Base Location: Bedford Vehicle Base, MK41 0HT
Permanent roles offering job stability & security.
Working as a Dual Badged Custody Officer 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, and you can make a difference every day. In addition to a rewarding career, we also offer:
- Salary of £28,715 (40hrs pw). Salary during 5 ½ weeks training is £25,716 (35hrs pw)
- 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).
- To further enhance the attractiveness of the role, you will have the opportunity to accrue additional earnings through a generous driving allowance of an extra £600 per year (subject to terms & conditions)
- We want to be transparent about your earnings and by factoring in the base salary and driving allowance above, as well as a weekly average of around 8 hours overtime, you can confidently anticipate growing your first-year income up to £34,315
- In addition to the above as Dual Badge Custody Officer you will also receive an additional allowance of £900 per year.
- 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). Flexibility is key as due to the nature of role there are a range of different working arrangements & additional hours. There will be days when your finishing time is unpredictable, 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.
We are open to considering part-time positions for day shifts only. However, please note that full-time attendance would be required during the initial training period of 5 1/2 weeks.
About the Role:
As a DBO at our base, you’ll work as part of crew to provide safe and secure court transportation & custody services of Adults, Children & Young People. Transporting and escorting them safely and securely to courts whilst ensuring the care of their physical and mental wellbeing.
Once in Court you’ll be responsible for every aspect of their welfare until it is time for return to custody or release. Duties include searching property & people; ensuring a high regard is paid to emotional and physical well-being of the young person and that any anxieties are recognised and managed; ensuring prevention of escape, self-harm, harm to others and damage to property; ensure food and drink is available throughout the day; completing paperwork and data entry for the day.
What you need to do the job!
Our current DBO’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, B/B1 License. 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 working with Children & Young People.
Try our careers assistant tool to find out more: Careers Assistant
Our Assessment Process:
Online Assessment (sent via email upon application) -> 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 SercoAt 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.
ApplyPlease 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.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to
Disability Confident.