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SalaryContract: Permanent, part time (3.5 days)
Salary: £21,255 - £23,806 per annum (pro rata for part time)
Location: Bromsgrove B61 0RJ
Closing date: Tuesday 16 April 2024
Interviews: 23 & 24 April 2024
We’re recruiting Pet Welfare Assistantsto provide onsite animal care at our rehoming centre in Bromsgrove!
Salary: £21,255 - £23,806 per annum (pro rata for part time)
Location: Bromsgrove B61 0RJ
Closing date: Tuesday 16 April 2024
Interviews: 23 & 24 April 2024
We’re recruiting Pet Welfare Assistantsto provide onsite animal care at our rehoming centre in Bromsgrove!
We’ve just launched a new and exciting national Rehoming & Fostering team structure to support our aim of ensuring every pet enjoys a healthy life in a happy home. You’ll be joining a team who strive to be the best versions of themselves, so that they can do the best for the pets who need our help.
More about the role
Our Bromsgrove rehoming centre first opened in 1986. It’s one of our largest centres and is situated in rural countryside covering some 9 acres and caters for up to 15 dogs and 30 cats on site with a dedicated puppy and kitten unit. We also have our home direct scheme which keeps pets in homes whilst we find new loving homes and we have many fosterers supporting our vital work caring for variety of pets.
As a Pet Welfare Assistant - Onsite, you will expertly manage a specific number of pet cases within the on-site pet care service, these can be pets in our rehoming service or temporary crisis care.
You will be responsible for ensuring Pet Welfare standards are met and the assessment, training and rehabilitation of the pets preparing for a new home is completed in the quickest amount of time.
At Bromsgrove rehoming centre, we provide onsite accommodation for pets in our care 24/7. Overnight shifts are usually undertaken by team members who live on site. Occasionally, you will be expected to carry out night checks or stay in on site accommodation overnight when the resident team members are either not working or away for a period of time.
These duties are organised on a local rota and shared between all members of the team.
We have two part time roles available both working 26.25 hours per week on either of the following fixed working patterns:
Rota 1:
Week 1 - Monday, Thursday, Friday
Week 2 - Monday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Rota 2:
Week 1 - Wednesday, Thursday
Week 2 - Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
About you
As a skilled animal handler and assessor, you will be intuitive with pets, empathetic and welfare focused having worked in a similar animal related environment. You will also be used to assessing the needs of a pet, alert to the behavioural signs and have a basic knowledge of the use of medication e.g., hibiscrub, flea and tick treatments, diabetes management. In addition, you will have a fundamental understanding that the best welfare intervention for a pet is to find a new home and leave on site pet accommodation as quickly as possible.
You will be self-motivated, forward thinking with a collaborative and creative approach to your work, which will ensure to bring your best pragmatic ideas for the care of the pets to ensure the best outcome is achieved. In addition, you will be able to quickly assimilate information, be competent at accurately recording information while also conducting conversations with clients and stakeholders. You will be an excellent communicator, approachable with strong interpersonal skills.
You will know what it is like to work in an emotionally charged environment and have excellent ‘bounce back ability’ and resilience. In addition, you will be emotionally intelligent, showing empathy and knowing how to support clients and colleagues.
Knowledge, skills, and experience
- Experience of having previously worked or volunteered with domestic animals or in an animal welfare environment.
- Previous experience in working in a customer focused environment and used to achieving a high level of customer satisfaction.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Good organisational and administration skills to include computerised systems.
- Current full driving licence.
It would be great (but not essential) if you also had:
- Qualification or similar experience in animal behaviour or animal training.
- Experience of cash handling.
- Experience of working to strict health and safety procedures.
- Understanding of safeguarding issues.
Want to know more detail? Great! We have attached the job description which hopefully gives you everything you need.
How to apply
complete the online application process before the closing date on Tuesday 16 April 2024.
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. We want you to be happy working for us and will do everything we can to make sure you are.
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
- Programmes for physical and mental wellbeing support
- Free access to GP via MetLife
- Recognition scheme Annual volunteer days
- Claim for professional fees
About Blue Cross
Blue Cross is a national charity that has been helping sick, injured and homeless pets since 1897.
Every month we help thousands of pets and their people by providing veterinary care, expert behaviour advice and find homeless pets loving families. We also offer education for future generations plus pet bereavement support for those who have lost their beloved pet companion.
We love the ways that pets can make such an amazing difference to the people they live with and we offer lifelong support and advice to help that unique relationship thrive. With your support we can give back to more pets and their families who need our help.
Pets change lives. We change theirs.
Every month we help thousands of pets and their people by providing veterinary care, expert behaviour advice and find homeless pets loving families. We also offer education for future generations plus pet bereavement support for those who have lost their beloved pet companion.
We love the ways that pets can make such an amazing difference to the people they live with and we offer lifelong support and advice to help that unique relationship thrive. With your support we can give back to more pets and their families who need our help.
Pets change lives. We change theirs.
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion
We believe that every pet should enjoy a healthy life in a happy home, and we always seek to recruit the best people who share our values and commitment so we can continue to help and support pet owners across the UK to achieve this.
At Blue Cross, we want you to feel that you belong, without the need to hide any part of who you are.
Diversity and inclusion at Blue Cross means creating a workplace where all people, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, nation or country of origin, disability, age, and socioeconomic backgrounds are welcome, respected, supported, and have access to equal opportunities.
We are working hard to reflect the world we live in and the communities we serve at every level of our organisation. As much as we have made positive advances, we consider diversity and inclusion to be a work in progress – a continual commitment that remains a priority for all of us.
If you would like to talk to us about any reasonable adjustments or changes to our recruitment process to support you to be your best, then please get in touch either via email at jobs@bluecross.org.uk, via telephone on 01993 825515 or if you would prefer a video call then we can arrange this using Microsoft Teams.
Our values
Our values define the way we do things. We use them every day to guide us, and to make sure we put people and pets at the heart of everything we do.
Compassionate: We listen, we are non-judgmental, we are kind and caring to the pets and people we encounter, and we offer support in difficult times
Courageous: We make brave decisions, embrace change, and encourage innovation, ensuring we always act with integrity – doing the right thing even when no one is looking
Inclusive: We value all our relationships and work in an open and positive culture where we celebrate our diverse talents and empower you to be you
Application Deadline
April 16, 2024
Department
Rehoming & Fostering Services
Employment Type
Permanent
Location
Bromsgrove
Workplace type
Onsite
Compensation
£21,255 - £23,806 / year
Reporting To
Assistant Manager - Onsite Services
