ARC scores and the waiting game

[Shortyshan]

Hey guys!

So I passed my V-ARC couple weeks ago and requested my score/feedback however I just got an email back saying they can’t give any feedback or score just pass or fail. However I’ve seen people talking about their scores on here before, are they just being stubborn or have they stopped giving the scores out now?

Also what’s everyone’s story’s on how long their whole process took from application through to start date?

So far mine is application and pass online tests 11th November 2020.... January 21st V-ARC now I’m sure several months waiting for a condition al offer

[Barkingmad2]

Hey Shortyshan! When I did my ARC I got a confirmation telling me I passed (which I already knew as they told me straight away), and then maybe a week or so later I got the results of my ARC with the score - I applied on a Merit campaign so my score was important as the higher the score the earlier you’ll be offered a job. Did you apply on a merit or pass campaign?

I applied to be a Prison Officer end of Oct, did my ARC 27th November, and got my conditional offer end of Dec, and started vetting on the 3rd Jan. My current vetting says I’ll be contacted shortly for the next stage and from what I’ve read that’s the call for a start date.

I feel quite lucky with how quick I have got through everything, especially when reading about people waiting for a year but it honestly depends on the volume of applicants for your prison and if they are low on staff! I’ve applied for a red prison.

[Jaybo]

I’ve been told that down south have a quicker recruitment process, mainly because of the red/amber prisons.
Your dates sound a lot like mine, I did my ARC about a week after you and started vetting a few days after you as well.
I’ve had my health & DBS checks come back all ok, hoping the rest is fine and it won’t be long for me...very lucky considering the stories I’ve heard about how long people have waited on here

[Shortyshan]

Hey Shortyshan! When I did my ARC I got a confirmation telling me I passed (which I already knew as they told me straight away), and then maybe a week or so later I got the results of my ARC with the score - I applied on a Merit campaign so my score was important as the higher the score the earlier you’ll be offered a job. Did you apply on a merit or pass campaign?

I applied to be a Prison Officer end of Oct, did my ARC 27th November, and got my conditional offer end of Dec, and started vetting on the 3rd Jan. My current vetting says I’ll be contacted shortly for the next stage and from what I’ve read that’s the call for a start date.

I feel quite lucky with how quick I have got through everything, especially when reading about people waiting for a year but it honestly depends on the volume of applicants for your prison and if they are low on staff! I’ve applied for a red prison.

Hey thanks for your reply!

Yeah I’ve applied on a merit campaign too which is why I wanted to know how I had done... wondering now if maybe it’s a regional thing? Not sure :/
Saying that I know a guy that’s working at the prison I’ve applied for for over a year now, took him 7 months from application and he said he was given a score- but then that was pre-covid and pre virtual ARC days.
Did you do the ARC virtually or normal?
Just feel like I’ve been fobbed off a bit haha

Yeah I’m hoping I did well enough to get offered something, my self critical voice is saying I didn’t of course haha. I’ve noticed the prison I’ve applied for (the preferred one anyway) which actually had the name of two prison on it as well continually renews the job add on indeed website after the closing dates up... does this mean I could potentially end up keep getting ‘knocked’ down the list if they just keep interviewing more and more cohorts

Eurgh I hate to be that person that just wants to know when there’s nothing you can do to find out other than be patient and wait but I want this career so bad. I just hope I don’t end up on it to the point of my pass exceeded the 12 month mark

[Shortyshan]

What prisons have you guys applied to??

I am down south, but not sure if the prisons I’ve applied to are red/amber though, how do I find that out?

I’ve tried increasing my chances and applied to all the prisons within an hours journey from me although I do have a preference at the end of the day it’s the career that matters to me! So fingers crossed

[Barkingmad2]

Hey Shortyshan! When I did my ARC I got a confirmation telling me I passed (which I already knew as they told me straight away), and then maybe a week or so later I got the results of my ARC with the score - I applied on a Merit campaign so my score was important as the higher the score the earlier you’ll be offered a job. Did you apply on a merit or pass campaign?

I applied to be a Prison Officer end of Oct, did my ARC 27th November, and got my conditional offer end of Dec, and started vetting on the 3rd Jan. My current vetting says I’ll be contacted shortly for the next stage and from what I’ve read that’s the call for a start date.

I feel quite lucky with how quick I have got through everything, especially when reading about people waiting for a year but it honestly depends on the volume of applicants for your prison and if they are low on staff! I’ve applied for a red prison.

Hey thanks for your reply!

