Animal Care Assistant Gloucester, England
Job description
*To Apply, please visit our website - www.cdch.org.uk*
Cotswolds Dogs & Cats Home
Role profile – Animal Care Assistant
Introduction
As a leading animal rescue charity in the Cotswolds we care for hundreds of abandoned, abused and neglected animals each year. Our job is to make sure our animals are cared for by providing them with a safe space, access to veterinary treatment and exemplar welfare. Lastly, we carefully match them to a new family to assure they find their forever home.
In addition to our rehoming centre, we also run a once weekly low-cost veterinary clinic, for individuals on means tested benefits. These clinics impact on our local community by ensuring no animal is left to suffer because of the cost of treatment.
Our vision and aspiration for the centre is that it is exemplar. Our ambition is that no abused, neglected or vulnerable animal in our community is without a safe space. We are looking to develop our team of enthusiastic, committed, caring and aspirational people who are passionate about animal welfare, the environment in which it is provided and being a part of the team which deliver it.
Our Animal Care Assistants will be highly motivated and passionate about animal care, you will be responsible the daily animal welfare function with a focus on providing exceptional service to both our four legged and two legged friends. As an important member of the operational team, the post-holder will be dedicated to the optimum welfare of animals in our care.
Key Objectives & Responsibilities
This role will be responsible for the day to day care and welfare of animals in our new animal centre.
The Animal Care Assistant will be responsible for delivering the highest possible standards of animal welfare and care for every animal in their journey through CDCH, from reception, to assessment and then to rehoming. The post-holder will be responsible for ensuring that every animal experience optimum care during its time with CDCH. Our ambition is that no abused, neglected or vulnerable animal in our community is without a safe space. We aim to ensure a future where animals can enjoy a life free from distress. We are committed to rehoming as many animals as possible in the most caring and conscientious way.
- Responsible for the optimum physical and emotional care of all animals cared for at the centre.
- Ensuring an outstanding service to animals, adopters and visitors.
- Responsible for the daily functioning of the kennels, cattery and small animal sections providing exemplary standards of welfare for all the animals in our care.
- Ensure compliance with our licencing conditions and all legal and health and safety regulations.
- Ensuring the exemplary standards of welfare of animals during handling and transportation.
- Contribute to regular team discussions of animal cases regarding their health, welfare, emotional and physical well-being and readiness for re-homing.
- Maintaining the highest standards of hygiene and cleaning in the animal sections and contribute to the general upkeep and care of the centre environment as a great place for animals and staff to be.
- Ensure accurate, detailed records are kept for each animal’s overall care, including health checks, feeding, temperature, medication, handling, intake and adoption.
- Maximise rehoming by positively promoting the animals and CDCH.
- Assist the rehoming team to appropriately match animals and their potential adopters by providing accurate and relevant information and advice.
- Ensure that animals are prepared for adoption in accordance with centre procedures including health checks, vaccination, neutering, micro chipping and any other treatments required.
- Be a hands-on member of the front-line staff team providing exemplary care for the animals and excellent customer relations.
- Support the Senior Animal Care Assistants and Veterinary Surgeon in checking the health and administering the medication to animals in the centre.
- Carrying out timely cleaning, feeding, watering, exercise and contact with the animals.
- Be part of a team that builds and sustains a positive, dynamic, can-do culture making the home a great place to work and spend time.
- Attend regular team meetings to maintain effective communication and awareness of progress and developments in all areas of the centre.
- Provide meal break, holiday and sickness cover for colleagues as required.
- To undertake other tasks as directed by line manager.
Person Specification - Qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge
We are seeking Animal Care Assistants who can deliver operational excellence. You will have absolute dedication to the welfare of animals.
Essential
- Self-motivated with huge amounts of energy, dedication, commitment and enthusiasm.
- Experience working within animal welfare, rescue and rehoming.
- Experience of delivering high standards of animal care.
- Experience of being a member of a high performing team.
- Ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with colleagues.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills which support the collaboration and efficient functioning of the team and the service.
- Proven experience of working constructively and collaboratively with colleagues across multiple teams.
- A flexible approach to managing and prioritising a varied workload and multiple tasks.
- Experience of working alongside, and supporting volunteers in operational frontline teams.
- Experience of implementing operational processes against agreed standards.
- Ability and motivation to deliver high quality work with minimum supervision.
- A commitment to delivering the highest standards of customer service and experience of dealing with customers and members of the public.
- Experience of keeping up to date with and applying good practice in your role and encouraging those that you manage to do the same.
- Excellent written and spoken English.
- Excellent working knowledge of Health & Safety in the workplace.
- IT literate with good experience of MS Office and other relevant IT systems as appropriate for the role.
- Ability to work evenings, nights, weekends and Bank Holidays on a rota and as required by the role.
- Able to promote an understanding of, and a commitment to the vision, mission and values of CDCH.
Desirable
- A qualification related to animal care or behaviour.
- Experience of animal husbandry and care and the implementation of welfare principles and related operational disciplines.
- Experience of delivering animal care programmes.
General information
The charity is an equal opportunities employer and all employees are actively encouraged to contribute to the promotion of diversity.
All employees are required to act in accordance with their responsibilities under the Health & Safety at Work Act.
Data protection
As part of your duties, you will be required to obtain process and use information held on a computer or word processor. You may not use or disclose data for any other purpose than that for which it was recorded. You must only disclose data to authorised persons or organisations as instructed.
Working at CDCH
Please note that all offers of employment require:
- References deemed satisfactory to the Home
- Proof of eligibility to work in the UK.
All new employees to the charity will be subject to a six-month probationary period.
We are unable to allow staff to bring their own dogs with them to work.
The post requires working outside of normal office hours as the facility requires an on-site presence 24x7. Attendance may also be required at meetings which may be held in the evenings.
This job has physically active elements. Employees are required to maintain a suitable level of fitness to enable them to perform their job effectively.
A full-clean driving licence is essential.
This role profile is not exhaustive and may be subject to change to meet the operational needs of the charity.
Contract – Permanent, subject to a six month probationary period
Salary - £19,305
Hours – 37.5 Hours including weekends.
Closing date: 24th Feb.
Job Type: Full-time
Salary: £19,305.00 per year
Benefits:
- On-site parking
Work Location: One location
Application deadline: 24/02/2023
