Animal Care Assistant, Merton animal hospital
Application Deadline: 30 January 2025
Department: Veterinary Services
Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time
Location: Merton animal hospital
Reporting To: Nurse Manager
Compensation: £30,162 / year
Description
Contract: Permanent, full time
Salary: £26,208 plus £3,954 London Weighting Allowance per annum
Location: Merton animal hospital, London SW19 1BD
Closing date: Thursday 30 January 2025
Interview date: 6 & 7 February 2025
We’re recruiting a full-time Animal Care Assistant to join our Merton animal hospital team. In 2023, our Blue Cross animal hospital in Merton was very proud to win the first BVA Wellbeing award for our team’s efforts to make this a great place to work!
More about the role
Blue Cross animal hospitals and pet care clinics play a vital role in providing veterinary treatment to sick and injured pets, particularly when their owners are unable to afford private veterinary fees. Our veterinary care services are accessible to pets whose owners receive certain means-tested benefits and reside within the catchment area of one of our animal hospitals or pet care clinics.
Since June 1999, we've been a cornerstone of the Merton community, delivering veterinary services to approximately 6,000 unique pets every year. From routine procedures like neutering to intricate surgeries and advanced diagnostics, our hospital offers a comprehensive range of treatments.
Our Animal Care Assistants have a key role in our fast-paced hospitals, providing a high standard of care to the pets in our hospitals and supporting their owners. Each day will see you providing care to the pets in our hospitals which includes cleaning, feeding, exercising, grooming, laundry, administering treatment, dealing with clients on our busy reception, dispensing medication, and taking payments. You will monitor our patient’s health, wellbeing, and behaviour as well as those recovering from anaesthetic.
Working closely with our Vets and Nurses, you will assist them with the preparation of patients and the operating theatre for surgery.
This is a full-time role working 42 hours a week with a one-hour paid lunch break on a rota to include weekends and public holidays. Due to the nature of the work of Blue Cross, it may be necessary to exceed these hours when the workload demands.
If you excel in an environment where you can see the difference you make every day, then this is the role for you. Interested? Then apply and let’s work together to see if this is the role for you.
About you
The ideal candidate for this role is someone who has previous experience in a similar role such as a Veterinary Care Assistant, Animal Care Assistant, or Animal Nursing Assistant.
With great communication skills, you will be able to speak to a wide variety of people. Working in an animal hospital can involve supporting clients that are distressed; therefore, you will be able to work in an emotionally charged environment and have excellent resilience, with the ability to keep calm under pressure and re-prioritise tasks where needed. This person will be emotionally intelligent, showing empathy and knowing how to support clients and colleagues.
You will have a genuine desire to improve the lives of pets and their clients and be proactive in the promotion and delivery of Blue Cross aims.
Knowledge, skills, and experience
* Experience working or volunteering in a veterinary practice or within a similar role
* Experience within a reception or client care role
* Good communication skills, both written and verbal
* IT literate with MS Office and web-based databases and platforms
* The ability to demonstrate, understand and apply our Blue Cross values
Although not essential, it would be great if you also had:
* Qualification in Animal Care or similar
* The ability to observe changes in animal health and wellbeing
* The ability to interact face to face with clients and visitors and communicate effectively with a range of people
How to apply
Click the apply button below and complete the online application process before the closing date on Thursday 30 January 2025.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive an overwhelming response.
Blue Cross benefits
Our people are the most important part of delivering our purpose. If it were not for their amazing efforts and commitment, we would not be able to make the difference that we do today.
In return, Blue Cross wants to ensure we provide you with the best working environment we can. Our generous benefits package includes:
* Enhanced annual leave entitlement: 30 days plus bank holidays
* Pension scheme with enhanced employer contribution
* Health cash plan
* Life assurance
* Unlimited access to an employee assistance programme
* Programs for physical and mental wellbeing support
* Free access to GP via MetLife
* Recognition scheme
* Annual volunteer days
* Claim for professional fees
To read more about the benefits Blue Cross has to offer, please visit the 'why work for us' page on our website.
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