The Cotswolds Dogs & Cats Home opened in September 2016 and since then, we have supported more than 6000 animals through our Rehoming and Welfare Services. As a leading animal rescue charity in Gloucestershire, we care for hundreds of abandoned, abused and neglected animals each year and find them loving and safe new families. We also provide low cost veterinary schemes to families and their pets to ensure that no animal goes without veterinary treatment due to financial restrictions.
We are a small and friendly team who thrive on a passion for Animal Welfare and exceptional customer service. We know that our charity is defined by our people and are dedicated to investing in our employee’s long-term career development and success, equipping our team with all the tools to develop professionally.
Key Objectives & Responsibilities
This role will be responsible for the day to day care and welfare of our animals.
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 arrival to assessment. The post-holder will be responsible for ensuring that every animal experiences 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Contribute to pragmatic decision making around the above.
- 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 Animal Care Supervisors 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.
- 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
- Able to work weekends, evenings, take part in overnight rota and generally anti social hours
- A minimum of 2 years’ experience working in an animal welfare setting or equivalent relevant experience.
- Self-motivated with huge amounts of energy, dedication, commitment and enthusiasm.
- 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
- Experience working within an animal welfare, rescue and rehoming setting.
- 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.
Your Commitment to CDCH
- Boundaries and behaviours: Observe professional integrity in relationships with staff, clients and other partner agencies.
- Health & Safety: Be responsible for your health and safety and that of colleagues.
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: Be committed to helping to build an organisation that respects and values the diversity of all.
- Confidentiality: Treat all information acquired through the course of your employment as confidential and comply with all the appropriate policies, systems and procedures.
Benefits
- Contributary pension
- 28 days annual leave including bank holidays
- Pet Plan insurance discount
- Discount in CDCH charity shops
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Referral programme
- Sick pay
Schedule:
- Weekend availability
Education:
- GCSE or equivalent (preferred)
Please note, we do not consider applications without a completed application form, CV and covering letter.
To apply please visit, https://cotswoldsdogsandcatshome.org.uk/work-with-us/ and send a CV and covering letter along with the completed application form to [email protected].
