Working with challenging young people every day isn’t for everyone. But if you have what it takes to support young people’s rehabilitation, it could be a rewarding career. Expect great training, excellent benefits, the chance to make rapid progress, and much more.
At Medway Secure Training Centre you will look after young people aged 12 to 17 years old who have been remanded or sentenced to periods of detention. The vulnerable young people in our care can be challenging with a wide range of social and emotional complex needs, and it is up to you to support their rehabilitation.
Do you have what it takes?
Firstly, you’ll need great communication skills. You’ll have to deal with all kinds of situations and your ability to listen well and make yourself clearly understood will be vital. Self-confidence, personal integrity and emotional intelligence are also a must, along with plenty of discipline and physical stamina. Together, these qualities will allow you to support the people in your care with their rehabilitation, while also maintaining a safe environment. And at end of the day your resilience will mean you can leave work at work and bounce back from challenging events quickly.
If you have everything it takes, you can expect a lot in return. As well as specialist training for young people, you’ll have the chance to gain professional qualifications and make real progress in your career. You’ll also receive valuable public sector benefits, including 25 days’ annual leave and a civil service pension scheme. A free of use on-site gym and free parking are available to staff.
As an STC Officer, you will be joining NOMS, and your recruitment process will be similar to our prison officers. For more information about this recruitment process, visit nomscareers.com




Responsibilities, Activities, & Duties

Typical tasks include:
• Supervise, manage and control young people decently, lawfully, safely and securely while carrying out all activities
• Conduct searches on young people, staff and visitors as required
• Undertake external escorts
• Undertake ‘first on scene’ incident response
• Maintain and update systems in-line with local agreements
• Prepare relevant documentation to managers for verification / quality checking purposes
• Attend and contribute to relevant meetings as required
• Complete and update Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan
• Establish, develop and maintain professional relationships with young people and staff
• Understand and comply with national / local policies and legislation


Competencies

All of the competencies in the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) Competency and Qualities Framework are relevant to this group profile. For the purpose of selection the following competencies will be measured:
•　Leading and communicating
•　Managing a quality service
•　Achieving a safe and secure environment
•　Showing drive and resilience
•　Caring
•　Persuading and influencing

Essential skills, qualifications, & accreditation
•　All candidates are required to pass an online application and numeracy assessment, known as a POST test. You will need to attend and pass a variety of assessments at a Recruitment Assessment Day (RAD) which will include a written assessment, role-plays, medical assessment and a fitness test. Candidates who narrowly miss meeting the required standard at the RAD may be invited back to re-sit any of the modules they were unsuccessful in. Unsuccessful candidates may be offered an Operational Support Grade role at the establishment(s) they have applied to.
•　Candidates have 10 calendar days to complete the online POST after receiving the email invitation. Your application will not be progressed any further if you fail to complete the online POST.

•　For candidates who wish to submit multiple applications; you will be required to complete the online POST for each application. If you pass the POST you will only need to attend one Recruitment Assessment Day (RAD).

•　If successful in your application, you will attend a 10 week training course at the NOMS Learning and Development centre. Your continuation in this role is dependent on passing all modules within the initial training which is a qualification to becoming a fully competent STC Officer.

Failure to successfully complete and pass this course could result in your removal from this role and may result in the termination of your employment.

Following completion of your initial training, you will be subject to a 12 month probationary period



Salary, Working Arrangements & Further Information

Salary by weekly hours worked including 17% unsocial hours payment

Salary will depend on your location but will start at the following inclusive rates for the weekly hours worked (these rates include the 17% unsocial hours payment):

National
37 Hours - £20,751
38 Hours - £21,326
39 Hours - £21,902
40 Hours - £22,477
41 Hours - £23,052

Depending on your annual performance, affordability, public sector pay policy and the recommendations from the Prison Service pay review body, your inclusive pay may increase incrementally up to the following maximum rates over time:

National
37 Hours - £23,122
38 Hours - £23,762
39 Hours - £24,403
40 Hours - £25,044
41 Hours - £25,685

Where available, you may also be able to volunteer to work further additional hours at a premium rate

Benefits

Annual leave
The holiday year runs from 1 March and your leave entitlement will be managed in hours. You are entitled to 25 days leave on appointment (185 hours). If you are appointed on a part time basis your leave entitlement is calculated on a pro-rata basis and you will be advised of your actual entitlement on appointment. If you were appointed internally and your leave was previously calculated in days, this will continue to be the case.
Bank, public and privilege holidays
You are entitled to 9 days (66 hours 36 minutes) in recognition of bank, public and privilege holidays. These hours are added to your annual leave allowance. There is a requirement to work some public and bank holidays subject to your shift pattern and the operational needs of the establishment.

Pension
The Civil Service offers a choice of two pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Work life balance
We are keen to encourage alternative working arrangements. Work life balance provides greater opportunities for staff to work more flexibly wherever managers and establishments can accommodate requests to do so. We offer flexible working subject to completion of a satisfactory probationary period and NVQ.

Season ticket advance
After two month’s 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
We offer 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.

Training
All STC officers receive an initial training programme which includes a 10 week course. There are an additional two weeks on the course which will be spent in the establishment. This course is designed to equip you to work as a STC officer, but your initial training will continue throughout your first year of service and you will be required to complete all parts of it in order to complete your probationary period.
We are committed to staff development and offer a range of training and development opportunities, including areas such as equality and diversity, dealing with challenging behaviour, suicide prevention and anti-bullying programmes.
There are opportunities to access promotion programmes and NOMS provides a variety of training appropriate to individual posts. There are no barriers to further promotion to staff first appointed as STC officers.


Eligibility

•　All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post.
• All external candidates are subject to 12 months probationary period (internal candidates are subject to probation if they have not already served a probation period with NOMS).
•　All staff are required to declare whether they are a member of a group or organisation which the NOMS considers to be racist.
Civil Service Code
The Civil Service Code, first published in 1996, sets out the core Civil Service values and the standards of behaviour expected of all civil servants in upholding these values.
•　Integrity – putting the obligations of public service above personal interests.
•　Honesty – being truthful and open.
•　Objectivity – basing advice and decisions on rigorous analysis of the evidence.
•　Impartiality – acting solely according to the merits of the case and serving governments of different political parties equally well.
To review the Civil Service Code visit: www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/values