Social Worker (Justice Services) - EAY12847

Ref no:

EAY12847

Published:

30/08/2026

Closes:

14/09/2026

Location:

HMP Kilmarnock, Mauchline Road, Kilmarnock, KA1 5AA

Salary:

£45,769 - £49,859 per year

Contract Type:

Permanent

Position Type:

Full Time

Hours:

35 hours per week

Work From Home:

Hybrid

Job Description

We are recruiting qualified Social Workers to join our Prison Based Social Work Team within HMP Kilmarnock. These posts provide an opportunity to develop your practice within a supportive team committed to delivering high quality statutory justice social work services. We are looking for experienced and motivated practitioners who are committed to person centred practice and achieving positive outcomes for individuals involved in the justice system.

About the Role

You will assess, manage, and support individuals in custody, aiming to help people make positive changes, reduce offending, and protect the public.

We work with a wide range of individuals, many with complex and multiple needs, in partnership with the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), health services, community-based social work teams, and third sector organisations.

You will assess risk and need, analyse information from a range of sources and prepare high quality reports for the Parole Board. You will develop person centred plans that build on individual strengths and support rehabilitation, reintegration and reduced risk of reoffending. Practice within the service is informed by trauma-informed approaches and evidence-based interventions, ensuring individuals are supported to make sustainable positive changes while meeting statutory requirements.

As a member of our Prison Based Social Work Team at HMP Kilmarnock you will be responsible for supporting rehabilitation and preparing individuals for release and reintegration into the community. As a Social Worker within Prison Based Social Work Team, you will play a key role in the assessment, management, and support of individuals in custody.

Key Responsibilities

• Undertaking comprehensive assessments of risk and need, and contributing to risk management processes
• Preparing high-quality reports, including those for progression, parole, and other statutory purposes
• Supporting rehabilitation and positive outcomes for individuals in custody
• Contributing to release planning and support safe and successful reintegration into the community
• Working collaboratively with SPS, health professionals, community-based social work, and third sector agencies
• Participating in multi-agency meetings, case discussions, and reviews
• Maintaining accurate and up-to-date case records
• Contributing to duty systems and wider team responsibilities

About You

We are looking for a qualified Social Worker with enthusiasm for justice social work who has a strong grasp of key legislation, standards, and risk assessment approaches. You should possess the skills to build effective relationships, produce high‑quality assessments and reports, and bring a trauma‑informed, strengths‑based approach to your practice. You should be organised, resilient, and professional and thrive in a dynamic environment and be motivated to make a positive impact and change.

Our Team

Justice Services in East Ayrshire are committed to supporting individuals to make positive changes in their lives while promoting public protection and community wellbeing. Our Prison Based Team works collaboratively to deliver services that support rehabilitation, reintegration and reduced offending.

If you require any further information please contact Kathleen Garry, Team Manager at kathleen.garry@east-ayrshire.gov.uk

Requirements

The duties of this post involve accessing ViSOR, the recognised national IT system for the management of people who pose a serious risk of harm to the public. It is Home Office owned and maintained and as such, it is the Home Office that sets the level of vetting required. NPPV is the UK wide accepted and mandated level of vetting which provides a means of ensuring that persons other than police officers, having access to ViSOR have been assessed as to their reliability and integrity and thus suitability for clearance. NPPV includes the same “system” checks as Enhanced Disclosure and PVG, as well as others, but also includes family members and financial checks all of which is intended to protect the individual and organisation from the potential for manipulation and the inappropriate disclosure of sensitive information. In order to access and use ViSOR all staff must be vetted to either Non-Police Personnel Vetting Level 2 (NPPV 2) or Non-Police Personnel Vetting Level 3 (NPPV 3), depending on an individual’s role within ViSOR. Therefore the successful applicant must be vetted to Non-Police Personnel Vetting Level .The duties of the post also involve Regulated Work with children and/or protected adults, as specified in the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. Successful applicants for such posts will be required to become a Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme member in respect of Regulated Work with either or both of these groups as appropriate, or if they are already a Scheme member, be subject to a PVG Scheme Record Update, before any formal offer of employment can be made by East Ayrshire Council.Please note:- PVG members' records are constantly updated with any new vetting information that arises. Any information that is disclosed on a PVG Scheme Record or Scheme Record Update, if relevant to the post being applied for, will be discussed with the applicant prior to any formal offer of employment being made.

Employment References

We follow the national guidance in relation to pre-employment checks namely “Safer Recruitment Through Better Recruitment”. With regards to requests for references and in line with this guidance, during your application process you should provide details of a minimum of two appropriate and relevant references, one of which should be from your current or most recent employer. It is also a requirement that the reference from your current or most recent employer is from an appropriate senior manager and it is not a reference from a former peer operating at the same level.

Additional Information

There are 3 full time permanent posts available within Prison Services.

Work Pattern - Mon-Thu 9am -5pm, Fri 9am-4pm.

Annual Salary inclusive of 5% Market Forces Payment - £45,769 - £49,859

The workstyle for this post is ‘Flexible’ - 50% -79% of your time in an office location/ multiple work locations.

You will work at your administrative base or another agreed office location between 2.5 to 4 days per week and only occasionally from home.

The admin base of the posts will be HMP Kilmarnock.

East Ayrshire Council is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce and welcomes applications from all members of the community. We encourage applicants from underrepresented groups including Black and Minority Ethnic people, disabled people and LGBT people. We are also keen to decrease occupational segregation and so encourage women to apply for managerial posts and/or roles in which they are underrepresented. East Ayrshire Council is a Disability Confident employer and a Recruit with Conviction Ambassador.

If you require any further information please contact Kathleen Garry, Team Manager at kathleen.garry@east-ayrshire.gov.uk

If you apply for this post, please add the following email address to your safe sender list to ensure that any MyJobScotland related e-mails go directly to your inbox - noreply@myjobscotland.gov.uk