Building a life-long career in the Scottish Prison Service

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is the type of employer that people stay with their whole working lives – after all, it’s rewarding work. It’s also somewhere you can build a career, thanks to ongoing training and development.

Iona McLay, who joined as an operations officer, is proof of this. Looking back, she shares: “I was only 21, probably still very naive and quite nervous and quiet. But there’s a good sense of teamwork in the SPS and I had good support from my managers.

“You start by doing a foundation training course at the SPS College, so that gives you the background and the ins-and-outs of things.

“For me though, the best learning came from when I actually got into the establishment and started working.”

Since joining the SPS, Iona has progressed in her career at regular intervals, securing her first promotion to become a residential officer within just two years. Then again, a couple of years later, Iona progressed to the activities area as a community safety officer.

In 2018 she started acting up (temporary promotion) in a management role, before securing her current role as a residential first line manager in 2021. Today Iona is in charge of one of the residential areas where people in custody are housed, looking after both staff and prisoners – a job she loves.

She is also looking ahead and working on developing her skills to become a unit manager. She says: “I’m a mum as well, so I want to be a great role model for my daughter. I want to go as far as I can within the Prison Service. I’ll be hoping to take the next step in the next couple of years.”

Iona is also dedicated to helping her team members explore career opportunities. She explains: “People are surprised when they start with the SPS because there are so many different avenues to explore, and it doesn’t necessarily mean progressing up the ladder.”

For example, some people might prefer the case management side of things, while others may enjoy working more closely with those in custody and supporting them on a daily basis.

Regardless, there is lots of opportunity to find a rewarding job and develop a life-long career. Whether you are looking for early career professional development, or to bring in years of experience and transferable skills, you’ll find room to grow working with the Scottish Prison Service.

Visit www.sps.gov.uk/ Careers to find out more about working for the Scottish Prison Service and how to apply.

HMP Perth Prison.