Scottish Prison Service Employee Reviews
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The Scottish Prison Service offers a stable job, with a strong pension and opportunities for rapid career progression. It is a caring environment, working with vulnerable people.
Rewarding work in a team situation where there are great challenges but wonderful rewards in your dealings with colleagues and prisoners. Clear setting of goals and objectives.
Pros
Team working
Cons
Security
The SPS College is nothing but so called senior management trying to project power. Big fish in a little pond, sent to the college to get them out of sight and out of mind of where the SPS require real management, which is within the jails. You will be fed lies and stories, and if your face doesn't fit they will use their 'power' to get you out. Steer well clear.
Pros
Good first line managers, above that.....useless and clueless.
Cons
Senior management
Full of false promises.The best part of the job is the prisoners hearing all the stories.The management throughout the service is background BULLIES who pass their views down the ladder,senior members of staff or worried about their position so they follow the instructions from the management BULLIES.
Various types of jobs to within the Service and many chances for promotion and work experience to help you accelerate to use your full potential and abilities. Tremendous work ethics and support at all stages throughout your career.
Dealing with young men who have faced difficulties and where, hopefully, with their understanding, realisation and cooperation, they will become useful members of the society upon release and will not re-offend.
Pros
Job security. Competitve salry.
Cons
Volatility of those in our care.
Provided you work hard and stick to the rules you can expect to given the chance to improve your prospect.
Job security is one of the important aspects of working in the prison service.
was there over 2 years and management are only reactive to problems that can be highlighted to them by staff below them. A bullying culture that goes unchecked. Staff favouring certain prisoners and disregarding the next. there is no Equality and Diversity that they try and portray
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Never know what to expect from one day to another, dealing with different types of people from different backgrounds, cultures and people who can change attitudes in the blink of an eye
Do not apply for this. They promise the earth and you are treated worse than the prisoners. The job itself is ok however management continually screw over staff while they walk around doing absolutely nothing (well they dress up and take pictures of themselves in the office!!).
Scottish prison service provide a range of excellent demanding roles for enthusiastic individuals who care about others. Often people who are imprisoned are at a low point in life so it is very satisfying to help them get back on track.
Pros
flexibility
Cons
stress
31 years service the organisation has changed considerably prisoners have more rights and protection than staff have. Lacking leadership from the top.
Disgraceful employer. A dreadful bullying culture is still prevalant in the service. There were two staff suicides in the seven years I worked for the SPS. HR there is a total joke. If a governor takes a dislike to you then you are as well leaving. The opportunities for advancement are slim to nil.
Starting pay is low for what you do, however, changes now made to the pay structure to increase speed of advancement. Relatively good work/ life balance. Hard going at times due to clientelle. Areas available for progression if you are willing to work hard and really want it for the right reasons.
During my time with the SPS, approx. 25, it years was a rewarding if not challenging experience on a daily basis. More recently I feel it has become a more volatile place to work and in my opinion understaffing is becoming a massive issue.
No real faults, some managers are stereotypical bullies but most are OK. Worth taking a look at if you fancy a career change. The benefits outweigh the negatives.
Pros
Reasonable salary
Cons
Rotational shifts may not suit all
Not as bad an environment as people imagine it’s more like a secure college than a prison. Your heart really needs to be in the job to tolerate a long career in this sector.
Pros
Salary
Cons
Cons
The staff you will work with are fantastic but management treat all employees like children. Doing well in this job is on a ‘if your face fits’ basis. You are expected to go above and beyond and get nothing in return. The bullying that goes on from management is awful! Staff are not treated equally. The pay is not enough for what we do. I wouldn’t recommend anyone coming to work for the SPS. It’s an unsafe environment due to staff shortages and over crowding. If they looked after their staff better they may be able to keep them.
Pros
Great for a social life
Cons
Everything else!
Overcrowding putting more and more pressure on already stretched staff. Excellent training and very high professionalism of staff makes for the maintenance of discipline and order but the drug culture and underlying threat of violence are a constant stress builder. On the whole I considered it to be a safe working environment and assaults on staff are low I was never assaulted in 17 years of service. If you're looking for a career where no 2 days are the same and you are working with some of the most complex people in society this is the job for you.
Pros
Secure career excellent training and cameraderie.
Cons
Difficult people with complex mental health drug and alcohol issues.
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