A career as a Residential Officer is both challenging and rewarding and you might be surprised by the wide variety of tasks and responsibilities our Officers carry out on a daily basis. 

The primary role of a Residential Officer is to support those in our care on a day-to-day basis through effective case management. You will play a key part in helping us to continue to reduce the number of individuals that re-offend and to achieve our vision of Unlocking Potential and Transforming Lives.

Residential Officers work various shifts in line with a roster. This may include; day shift, night shift and back shift depending on the establishment

The prisoner population in Scotland is changing, and those within our care have a complex range of needs, as such the role of the Residential Officer within our prisons is evolving and we need the best people to help us to achieve our aim of reducing re-offending and making Scotland a safer place.

What does it take to become a Residential Officer?

You don’t need experience of working within a prison environment to become a Prison Officer - Residential, what you do need is a commitment to the SPS values and the belief that you can make a difference to the lives of those within our care.

You might have experience of working in a care capacity, helping and supporting vulnerable people with specific needs. You may have worked in a fast paced customer service environment, managing competing demands and de-escalating difficult situations. You may have worked in an educational environment, supporting others in a non-judgmental and encouraging manner. These are just some examples of the transferable skills that we are looking for in individuals to join our team.

We believe that the key to our success is by investing in our people and unlocking their full potential. As long as you have the right values and the commitment to make a difference we will equip you with the knowledge and skills you will require to excel in the role of Residential Officer. 

Staff officer at Low Moss

Officer Intakes

We have Residential Officer intakes planned throughout the year.

Pay & Reward

Residential Officers joining the SPS from 1st April 2024, will receive a starting salary of £34,789 progressing to £40,850 within 3 years, subject to pay progression.

Further information on the total reward package can be found here.

What does a Residential Officer do?

Residential Officers take on many different roles. Most notably, they are one of the main points of contact for those within our care, as they’re predominately based within the accommodation areas of the prison.

Building and maintaining relationships is key to success as a Residential Officer. It’s important to have a professional persona and the ability to build respect and trust with those in our care, holding a genuine belief that people can change. By forming relationships and breaking down barriers, Residential Officers help those in our care to desist from re-offending by encouraging them to engage in rehabilitation and reintegration initiatives.

A Residential Officer should be fair but firm, so it’s also important that if they witness inappropriate actions or behaviour, they have the confidence to challenge this in a consistent and just manner.

Residential Officer may also be assigned as a Personal Officer to a group of individuals. Personal Officers have responsibility for managing casework so it’s important they exercise professional judgement within their work. They are responsible for updating electronic records and for writing high quality reports.

A Residential Officer understands that each person within our care has individual needs. They offer holistic, non-judgemental support and guidance to help others to reach their full potential, which means it is important for them to be approachable and compassionate.

Although they do their best to help those within our care, Residential Officers also recognise when they need to ask for additional support or where they have identified learning opportunities. Therefore, as well as building relationships with those in custody, Officers also have strong links with our agency partners in order to provide a full support service.

Residential Officer Recruitment Process

Within the SPS our values are at the heart of everything we do, therefore our recruitment process is designed to ensure that we can attract and appoint individuals whose values align with our own. By recruiting people who share our values, we believe that we can have a real impact on transforming the lives of those within our care, resulting on a positive impact on our communities.

Why are values so important to us?

Juliet Hancock, an organisational development professional, describes the value of values and why there are important in the world of work.

Our personal values describe what is most important to us; they are individual and internal and we use them every day, often at an unconscious level, to make decisions and choices about what we do and how we do it – they are the reason why we do the things that we do.

Our values provide the motivation, drive and energy to get things done; they also determine when we feel frustrated, angry or lack the energy to do something because it doesn’t fit the values that are important to us. 

If there is alignment between our personal values and the prevailing environment at work, we will feel a sense of well-being. If there is a gap, we will ‘disengage’ and not be able to give our best or fulfill our potential. It is for these reasons that values are so important to us as we recognise their importance in allowing us to maximise the positive impact we can have on the lives of those in our care.

Our selection process for Residential Officers consists of the following steps:

  1. Submit application
  2. Situational judgement test
  3. Cognitive ability test
  4. Group exercise and written exercise
  5. Interview
  6. Pre-employment checks
  7. Assignment
Staff member and prisoner in education room at Low Moss

Candidates successful through the recruitment process will be required to undertake a Fitness Test as part of the pre-employment checks. Information on the Fitness Test Standards can be found here.

Further information about each step in the process can be found on the "Applicant Pack" attached to the advert.