Apprenticeship Guide: Custodial Care

Custodial Care Services play a crucial part in the day-to-day running of the Justice System.

For this Apprenticeship, apprentices will work as Prison Officers or Prison Custody Officers in prisons or as Detention Officers in an immigration or detention centre, and as Escort Custody Officers looking after the security and welfare of adults, children and young people.

Intermediate apprentices will work as Operational Support officers, with responsibilities that include supervising visitors and searches of property.

Advanced apprentices will have different roles within different Custodial Care organisations, according to the type of environment in which they are employed and the level of security required.

Their work involves escorting prisoners/detainees, settling-in prisoners/detainees when they arrive and supervising their everyday activities such as meals, showers or exercise. Advanced apprentices will also carry out searches and security checks and make sure visitors understand and follow security procedures.

The job also involves some administration, completing forms, writing reports and liaising with colleagues and management about incidents.

Job Roles

• Intermediate Level Apprenticeships:
  Operational Support
• Advanced Level Apprenticeships:
  Prison Officer
  Prison Custody Officer
  Detention Officer
  Escort Custody Officer

_{This article is produced with permission from the Skills Funding Agency who fund skills training for further education (FE) in England. They support over 1,000 colleges, private training organisations, and employers with more than £4 billion of funding each year.}