PRPlayers

Delivering Role Play for Competency-Based Assessments Across the Justice Sector

Client Overview

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is a critical public sector organisation responsible for the operation and management of Scotland’s prisons. To ensure high standards in recruitment, promotion, and leadership development, SPS uses competency-based workplace assessments across its estate, requiring realistic, standardised simulations that reflect the complexities of working in custodial environments.

Challenge

SPS needed a provider capable of supplying professional role players for realistic assessment scenarios at multiple locations across Scotland. These role players are tasked with simulating staff member or managerial roles during formal assessment days to evaluate behavioural and interpersonal competencies.

The key requirements included:

• Short notice deployment (typically 14 days) with briefing materials provided 7 days in advance

• Ability to perform consistently across multiple candidates

• Capacity to portray SPS-specific roles with authenticity and accuracy

• Flexibility in response to fluctuating demand (up to five role players per event)

• Commitment to delivering services across both central and remote locations, including occasional external venues (e.g. hotels)

Solution

PRP partnered with SPS to deliver a flexible, responsive solution that met the complexities of their assessment programme. Our delivery included:

• A dedicated Contract Manager as the single point of contact for coordination, issue resolution, and management reporting

• A core team of trained role players, selected for their experience in competency-based assessment and ability to perform consistently across candidate interactions

• Tailored pre-event preparation, including full briefing day attendance and advance scenario research

• Deployment of actors able to adapt to in-the-moment dynamics while maintaining scenario integrity

• Full understanding of the SPS workplace culture, environment, and professional expectations

We also ensured coverage across central and outlying SPS sites, with clear planning and logistical coordination for every session.

Results

• Reliable, consistent delivery of professional role players across approximately 40 service days per year

• Flexible deployment model supporting variable demand and remote sites

• Positive feedback from assessors on the authenticity, adaptability, and preparation of PRP’s role players

• Role players effectively contributed to a fair and transparent assessment process by offering structured post-scenario feedback to SPS assessors

Impact

By partnering with PRP, the Scottish Prison Service has ensured that its competency-based assessments are underpinned by realistic, standardised, and professionally delivered role play, supporting better recruitment and internal development decisions.

Our role players continue to play a vital role in safeguarding assessment integrity across Scotland’s justice and custodial system.