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Prison should lead to more than a return visit

Andy, 2021 Cohort

Prison should lead to more than a return visit

Work with us Back to top

#What we’re looking for

Are you looking to have a positive social impact, while growing your career? Excited to be part of an award-winning organisation with a reputation for innovation and excellence? Dream of being given the freedom to solve knotty problems?

Unlocked Graduates is working to break cycles of reoffending by identifying brilliant people and supporting them to spend two years working as frontline prison officers. We challenge them to come up with new ideas to improve the way prisons work across the country.We are always looking for people passionate about tackling social inequality who want to help us reduce reoffending by changing prisons.

As part of our mission-aligned organisation, you will be helping to break cycles of reoffending while growing your professional skills and reputation. 

I love working for Unlocked, the positivity is unwavering, the genuine belief in the mission is evident in everyone and no challenge is ever too big. Unlocked places a huge importance on culture and it shows in who they have hired and the atmosphere that has been created. I would work for Unlocked forever.

Kat Garland, MPO

#Why work for Unlocked?

Unlocked offers the satisfaction of working for a high performing and exciting organisation which is actively making an impact on one of the most challenging social justice issues existing in our society today.

We want Unlocked to be a great place to work. What we are doing is difficult. Prisons are, by their nature, a closed world, but often breaking cycles of reoffending comes from breaking down barriers and bringing in new ideas. 

To make sure we achieve what we need to, we need excellent people who will welcome the opportunity to become brilliant at what they do, as well as come up with great ideas to make us better. 

We want all of our team to understand our mission and the challenges facing prison officers. As a member of the Unlocked team, you will have opportunities to attend study days with our participants and visit prisons to really understand our work. We believe in supporting people to develop the skills they need to be excellent, whether this means funding external training, finding a mentor to support them or giving them the time to learn from others in the organisations through our regular CPD sessions.

Our mission

We develop outstanding leaders to break cycles of reoffending in prison and throughout society.

Our vision

Our vision is a prison system where every prisoner receives the support that they need to flourish and desist from crime.

Relentlessly optimistic

At Unlocked Graduates our belief that everyone has the potential to change sets the tone for everything we do. We sense possibility everywhere, but we know that we have to act to realise it. We default to an assumption and belief that tasks are possible, even when this seems difficult or impossible.

Unequivocal

At Unlocked Graduates we support our colleagues to have difficult and direct conversations with our partners, suppliers and each other. The importance and urgency of our mission requires this.

Tough nuts

At Unlocked Graduates we are persistent. If one door seems closed, we will push open another one. We always approach a problem from multiple angles and exhaust all the options.

#Unlocked benefits

Our work is urgent and challenging, and it is also hugely rewarding. We believe that people need support and recognition to do difficult work. Our benefits package reflects this.

Competitive salary

We offer market-leading salaries in social impact.

Annual retreat

Bond with colleagues and develop your training on a yearly team retreat.

Wellbeing & EAP

We offer all staff access to an Employee Assistance Programme, monthly employee coaching from Sanctus and a team of Mental Health First Aiders on our staff.

Pension contribution

We offer 10 per cent employer contribution even if you make no employee contribution. You can also opt to pay more by salary sacrifice if you wish.

Health & Exercise

We offer a subsidy for gym and fitness memberships. You can opt to reduce the employer pension contributions to nine per cent in exchange for a £30 a month gym membership subsidy. We additionally offer a cycle to work scheme.

Hybrid working

Agile, hybrid working and high-trust, high-responsibility culture.

Modern offices

Work in our centrally located offices in London and Manchester that include perks like free coffee and fruit/snack deliveries (with showers and break out spaces).

Volunteer opportunities

Want to volunteer as a trustee or in some other capacity for a mission-aligned organisation? We support our team to take on these commitments without taking annual leave.

Generous holiday

27 days annual leave plus additional time off between Christmas and New Year (depending on role/by CEO discretion).

I love working at Unlocked because you get to work with an ambitious and supportive team who are all incredibly committed to breaking cycles of reoffending. I especially love the range of work I get involved with. I feel very grateful for the range of people, experiences and opportunities I have had at Unlocked.

Iona Thompson, Early Careers Officer

#Our awards

Named Graduate Scheme of the Year at the 2018 Personnel Today Awards, ranked 37th in the Escape 100 awards in 2019, rose to 22nd place in The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers in 2023 and won Best Graduate Development Programme in 2023 at the Institute of Student Employers awards. Unlocked has transformed the way the prison officer job is seen on campus.

Unlocked is the best organisation I’ve ever worked for, and I think there are three main reasons for this – the mission, the people and the culture. Working to fix one of society’s biggest problems is a huge motivation for me. Unlocked is also an organisation with incredibly high standards, and with a high-performing staff team, something I find particularly energising as it drives my development. I have always felt valued and supported at Unlocked, whilst at the same time challenged to be the best I can be.

Samantha Farr, Head of Delivery

#Equity, diversity and inclusion

Equity, diversity and inclusion in the prison system is a high priority for Unlocked Graduates.

The communities that we exist to serve are diverse, and to thrive in our work towards our mission, we must be too. We believe that diversity not only makes for a stronger team but should also be celebrated. We therefore aim to create a workplace that is welcoming for all, inclusive of ethnicity, disability, age, religious belief, marital status, pregnancy, sexuality or gender.

We are also keen to see more applications from people who have been in prison. To remove bias where possible, we blind assess candidates for interview based on their relevant skills, qualifications or experience.

A fantastic opportunity to work with a talented team of people fully committed to addressing the big challenges facing the prison service.

Dr Liam Fenn, Associate Director of Data and Impact

#Current vacancies

We are always looking for people passionate about tackling social inequality who want to help us reduce reoffending by changing prisons. We post all job vacancies here so it is worth checking this page regularly. If you think you could help us achieve our mission, contact us at hello@unlockedgrads.org.uk.