The place is an absolute shambles, run by amateur Mickey mouse staff. Absolute chaos in there on some wings, if you look reasonably fit and tough they will allocate you a neglected, dump of a wing. No help and support from mentors or management just expected to know things from your inadequate training. You can be expected to work 9 shifts in a row too which isn't overtime. The place is ridiculously understaffed, which is telling in itself but makes it more dangerous. Heard this place is a bit unique for how bad it is. If you're interested I'd suggest applying for another Prison.

Pros

None

Cons

Intolerable working conditions, crazy shift pattern

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This place is a farce

OSG (Former Employee) - Bicester, Oxfordshire - 27 November 2023

They wasted my time for more than 2 months! I have passed all the pre-employment checks and since the beginning I have explained that I am studying. The job was described as Flexible time which means they will suit the schedule to my needs. At the end, when they offered me a start date, I explained my days off from uni and they said that they are not able to accommodate to my schedule. How do they offer something that they are not going to accomplish? This place is a farce. Completely dissapointed.

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Case load extremely high. Very stressful job

Probation Service Officer (Former Employee) - West Midlands - 24 November 2023

Too much time spent on a computer, not enough time to engage with service users. Target driven , no support , stressful job. Long hours . Not worth it

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Stable job

Probation Officer (Current Employee) - Hertfordshire - 22 November 2023

A stable job, which varies and can move around across the civil service frequently. The current climate is showing under staffed and this can be felt by staff, however, good management will support you and be of understanding.

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Insights into HM Prison & Probation Service

Based on 669 survey responses

Areas for improvement

Energising work tasks
Sense of belonging
General feeling of work happiness

Bad

Prison Officer (Former Employee) - Southampton, Hampshire - 20 November 2023

Hard work but good team spirit. Flexible working hours. I was able to manage my own work load as long as I achieved the relevant deadlines. It was very much a mans world and if you do not like a lot of swearing this is not the place for you

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Considering paying a fair wage for the work expected

Case Administrator (Current Employee) - London Service Centre in Norwich - 20 November 2023

HMPPS work their Case Administrators to the bone and pay a ridiculously low wage. You can earn just as much or more working in your local Aldi with half the stress.

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Demanding and tiring with little reward

Prison Officer (Former Employee) - Redditch - 20 November 2023

What is the best part of working at the company?The wage is the only upside iiWhat is the most stressful part about working at the company?Hiring the wrong staff for this roleWhat is the work environment and culture like at the company?Stressful and very demanding jobWhat is a typical day like for you at the company?None stop from the moment you get there to the moment you finish

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Under appreciated , soul destroying

Prison Officer (Former Employee) - Wakefield, West Yorkshire - 19 November 2023

The best part about this job is you meet some great people, (colleagues) but then there are others that won’t think twice to talking about you behind your back. Work life balance as advertised is practically non existent, I fully appreciate that there are times when an operational requirement deems it necessary to stay beyond your shift finishing however it’s the way management speak to you about it, in a ‘You will stay because I said so’ tone. A lot of repetitive jobs, generally the same people detailed the same jobs and others stuck doing the run around jobs, management definitely have favourites, you can pick them out as you’d usually find them sat in the office with a coffee chatting / having a laugh and a joke with said managers whilst you are out like a mug doing what they should be doing, but that may just be an establishment thing, other places may be different, but the fact certain officers don’t get picked for anything ‘hands on’ and the same people do because their face fits, it just deskills other officers in my opinion. You’ll find your online detailing system can say you are on a job one day and you’ll come in to find the wing supervisor has changed it and your shifted to the same job you usually get stuck on and the favourites end up on what’s considered the “good jobs”Over time is often available, decent pay too. Nights are a drag, if there’s more than one of you on a wing due to the way the detail drops the spare will be sent to do other jobs, bed watch / constant watch etc, you’ll be told it’ll be rotated nightly to give you a break but that’s not -

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Don't do it

OSG (Former Employee) - Rochester - 15 November 2023

Horrible job. I was at HMP Rochester, the smt only care about the cons, training was non existent, staff always stabbing you in the back, I was always having to do extra night shifts because they were so short staffed. Wings were filthy with mice and massive rats running everywhere. If you want a life don't join HMPPS.

Pros

None

Cons

All of it.

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Challenging work please

Assistant Manager (Former Employee) - London, Greater London - 14 November 2023

I enjoy working in and I didn’t feel supported by the management Especially because it was working within the NHS and with a Hache MP prison service, so there was a lots of different managers

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A wild ride

Prison Officer (Current Employee) - Brough, East Riding of Yorkshire - 9 November 2023

- some mental days, but some easy slow days - progression if your face fits - possibility of being assaulted - decent annual leave - good maternity pay and sick pay

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No work life balance

Prison Officer (Current Employee) - Hmp stafford - 9 November 2023

No access to leave, shifts changed and extended all the time you never know when you will be home to have a life.Management will treat you and speak to you with contempt and indifference. You are nothing more than a number on a spreadsheet. Run to anything other than the prison service.

Pros

None I have ever seen

Cons

Long hours, poor pay, no respect

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Good

Police Officer (Former Employee) - Wakefield, West Yorkshire - 8 November 2023

Enjoyable place to work. Fabulous parties and paid hotel stays. Colleagues have a good sense of humour, as do management. Good times were had by all who worked there.

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Not bad

OSG (Current Employee) - Featherstone, Staffordshire - 6 November 2023

The job itself is great, you get to work with some amazing people. Shift patterns aren't brilliant and have to work 7 night shifts in a row every eight weeks.

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Don’t do it

Supervising Officer (Current Employee) - Wales - 29 October 2023

Poor working conditions.Staff undervalued.Prisoner always put before staff.SMT only think about their own careers.Unsafe for staff and prisoners. Toxic work environment.

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Great work environment

Administrator (Current Employee) - Derbyshire - 26 October 2023

My workplace has a really nice work environment- all staff are really friendly. We also have an annual rotation so you have the opportunity to do different jobs in the prison if you wish.

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Don’t bother

Support Worker (Former Employee) - Thamesmead, Greater London - 25 October 2023

Absolute jobs worth management who treat you like scum. They talk and treat you like something they’ve trod in. I felt like was on edge all the time and my anxiety was sky high.

Pros

Nothing

Cons

Everything

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Rewarding but challenging

Prison Officer (Current Employee) - United Kingdom - 22 October 2023

Strong team ethic in a challenging environment.Role takes a strong communicator with a steadfast attitude who has confidence in their own abilities.Good benefits especially the pension

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Horrible don’t work here

Sales Assistant (Former Employee) - Hull City Centre, East Riding of Yorkshire - 20 October 2023

I hated this job so much I wish there was a word I could use to sum up my experience but overall it was horrible I never want to step into the building I worked at again.

Pros

Nothing

Cons

Everything

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It's alright

Pso (Current Employee) - Nottingham, Nottinghamshire - 20 October 2023

Good place to work, staff morale is great however management aren't bothered about staff wellbeing Never thought I'd want to work anywhere else but seriously looking now. It's now a place where 18 year olds rule the roost and haven't got life experience

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