Northern Ireland prison service (now recruiting))

sharon1986

chantelle101 wrote: »

My other half didnt pass either. Chin up!!! Hopefully this is ur path!!

I wonder if I have had the medical done etc will mine expire too?!?!

HighburyLad

I was told the merit list is live til July 2014 so I wouldn't worry about anything expiring

BIGD85

I think it will now be the new year before we here anything, fingers crossed folks :-)

sharon1986

BIGD85 wrote: »

I think it will now be the new year before we here anything, fingers crossed folks :-)

U calling again bigD?

BIGD85

Just phoned and was told that there is an intake in December, I was also told that they have no further dates for training atm and that even though I have my medical and clearance sorted she couldn't guarantee a start date, I was also told that the merit list is valid until July 2014, ill phone again in the new year, i just don't understand why they would go to the hassle of putting us through medicals etc and then not offer us a job, seems like such a waste of time and I hope all the waiting is going to worth it.

sharon1986

BIGD85 wrote: »

Just phoned and was told that there is an intake in December, I was also told that they have no further dates for training atm and that even though I have my medical and clearance sorted she couldn't guarantee a start date, I was also told that the merit list is valid until July 2014, ill phone again in the new year, i just don't understand why they would go to the hassle of putting us through medicals etc and then not offer us a job, seems like such a waste of time and I hope all the waiting is going to worth it.

Same as I was told. It's a joke. How many classes of PCO have gone thru so far anyone?

Weestones

Does anyone know how long the medical takes?

HighburyLad

Weestones wrote: »

Does anyone know how long the medical takes?

From what everybody has said on here mate not very long

HighburyLad

chantelle101 wrote: »

My other half didnt pass either. Chin up!!! Hopefully this is ur path!!

I hope so now Chantelle lol, I'm heading to a family shindig at the weekend and my fam who is a governor is gonna be there so I'm gonna grill him for every bit of info he knows lol, he always says when I ask him there will be more custody officers brought in but doesn't know when, apparently it's just a signing off to say okay we need x amount, and they already of us in line so it's just a matter of making the contact and getting bodies through Millisle, but I'll try and find out more info

chantelle101

HighburyLad wrote: »

I hope so now Chantelle lol, I'm heading to a family shindig at the weekend and my fam who is a governor is gonna be there so I'm gonna grill him for every bit of info he knows lol, he always says when I ask him there will be more custody officers brought in but doesn't know when, apparently it's just a signing off to say okay we need x amount, and they already of us in line so it's just a matter of making the contact and getting bodies through Millisle, but I'll try and find out more info

Lol yes do!!! He'll b hiding from u lol!!!

ukgirl

More numbers will come up probably in a few months too as they'll lose some officers to the psni I'm sure

HighburyLad

They'll be taking on more without a doubt, it's just when and how many, I've always been told it could be 100 or more, again this is just in conversation, since they took on the last recruits from Millisle, they gave the go ahead to give near 600 the early retirement package, I believe they took from the last campaign CO wise 300, so still a big number down, I don't think they will hire 300 new CO's but it will still be a few, if they have a merit list of 600 for our campaign they must be covering themselves for numbers, we need Ted777 to come back a dish a bit of info lol

chantelle101

Yes ted get ur butt back on here!!!

HighburyLad

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/prison-officers-set-to-get-danger-money-additional-security-payment-in-pipeline-amid-raised-dissident-threat-29803642.html

Prison officers finally getting the NI emergency allowances, an extra 3K a year

HighburyLad

And I have been told by my fam member that the new year will see a ball rolling on CO's, he said hopefully an extra few hundred will be taken on board, it's all to do with funding, he said too many left too soon which has now left the prisons severely understaffed, so I suppose it's the new year until we find out more, I was told to constantly phone the recruitment line, shows eagerness and keeps them on track with you as an applicant, shows your still wanting the job, a lot apparently have moved on to other jobs, and also with the psni recruiting and garda he said some will leave to pursue those jobs too, I was told too before the early retirement scheme the service had over 2000 staff in total, now operating at 1100 odd in total, so definitely definitely the new year will see some movement, I will be phoning in the new year the first week of January and probably won't stop until something happens lol and I hope we all don't have to wait too much longer, the extra environmental allowance makes the job all that more appealing, it always was but the extra 3k makes a big difference, but also brings into reality the threats that prison officers as well as police officers face here

Cubacuba

That's brilliant news. Hoping we get good news after Christmas then x

HighburyLad

Cubacuba wrote: »

That's brilliant news. Hoping we get good news after Christmas then x

Hopefully Cuba! look how long we have been waiting, it's just because we only picked CO roles I feel that the wait might pay off, I hope so anyway, would be awesome if we all ended up going through Millisle together at the same time

Weestones

HighburyLad wrote: »

And I have been told by my fam member that the new year will see a ball rolling on CO's, he said hopefully an extra few hundred will be taken on board, it's all to do with funding, he said too many left too soon which has now left the prisons severely understaffed, so I suppose it's the new year until we find out more, I was told to constantly phone the recruitment line, shows eagerness and keeps them on track with you as an applicant, shows your still wanting the job, a lot apparently have moved on to other jobs, and also with the psni recruiting and garda he said some will leave to pursue those jobs too, I was told too before the early retirement scheme the service had over 2000 staff in total, now operating at 1100 odd in total, so definitely definitely the new year will see some movement, I will be phoning in the new year the first week of January and probably won't stop until something happens lol and I hope we all don't have to wait too much longer, the extra environmental allowance makes the job all that more appealing, it always was but the extra 3k makes a big difference, but also brings into reality the threats that prison officers as well as police officers face here

Has there been any descision on the environmental allowance?

