Prison Officer TestIndependent practice

Role-play practice

In the online assessment centre's role play, an actor plays a prisoner and you have about 10 minutes to deal with the situation. HMPPS says no prior procedural knowledge is needed and that it is scored on all four behaviours. Read the brief, run it with a friend playing the prisoner, then check the notes. Formats and timings can change between campaigns, so always check your own invitation.

Cancelled family visit

Free

Your brief

You are a new prison officer on a residential wing. You have 10 minutes with the prisoner. You do not need any knowledge of prison procedures: respond as a sensible, safe and fair officer would. It is 14:20 on a Saturday. Mr Jordan Ellis, a prisoner on your landing, was expecting a social visit from his partner and young daughter at 14:00. Visits staff have told the wing the visit did not go ahead, but nobody has told Mr Ellis why. He has come to the wing office door asking to speak to someone. You do not yet know the reason the visit did not happen.

10-minute role play10:00
What the actor has been told (read after you've practised)

Start frustrated and loud but not threatening: 'Nobody tells us anything in here. My daughter was coming today.' If the officer interrupts, talks down to you or promises things they cannot know, raise your voice and say 'You lot are all the same.' If the officer listens, uses your name and acknowledges how disappointing this is, calm down noticeably. If asked open questions, reveal that your daughter's birthday was last week and you were going to give her a card you made, and that you are worried your partner has given up on you. If the officer offers to find out what happened and comes back to you with a clear time, accept it. If they just say 'it's not my problem' or 'put an application in', walk away muttering and say you will 'kick off' later.

What good looks like, pitfalls and a model approach

What good looks like

  • Introduces themselves, uses the prisoner's name and stays calm and polite even when he is loud (Communicating & Influencing).
  • Acknowledges the disappointment and the importance of family contact before moving to solutions (Caring).
  • Asks open questions to understand the full picture, including the daughter's birthday and his worries (Caring, Making Effective Decisions).
  • Is honest that they do not yet know why the visit did not happen and does not guess or blame anyone (Managing a Quality Service).
  • Commits to a specific, realistic action, such as contacting visits staff, and gives a time to return with an answer (Managing a Quality Service).
  • Explores options he can use now, such as writing to his partner or arranging another visit, without promising outcomes outside their control (Making Effective Decisions).
  • Checks how he is feeling before ending and says they will pass on any concerns to colleagues on the next shift (Caring).

Pitfalls

  • Telling him the visit was cancelled because of something he did, or guessing the reason.
  • Promising a replacement visit today or a phone call you cannot guarantee.
  • Matching his raised voice or becoming defensive about 'the system'.
  • Brushing him off with 'put an app in' and no follow-up.
  • Missing the clues about his worry that his partner has stopped visiting.

Model approach

Open calmly: 'Mr Ellis, I'm Officer Patel. I can see you're upset. Tell me what's happened.' Let him speak without interrupting, then reflect it back: 'So you were expecting your partner and daughter at two and they didn't come, and no one has told you why. I'd be frustrated too.'

Be honest about what you know: 'I don't know the reason yet, and I don't want to guess and give you wrong information.' Then commit to a clear action: 'I'm going to ring the visits team now. I'll come back to your cell door by quarter to three and tell you what I've found out.'

Use open questions to understand what sits underneath the anger: 'What was today meant to be like for you?' When he mentions the birthday card and his worry about his partner, show you have heard it: 'That makes it even harder. Missing a visit doesn't automatically mean she's given up. There could be lots of reasons, like transport or her not feeling well.' Suggest practical steps he controls: writing to his partner tonight, posting the card, and asking about booking another visit.

Set boundaries politely if he raises his voice: 'I want to help you sort this. I can do that better if we talk it through calmly.' Before you finish, check his mood: 'How are you feeling now? Is there anything else worrying you today?' Close by summarising what you will do and when, and say you will make a note so colleagues on later shifts know about it. Follow through within the time you gave.

14 more role-play briefs

Complete includes every brief, from a refusal to lock up to a bullying disclosure, each with the actor's notes, what good looks like, pitfalls and a model approach.
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