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Form of workDo you fancy joining in our practice breakfast every Friday morning? When you only need to work a 3-day week as your full-time role, it’s great for us all to catch up together at the end of the week!
Our director, practice owner and exotics enthusiast, Siuna, set up our independent, Small Animal and exotics practice on the beautiful Fylde coast in 2005, and we have grown steadily ever since. Our fantastic, friendly team are extremely supportive, and we are ready to welcome a new vet into our family. Whether you’re looking to follow your interests or develop your skills, we will do everything possible to help you achieve your goals. With the recent addition of our brand-new CT and dedicated orthopaedics theatre, we would love to help a vet with a surgical bias develop their skills.
“My job at TVHC is one of the rare jobs that has delivered all that was promised and so much more. I’ve been encouraged and supported in following my interests from the beginning, including undertaking my certificate in internal medicine, whilst also being supported in areas where I felt less confident. Working at TVHC offers the consistency of having the same days off every week, as well as a great work-life balance with only working 3 days a week, which has greatly improved my mental health. Even on the toughest of days, we all help one another, and there are always laughs and smiles. The ‘management’ is ultimately still family; they are completely approachable, always there to talk to and will do anything they can to help. The practice is forward-thinking, always trying to improve and grow, and suggestions for improvement are always encouraged. No practice is ever perfect, but I truly feel this is as close as it can get.” Aisha MRCVS
“TVHC is a lively and fun place to work where there is never a dull moment. An abundance of snacks, brews and time to do admin, not to mention a 3-day week as standard, has increased my happiness both in and outside of work. Since joining the family, I’ve enjoyed plenty of clinical freedom, and through the support of other staff members, I have been working towards a certificate in Exotics, where my knowledge and confidence have grown tenfold thanks to the encouragement of the team. Everyone has their niche, which is fantastic for enhancing your skills, and the team thrives on learning and keeping up to date to do the best for our patients with plenty of lunch and learns and clinical clubs. It really is an enjoyable place to work.”Jess MRCVS
We have seen a lot of growth since Siuna first created TVHC, and we have recently expanded our first floor, giving both dogs and cats separate waiting areas and consulting rooms. We also have separate cat, rabbit, exotic, and bird wards, which are all kept away from any rambunctious pups downstairs. Our most recent project has been adding a new building at the rear of the practice to house our brand-new 64 Slice CT scanner, which is about to be installed, and two additional operating theatres, including a dedicated orthopaedics theatre. We’re also in the process of giving our practice website a makeover.
Full-time vets work a 3-day week (8:30 am to 7 pm), and our last consult slot is 6:15 pm, which allows a final half hour to catch up on anything you need to or to be able to head off if you are done for the day! There is just one weekday night on call every two weeks and only 1:4 Saturday mornings (8.30 am to 12.30 pm). We have a dedicated emergency vet who looks after any emergencies after 12 pm on a Saturday. Siuna is also always available for any out-of-hours exotic backup if needed.
We have one main operating vet each day, a second to support and one to monitor hospitalised patients. We have breaks for lunch and set time aside for making calls. We also hold twice daily rounds, which usually involve grabbing a brew and heading upstairs to chat through cases and discuss ways to improve our clinical and practice standards.
Work-life balance is really important to us, which is why we created the rota to reflect that. This also gives you plenty of time to explore the beautiful surrounding areas. We are within walking distance of Lytham St. Annes’ sandy beaches, with plenty of dog-friendly walks nearby. We are only an hour’s journey by car to the Lake District, Manchester, and Liverpool, so there are plenty of places to choose from on your days off.
During the day, there are plenty of RVNs and VCAs providing you with excellent support, and there is an RVN on call each night. As well as full on-site accommodation for you during the infrequent on-call shifts, we employ an answering service to screen calls overnight, so you would only be disturbed for genuine emergencies.
We are a very sociable practice with regular nights out, and we all really look forward to our yearly Christmas practice trip away, paid for by Siuna. It’s a chance for everyone to get together, unwind and let their hair down; one year, we headed off to York to hit the Christmas markets with rooms booked at a hotel for a night of fun, and this year, we went glamping followed by supper at Samlesbury Hall.
We are a very close-knit team, and we always rally together when one of us needs help. One of our vet’s sons is sadly losing his sight, so we came together (as we do best) and decided to raise funds for his treatment by doing a “Cake and Ride” event in the practice. This involved a 24-hour sponsored cycle where the majority of the practice took an hour’s slot and pedalled as fast as they could. Those who couldn’t ride baked cakes, and these were sold to our clients (and some of the staff!) and plenty of people came in to support such a worthwhile cause. Everyone really stepped up and did their part. We were able to purchase a defibrillator for outside the practice by fundraising with Macmillan coffee mornings and a group dog walk. We have taken part in Race For Life to raise money for Cancer Research to support a staff member sadly affected by cancer. Recently, two of our team organised and undertook a MAD (Make A Difference) Challenge, which consisted of a hike over the 4 highest English mountains in 3 days, followed by a 200-mile 4-day cycle, and if that wasn’t enough, finished it off with a 100-mile 3-day canoe down the river Wye! An amazing achievement raising worthwhile money for Noah’s Ark charity supporting seriously ill children and their families.
- Salary of £35,000 for a new graduate, up to £65,000 for more experience
- 3-day week, 1: 4 Saturday mornings only
- 6.6 weeks holidays (increasing with length of service up to a maximum of 6 additional days)
- Visa sponsorship available
- Relocation packages considered
- RCVS, BVA and VDS fees paid
- CPD funded to certificate level
- Company sick pay scheme, workplace pension and staff discount
- Brand new CT and great kit, including an operating microscope!
Our practice is ever-evolving and expanding, and we would love for you to join us on this journey. Please call for an informal chat or apply now!