HighburyLad

Weestones wrote: »

Has there been any descision on the environmental allowance?

Yeah mate the post above the one you quoted there's a link it's in today's belfast telegraph, here's it again

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/prison-officers-set-to-get-danger-money-additional-security-payment-in-pipeline-amid-raised-dissident-threat-29803642.html

Aoine

Silly question maybe but will there be a set same annual allowance for 40/35/and 20 hr PCO posts as well as CO posts, I wonder?

HighburyLad

Aoine wrote: »

Silly question maybe but will there be a set same annual allowance for 40/35/and 20 hr PCO posts as well as CO posts, I wonder?

I'm not entirely sure but I would say there would be Aoine

sharon1986

Hi all, phoned them today again. Was told there's no more movement before Christmas, waiting on the next batch of PCO courses starting - she said that there's prob another 3 courses of 20 each in new year for PCO posts. She's at around 140 on the list. Given that trend there's only (I think) been three classes of 20 so far in this course started there must be at least 80 people that's either pulled outlet or that has been only in for CO posts.

HighburyLad

sharon1986 wrote: »

Hi all, phoned them today again. Was told there's no more movement before Christmas, waiting on the next batch of PCO courses starting - she said that there's prob another 3 courses of 20 each in new year for PCO posts. She's at around 140 on the list. Given that trend there's only (I think) been three classes of 20 so far in this course started there must be at least 80 people that's either pulled outlet or that has been only in for CO posts.

They didn't say anything on the CO front at all Sharon no?

Also folks I was told too that the PCO isn't under the NIPS it's under the PECCS, Prisoner Escort and Custody Court Service, so slightly different apparently and also I'm looking at the applicants handbook I had from when I threw in my initial application, and it actually says there are vancancies for the following roles PCO's and CO's, also stating "The appointments will be permanent and this competition will be used to fill a number of PCO and Custody Officer vacancies during the lifetime of the competition (one year)"

just hope they stay true to this statement

http://www.dojni.gov.uk/index/ni-prison-service/nips-recruitment-4/candidate-booklet.pdf

sharon1986

HighburyLad wrote: »

They didn't say anything on the CO front at all Sharon no?

Also folks I was told too that the PCO isn't under the NIPS it's under the PECCS, Prisoner Escort and Custody Court Service, so slightly different apparently and also I'm looking at the applicants handbook I had from when I threw in my initial application, and it actually says there are vancancies for the following roles PCO's and CO's, also stating "The appointments will be permanent and this competition will be used to fill a number of PCO and Custody Officer vacancies during the lifetime of the competition (one year)"

just hope they stay true to this statement

http://www.dojni.gov.uk/index/ni-prison-service/nips-recruitment-4/candidate-booklet.pdf

No nothing about CO. How different do you think the PECCS would be?

HighburyLad

sharon1986 wrote: »

No nothing about CO. How different do you think the PECCS would be?

I think it's just a part of the NIPS if I'm honest, I think your stationed at PECCS stations near the courts and operate mainly on transporting prisoners and working in the court houses, I'm gonna phone in the morning too and see if I can get more reassurance on the CO front, if merit is anything to go by I'm pretty high on the list and pissed would be an understatement if I didn't get a medical lol

sharon1986

HighburyLad wrote: »

I think it's just a part of the NIPS if I'm honest, I think your stationed at PECCS stations near the courts and operate mainly on transporting prisoners and working in the court houses, I'm gonna phone in the morning too and see if I can get more reassurance on the CO front, if merit is anything to go by I'm pretty high on the list and pissed would be an understatement if I didn't get a medical lol

Yeh i have to say il b pretty pissed too if I don't get a call, I mean surely they have some inkling il get a post ? Especially as iv had a medical, did your family member comment anything on that?

HighburyLad

sharon1986 wrote: »

Yeh i have to say il b pretty pissed too if I don't get a call, I mean surely they have some inkling il get a post ? Especially as iv had a medical, did your family member comment anything on that?

Just that of you get a medical your pretty much in, he's a governor and he's been having meetings about CO's, the prison review body said that there would be a reduction of 200 CO's in the NIPS which was agreed but they've actually reduced the number by 360 which is 160 too many which has now left the prisons greatly short staffed which is no secret amongst prison staff and that's what I think is happening right now to see how many they're taking in that's why the wait for CO's is taking so long the same is for PCO's

sharon1986

HighburyLad wrote: »

Just that of you get a medical your pretty much in, he's a governor and he's been having meetings about CO's, the prison review body said that there would be a reduction of 200 CO's in the NIPS which was agreed but they've actually reduced the number by 360 which is 160 too many which has now left the prisons greatly short staffed which is no secret amongst prison staff and that's what I think is happening right now to see how many they're taking in that's why the wait for CO's is taking so long the same is for PCO's

So why is the wait for PCOs?

HighburyLad

sharon1986 wrote: »

So why is the wait for PCOs?

I think it's like everything in this country something that should be relatively straight forward is made complicated lol, if you've been told there's 3 more classes, I think you should be grand especially if everything is done with ctc and medical etc, it's just a matter of a phone call to say when you start, they opened recruitment for both positions not knowing how many they needed which is what really has cause the whole process to be so drawn out

sharon1986

I'm just really worried il not get a chance at it, I'm working for police at min but hate the shift work as iv a family so that's why I wana get the PCO and b back from 9-5 work as far as I can