Advance into Justice – Prison Catering: Caterer

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

Advance into Justice is a recruitment scheme targeted at supporting those who have served in the Armed Forces and their families into employment within operational roles within HMPPS.  

Advance into Justice is open to Service Leavers, Veterans within 5 years of leaving the Armed Forces and their Spouses and Legal Partners.

Eligible applicants who pass our assessment processes will be offered a 2 year fixed-term appointment within the option to convert to permanency, subject to approval, after 12 months, under Exception 2 to the Civil Service recruitment principles.

Successful applicants will be offered either a home to work travel or resettlement package to support their transition within their first 2 years of employment.

All provisional offers will be held for a period of 12 months from the point of offer, to allow service leavers to plan for their exit from the Armed Forces.

Please note, if there is no vacancy immediately available at your chosen Prison you will be placed on a merit list for 12 months.

This is not your average catering job. It is a great chance to put your catering qualifications and skills into practice and make an impact far beyond the kitchen.

As part of the prison’s catering team, you’ll be working in a professional industrial kitchen environment, with a good salary, pension and Civil Service benefits including apprenticeship opportunities ‘earn while you learn’. Unlike traditional restaurant jobs, you won’t have to work late into the evening.

You’ll oversee the work of offenders to prepare and cook quality, nutritional meals for the entire prison. Plus, you’ll play your part in helping them turn their lives around – supporting them to learn new skills and work towards gaining qualifications to increase their chances of employment and reduce their likelihood of reoffending when they leave prison.

For the full job description please refer to supporting document 1.

Watch our video on the website to hear from some of our prison caterers about what the role is really like.

Hours and salary

You will work a 37 hour week and shift patterns are in place which include hours outside of 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday, weekends and public holidays. You will receive a 20% unsocial hours payment in addition to your basic pay, subject to working these hours. A small amount of posts require no unsocial hours.

All roles can be open to part-time and job share arrangements subject to the business need/operational requirement. However, you will still be required to undertake the full range of shifts, if post requires unsocial hours. As a new recruit, you will start on the minimum salary.

Inner London Pay Scales

HMP Pentonville, HMP Wandsworth, HMP Wormwood Scrubs

Band 3 salary minimum inclusive of 20% unsocial hours allowance – £33,799

Band 3 salary maximum inclusive of 20% unsocial hours allowance – £ 35,587

If the post does not require unsocial hours you will work a 37 hour week Monday to Friday, core day hours only.

Band 3 salary minimum – £28,166

Band 3 salary maximum – £29,656

Outer London Pay Scales

HMP Belmarsh, HMP Downview, HMYOI Feltham, HMP High Down

Band 3 salary minimum inclusive of 20% unsocial hours allowance – £32,114

Band 3 salary maximum inclusive of 20% unsocial hours allowance – £33,814

If the post does not require unsocial hours you will work a 37 hour week Monday to Friday, core day hours only.

Band 3 salary minimum – £26,762

Band 3 salary maximum – £28,178

National Pay Scales

All other prisons

Band 3 salary minimum inclusive of 20% unsocial hours allowance – £28,800

Band 3 salary maximum inclusive of 20% unsocial hours allowance – £30,410

If the post does not require unsocial hours you will work a 37 hour week Monday to Friday, core day hours only.

Band 3 salary minimum – £24,067

Band 3 salary maximum – £25,342

Qualifications and experience

• Level 2 certificate in food production within hospitality and catering or equivalent
• Food hygiene certificate at Level 2

In addition, you must be:

• Familiar with all current health, safety and hygiene related regulations for working in a kitchen
• Able to demonstrate competency within an industrial kitchen environment
• Able to speak with confidence in English

Please note refresher training in food safety (HACCP) should be completed at three year intervals.

Tips for applying

You will need to provide an anonymised CV and answer questions which outline your past experience.

You will also need to answer specific ‘behavioural’ questions. We will ask you how you would react in your job.

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions
• Developing Self and Others

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Work experience 1
• Work experience 2

• Access to learning and development
• A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• Annual Leave
• Public Holidays
• Season Ticket Advance

For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.

Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

Job contact :

• Name : SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team
• Email : Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com
• Telephone : 0845 241 5358

Recruitment team

• Email : Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com