Prisoner Escort Custody Services Lay Observer
- Body
- Prison Escort Custody Service
- Appointing Department
- Ministry of Justice
- Sector
- Prison & Policing
- Location
- London, Leeds, Newcastle
- Number of Vacancies
- 4 in London, 2 within 50 miles of Leeds, 1 within 50 miles of Newcastle
- Remuneration
- Unremunerated though reasonable expenses will be reimbursed. Unfortunately applicants cannot be reimbursed for interview expenses.
- Time Requirements
- Approximately 2 to 3 days per month and this can be flexible, depending on the needs of the region and the individual.
- Closing Date
- 25/06/2017 0000
- Interviews
- To be confirmed
Vacancy Description
You will monitor custodial suites in courts and vans that transport detained persons to and from prisons and police stations. You will speak to prisoners about the conditions they are held in and how they’ve been treated. You will also observe how prisoners are handed over to the care of new officers when they arrive at their destination. At the end of each visit, you’ll complete a short report to record what you’ve observed.
Person Specification
Applicants do not need any special qualifications or experience. We will provide all necessary training and support; however you will be required to undertake Security Clearance Checks. You need to be enthusiastic, open minded, possess effective communication and team-working skills and have the ability to exercise sound, objective judgments. Lay Observer reports are downloaded onto a database, so you should have basic computer skills and be familiar with MS Word and emailing. It is likely there will be some travelling, for which you will be reimbursed. Anybody over 18 can apply. We are particularly keen to hear from young people, those of working age and people from black and minority ethnic communities, since these groups are underrepresented at present.
Additional Information
Lay Observers are volunteers appointed by the Secretary of State for Justice under the 1991 Criminal Justice Act, to check on the welfare of prisoners whilst they are in the care and custody of the Escort contractors. The escort of prisoners from prisons and police stations to courts in England and Wales is contracted out to the private sector and is managed by the Ministry of Justice.
How to Apply
An application pack, along with further details on these posts and how to apply, is available at: http://layobservers.org/join-now/current-vacancies/. Alternatively, please telephone 0203 334 3265 for a pack to be posted out to you. Completed applications should be emailed to LOrecruitment@justice.gsi.gov.uk, or posted to: Lay Observers Secretariat, 9th Floor, Post Point 9.52, The Tower, 102 Petty France, London SW1H 9AJ Reference Number: 2 of 2017