We are the RSPCA and it's our vision to live in a world where all animals are respected and treated with compassion. Our volunteers are incredible; they play an essential role in helping us carry out our important animal welfare work every day.
This volunteer opportunity is provided by an RSPCA branch, which is a separate registered charity to the RSPCA National Society. Please visit the Branch’s website for more info and to view a copy of the branch's privacy policy.
Volunteer Role
As an Animal Care Assistant, you'll be helping us to prepare and provide food, water, medication, and clean accommodation for all the animals in the centre. Volunteering with us is a great opportunity to put existing skills to great use and to learn new ones whilst helping us to improve animal welfare.
What You Will Be Doing
* Prepare and provide food, medication, and water for all the animals in the centre as directed by the rehoming team.
* Clean, disinfect, and maintain the animal accommodation, including the animal kitchen area as and when required.
* Set up pens for new admissions.
* Report any animal welfare concerns to staff immediately.
* Monitor the individual animal's physical condition and patterns of behaviour and report any concerns to staff as soon as possible.
* Follow the advice of the rehoming team regarding the individual needs of each species, including medication, coat care/grooming, flea and worm treatment, and claw clipping.
* Read information on display for each animal before attending to them, paying special attention to medication and dietary requirements.
* Adhere to any other guidelines and notices about the welfare of the animals in the rehoming centre.
* Work together with other volunteers (e.g., care assistants, cat and rabbit socialisers) and pass on relevant information to each other and to the rehoming team (e.g., changes in behaviour or diet).
* Volunteer on the agreed weekly day and time, and notify staff as soon as possible if unable to attend.
* Undertake appropriate training when and as required.
* Use all equipment as directed by staff and ensure this equipment is returned as directed at the end of the volunteering session, reporting any damaged equipment as soon as possible.
* Undertake online Health and Safety courses and be familiar with and comply with Health and Safety policies and procedures.
* Seek advice from staff before uploading pictures/videos of the animals on social media. (NB: some animal owners may be subject to further investigation).
The Skills You Need
* A passion for animal welfare.
* Experience with animals and the ability to read their behaviour.
* Comfortable around animals with a patient and understanding nature.
* Able to work within a team but also capable of working with minimal supervision.
* Able to carry out physical tasks; some moderate lifting will be involved, but full Health and Safety training will be given.
* Volunteers must be aged 18 or over.
What's in it for You
* Meet new people and make new friends.
* Learn great new skills to add to your CV.
* A great induction and training relevant to your role.
* You’ll be making a huge difference to the welfare of animals.
Disclaimer
Before you can start volunteering, you’ll need to complete our simple online Health & Safety course and any associated training required for your role. Tetanus is a life-threatening bacterial disease caused by an infection in an open wound. All volunteers must be suitably protected. We recommend that volunteers check their vaccination history with their GP. If a volunteer has not had the required doses, the GP should offer them free of charge as part of the UK vaccination schedule.
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