From British Army to Prison Custody Officer
Category: Success Stories
Publish date: 01/07/2021
Jade joined the British Army when she was just 16.
All Jade wanted was to be part of an organisation that would challenge her. The British Army did this and more. It took her to exciting places, and she was able to meet a variety of people along the way.
“I completed tours of Afghanistan, Bosnia and Kosovo during my 6 and half year career in the Army. I was based in Germany for my first posting and as a 17-year-old this was a very new and scary experience, but also exciting, which is what I was looking for. I settled into my new regiment well and enjoyed living in a new country. I also loved being part of this big family (Army) and the loyalty, discipline and the new challenges I faced all the time.
In 2009 I left the Army and worked for a number of organisations, but none of the roles I had seemed to challenge me in the same way as the Army. None of the roles seemed to give me that variety every day, which was one of the things I enjoyed most.
Towards the end of 2018 I started to look elsewhere and discovered Sodexo Justice were recruiting Prison Custody Officers (PCO’s) at HMP Northumberland. I read the job description and information about the prison and thought, this is perfect. The parts of my job I missed in other organisations and job roles such as loyalty, discipline and daily challenges, were within the custodial setting.
Skills I took from the Army and use within my current role as PCO include the ability to engage with various people and stakeholders through clear communication; thinking on my feet; embracing teamwork and trusting my colleagues; adapting to different daily challenges; and being firm but fair.
Over the past two years, as a PCO, I have successfully completed a level 3 in custody and detention, and gained my level 2 in both Maths and English. I really enjoy being a Prison Custody Officer and working in a great team; knowing that my colleagues always have my back. I truly believe that my time spent in the Army has given me the right core values to be the Prison Custody Officer that I am today.”
If working for Sodexo interests you, you can find our latest vacancies advertised on CTP’s online job portal, RightJob.