Detainee Custody Officer – Heathrow DCO Airport Based
Join Us and Make a Difference
DCO: Salary £32,635 based on 40 hours per week
Who We're Looking For
We're looking for respectful, caring, and resilient individuals to join our team. If you have:
✔ Strong communication and interpersonal skills
✔ A calm and non-judgemental approach
✔ Great problem-solving abilities
✔ The ability to stay composed under pressure,
Then this could be the perfect role for you!
What You'll Be Doing
As an In-Country Escorting DCO at Heathrow Airport, you'll be responsible for:
- Escorting and transporting immigration residents within the UK
- Driving a small minibus-sized vehicle and ensuring the safe transportation of those in your care
- Maintaining high security and safety standards while treating residents with dignity and respect
As an In-Country Escorting DCO at Gatwick Airport DCO based you'll be responsible for:
- Providing care to immigration residents in a fixed location
- Maintaining high security and safety standards while treating residents with dignity and respect
This role requires flexibility, as you will work a mix of day and night shifts, covering a 24/7, 365-day operation.
No Experience? No Problem!
No prior experience or qualifications are needed—full training and support will be provided. If you have experience handling challenging situations or working with people in distress, it would be a plus.
Your journey begins with a 4-week paid training course, including a control and restraint training course. Over the next 13 months, you'll receive on-the-job mentoring and assessments, leading to an accredited Level 3 Apprenticeship in Detention and Custody.
Why Join Us?
- Work-life balance – structured shifts for stability, up to 1 year in advance so you can plan your goals and travel.
Career growth – start with a Level 3 Apprenticeship, with opportunities for leadership roles
- Continued personal development with full support given to enhance your career.
Training: 4-week fully paid training course
- A great selection of benefits incl. Access to on-line GP services, share options and a generous holiday allowance.
- Pension and Life assurance
- Reward & Recognition scheme.
- Discounts which include cinema, online shopping discounts, leisure centre memberships, holidays, and Health & Wellbeing Benefits. AND as a DCO, you can apply for a Blue Light discount card.
Essential Requirements
To apply, you must:
✅ Be a UK Citizen, a Commonwealth Citizen with indefinite leave to remain (not through marriage), or an EEA Citizen
✅ Hold a valid UK passport (expired visas in out-of-date passports cannot be accepted)
✅ Have lived in the UK continuously for the past 3 years, with no single absence over 3 months
✅ Pass an Enhanced DBS check, employer referencing (last 5 years), and Counter-Terrorist Check (CTC) vetting
✅ Hold a full UK manual driving licence (at least 12 months of experience)
✅ Have fewer than 7 points on your licence and no driving bans in the last 12 months
✅ Be over 21 years of age
Due to the safety-critical nature of this role, we require that employees are not under the influence of any substance—including prescribed medication—that may impair their ability to perform their duties safely. This includes any THC-based prescriptions due to the lack of reliable evidence on safe levels of THC in the system.
If you are currently prescribed medication that may affect your ability to carry out safety-critical tasks, we encourage you to discuss this with us as part of the recruitment process. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments where appropriate and in line with our obligations under the Equality Act 2010.
To ensure the highest standards of safety and compliance, we operate a random drug and alcohol testing programme. By applying, you acknowledge that participation in this testing is a condition of employment.
Important: If you do not have a valid UK passport and a full UK manual car driving licence, we cannot proceed with your application.
Application Process
Successful candidates will be invited to an assessment process which includes:
Interview
Capability assessments
Full vetting screening
Ready to take the next step? Apply now and start your journey with us!
