Finding a career that is fulfilling and challenges you every day
When Sarah Guy joined Sodexo’s team at HMP Peterborough she was simply looking for a stepping stone to a career with the police force. We talked to Sarah to find out why it didn’t quite pan out that way…
Tell us how you came to join Sodexo Sarah:
I joined at 18 years old, direct from school after finishing my A levels. That was in June 2010.
Did you have a career path in mind?
From an early age I’d always wanted to join the police force, but I didn’t feel like I had the right life experience to walk into a challenging role like that straight from school. I saw a job that caught my eye with Sodexo at HMP Peterborough – which was only 10 minutes from where I lived.
What was the job?
It was for a prison custody officer (PCO) and I remember the advert was specifically looking to attract applications from female candidates. I thought it would be a good way to get some experience in criminal justice, so I decided to apply. I didn’t plan to make a career out if it - that was nine years ago and I’m still here!
What attracted you to the role?
My dad had worked at the Ministry of Defence for 20 years, so I’d always had an interest in public services and public safety; it was dinner table conversation for our family! Although I was one of the youngest PCOs at HMP Peterborough (and one of only four females on the training course when I joined) it didn’t feel like an intimidating environment to me.
Did you enjoy working directly with the residents?
Very much. I started on Houseblock 1, specifically working on the remand wing for 10 months as a PCO, then working in the separation and care unit for three and a half years. I enjoyed the variety of the work and there were lots of opportunities to expand my skills and knowledge, which I embraced. I also completed adjudication liaison training and learned how to manage extremely complex residents. It was an exciting time of learning.
What other roles have you had in the prison?
I worked in security for two years where I was given the opportunity to complete an intelligence course. That was fascinating and taught me how to analyse intelligence reports and identify threats of unsafe or criminal activity – things like mobile phone and drug use. I then progressed into a senior prison custody officer role in October 2016. I was in charge of 10 staff and 200 female residents on a house block. The day-to-day management of that area of the prison was my responsibility, including resident welfare and dealing with any incidents.
You progressed quickly then?
I felt that I had established myself well within the prison custody officer team and had shown I had the confidence to deal with incidents on the wings, not least through my experience as a control and restraint instructor. I was moved to a role in the duty senior prison custody officer group, which means you are the operational response for the whole prison from 6.30am until 8.30pm. That was a daunting jump for me! It can be tough, but personally I think it’s one of the most rewarding jobs in the prison.
Tell us about one of your more challenging projects:
I recently completed a project-specific role of reconfiguration manager. This was a unique opportunity to work within a small team to prepare the prison for remodelling. (HMP Peterborough’s male prison population is changing to have an increased emphasis on remand and resettlement, leading to a greater number of male residents who will need to appear in court).
We installed a 10-booth state of the art video conferencing centre that recreates the court environment. It was my job to project manage the work, which was a complete turnaround from my operational roles. I have to confess I’m not very DIY minded, so planning construction, reconfiguration and technical upgrade schedules with focused deadlines was out of my comfort zone! But I’m very much a person who likes a challenge.
We started planning in April 2018, with work starting in October. The ‘go-live’ deadline was 1 April 2019 and successfully achieved our target which means we are ready for when the court flow is turned on in September.
Tell us about your current role:
I’ve now moved on to my next challenge, in a staff deployment role. I work closely with a small team managing the detailing of the establishment, annual leave, absence etc. It has allowed me to work closely with HR and has brought me into contact with new processes and policies, which I really enjoy learning about.
Would you rate Sodexo as an employer?
You can’t fault the team here. Working in a prison is like a community of its own.
Sodexo is a very staff orientated company, with good benefits and lots of support such as the Sodexo Supports Me service. If you want to move roles, expand your skills, or even try another part of the business, then the world is your oyster.
We offer a range of exciting and rewarding jobs. Please see http://sodexojobs.co.uk/ for our current vacancies in Sodexo Justice.
Do you want to find out more about Sodexo Justice? Contact our Business Development team.