HMP Wayland aims to provide each prisoner with a personalised education, skills development, or work package.

Prisoners have access to a range of educational qualifications: from basic level Maths and English, to degree-level subjects; plus numerous City and Guilds accredited vocational qualifications in subjects such as bricklaying, plumbing, carpentry and landscaping. The prison also offers a course covering essential skills – such as book-keeping and marketing – needed to set up your own business.

There are a range of onsite specialist and industries workshops in which prisoners can actively engage in learning new, transferable skills, employment discipline, and practical life-skills such as timekeeping, teamwork and effective communication.

HMP Wayland also has an impressive digital media suite in which prisoners can learn skills such as website and video development and editing. Prisoners manage HMP Wayland’s intranet which hosts a wide range of information and resources that prisoners can access from their cells.

HMP Wayland has its own onsite training facility, meaning you won’t need to spend ten weeks away from home at a national training centre during your initial training. As part of your training, you’ll also have access to a ‘learning cell’ in which you’ll be able to experience being in a prison cell and practice key drills such as cell searches.

As an employee of HMP Wayland, you’ll have access to a range of facilities and employee benefits including:

• up to £8k home-to-work travel expenses, for 3 years*

• use of a free, onsite gym

• free, onsite parking

• barista style coffee and subsidised food from the onsite coffee shop and cafeteria

• excellent training and career progression pathways.

*These are new benefits applicable to people starting their first prison officer role through this current recruitment intake only.

Work alongside your personal commitments and change lives

If you’re looking to return to work after taking time out, but can’t commit to full-time hours, or you need to work around family or other personal commitments, you might like to consider our part-time offer. Work flexible hours, put your transferrable skills into practice, and help those you work with make positive changes in their lives.

What’s on offer:

• working an 18.5 hour week, you’ll work shifts including some full days, evenings, weekends and nights. With some flexibility around your working patterns, there will be opportunities to discuss them with your line manager. Plus, wherever possible, you’ll work alongside another part-time prison officer on a job share basis

• full training, on a part-time basis of up to 20 hours a week over 15 weeks, and full pay throughout your training

• home-to-work travel expenses of up to £8k a year

• access to the full range of benefits available to full-time employees, including paid annual leave (pro rata) and career development opportunities.

Take a look at our part-time working guide for more information. And read what Jason has to say about working part-time as a prison officer.

We don’t currently have any part-time vacancies at HMP Wayland, but do visit this page regularly for an opportunity to apply next time we do.

“I’m proud to be the Governor of HMP Wayland because of the rehabilitative interventions we have available for the men in our care. With a firm focus on training and education, we offer a range of opportunities for prisoners to learn new skills to increase their chances of employment when they leave us.”

“As a prison officer at HMP Wayland, you’ll be working in a team where you feel supported and seen. Join us and you’ll be surrounded by people from all walks of life who are passionate about making a difference.”

We offer a range of career development opportunities: from experience of working in different functional teams, to specialist roles and career progression pathways.”

Ali Barker

Governor, HMP Wayland

Working as a prison officer comes with a range of attractive benefits, including:

• 25 days’ annual holiday (rising to 30 days after 10 years’ service)*

• Civil Service pension of up to 20% of your salary

• generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave

• cycle to work scheme and travel loans for season tickets

• tenancy loan agreements

• access to keyworker housing schemes run by local housing authorities

• employee assistance programmes which offer counselling, support and information on a wide range of topics.

*As a prison operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you will need to work on some public and Bank holidays. Any that you do work will be added to your annual leave entitlement.

HMP Wayland is easily accessible from the M11 and A11. With plenty of on-site parking for staff, it’s a 40 minute drive from Norwich, and around 20 minutes from Thetford and Attleborough. There’s a bike shed for those who enjoy cycling.

A regular train service runs into Thetford, which is about 12 miles from the prison, and taxis can be booked in advance from the station. Attleborough station is slightly closer, but with a less frequent train service.

Webinars

Take a look at the recording from our ‘Becoming a prison officer at HMP Wayland’ webinar.  You can also read the answers to the questions which were put to our panel.