Yeah I’ve applied on a merit campaign too which is why I wanted to know how I had done... wondering now if maybe it’s a regional thing? Not sure :/
Saying that I know a guy that’s working at the prison I’ve applied for for over a year now, took him 7 months from application and he said he was given a score- but then that was pre-covid and pre virtual ARC days.
Did you do the ARC virtually or normal?
Just feel like I’ve been fobbed off a bit haha

Yeah I’m hoping I did well enough to get offered something, my self critical voice is saying I didn’t of course haha. I’ve noticed the prison I’ve applied for (the preferred one anyway) which actually had the name of two prison on it as well continually renews the job add on indeed website after the closing dates up... does this mean I could potentially end up keep getting ‘knocked’ down the list if they just keep interviewing more and more cohorts

Eurgh I hate to be that person that just wants to know when there’s nothing you can do to find out other than be patient and wait but I want this career so bad. I just hope I don’t end up on it to the point of my pass exceeded the 12 month mark

Can’t say which but I’ve applied to one in the midlands. I did my ARC normally. I seem to have been one of the last few to have a normal ARC.

Honestly I know how you feel, and tbh knowing your score doesn’t help that much. I scored 90% which is relatively high but because you don’t know how many other people applied and scored higher, there could be 20+ people ahead of you.

You’ve passed which is amazing, you’ve gotten over the biggest hurdle so just relax now and wait. I hate my current job, and it felt like the longest wait of my life, but it’s all worth it in the end.

I read a thing that said prisons that need a high number of staff, constantly recruit so they’re always on top of having enough staff; they’re keeping on top of it all instead of leaving it late and having no one.

Just be patient. Your time will come and it will be an amazing moment. I got my conditional offer email at 9:30pm whilst I was watching Prison Break haha, was obviously a sign

[Barkingmad2]

I know red is Category A, so I’d assume amber is Category B. I could be wrong so someone please correct me on this but it makes sense.

[Shortyshan]

Yeah yeah your right!

Just gotta be patient, like you doesn’t help that I just hate what I’m doing right now and a multitude of other things in life rn so just makes waiting even harder haha!

Ahh ok yeah I get you now! Believe the prison I’m hoping for is cat b/c so not sure what that would make it aha and yeah got a feeling this prison is short staffed and always recruiting

[Jaybo]

The red and amber system is put in place to prisons which are not up to standard.
Red prisons are the worst and amber is bad but not the worst.
I believe this is due to factors such as lack of staff & high turnover of staff.
That is why red sites pay the most, it’s an incentive to keep staff at the prisons so they can provide the quality of service they require, it’s just without the proper amount of staff it’s harder to run the prison safely and effectively.

That is my understanding from reading a government post link that I saw on here

[Barkingmad2]

Ah Jaybo that’s interesting cause I saw a map on Justice that had all Cat A prisons listed as Red, which is interesting if your point is correct cause that’s not what you need in a Cat A.

Yeah your high turnover of staff was the point I was trying to make, so thank you for finding the right words cause I couldn’t think of it haha.

[Jaybo]

Nearly all the red and amber prisons are down south where the cost of living is higher, so people won’t work the stressful job for a smaller amount of money (when it comes to higher house rents etc).
There are many Cat A prisons further north that aren’t red sites.
It’s been a big topic of discussion on here that we should all get paid the same for the same job, wherever we are in the country. I’m not here giving my opinion, this is just what I’ve read so please no one drag me into the politics of it all haha

[Barkingmad2]

Jaybo was this it?

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... -guide.pdf

[Barkingmad2]

I have found this article that states which prisons were getting a £5k wage increase to increase staff levels if this helps, however from what I’ve read 5k is red


The 31 prisons involved are: Aylesbury, Bedford, Bullingdon, Coldingley, Cookham Wood, Downview, Elmley, Feltham, Grendon, High Down, Highpoint, Huntercombe, Medway, Send, Stanford Hill, Swaleside, The Mount, Woodhill, Brixton, Belmarsh, Isis, Pentonville, Rochester, Wandsworth, Wormwood Scrubs, Erlestoke, Lewes, Whitemoor, Chelmsford, Guys Marsh and Littlehey.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39014192

[Shortyshan]

Ahh ok see I thought the wage was better because of the area I’m in... have a much higher living cost... but that totally makes sense also..

Well yeah the prisons near me are all in the red zone then

[Barkingmad2]

Location is also a factor, hence why London prisons have a higher salary than the North for example.

There is a really interesting debate on pay, on one of the posts. Happened the other day so shouldn’t be too far to look.