Apprentice Animal Care Assistant - St Giles Animal Centre

Animal Care Assistant tasks;

• Day to day care of animals on site including dogs, cats, small animals
• Cleaning of accommodation
• Grooming
• Feeding
• Exercise
• Administering medication if required.
• Ensuring animal welfare needs are met on a daily basis
• Ensuring animals receive appropriate enrichment for their specific needs.
• Exercising dogs via walking & use of outside exercise areas.
• Maintaining a high standard of cleanliness & hygiene on site, to the animal accommodation, food preparation, laundry, store areas, staff & volunteer facilities
• ensure buildings/exercise areas are always secure
• Carrying out health checks on animals and reporting any concerns & feedback to the team
• Assisting with Behaviour Plans by observing behavioural changes & recording & reporting to the Senior animal handler.
• Assisting with carrying out on-going assessments for animals at the Centre under the direction of the senior animal handler & management team.
• Working alongside Volunteers and Work Experience students
• Keeping animal records accurate in files & systems.
• Working to Centre protocols to maintain high standards of presentation throughout the centre.
• Being responsible for their own health and safety.
• To undertake any other duties required by the Management team

Veterinary Care Assistant tasks;

• Assisting the receptionist with taking payments, phone calls and general enquiries, appointment bookings, operation bookings and repeat prescription requests.

• General cleaning duties including daily upkeep and deep cleans. Laundry, washing dishes and dog bowls and bedding, cleaning kennel bank and crate, dusting, cleaning floors.

• Organising Vaccination reminders
• Posting duties including frequent use of the franking machine
• Basic garden upkeep including care of flowers and indoor plants.
• Weekly/monthly stock takes and orders with the main wholesalers.
• Re-stocking of consult room and prep room
• Packaging and preparing laboratory samples and laboratory forms, calling the laboratory and putting the sample in the collection box ready for collection.
• Updating the practice notice board with laboratory sample information and other key information from the day, ready for hand-over to different team the following morning.
• Cleaning and packing of surgical kits ready for sterilisation including drapes and instruments, swabs and dental equipment.
• Preparing vaccination cards and paperwork in preparation for puppies/kittens and litters before the appointment.
• Preparing theatre for surgery in the morning, preparation of intravenous catheter placement and setting up instrument trolley/anaesthetic machine.
• Clearing down theatre after surgery and ensuring theatre is set up in preparation for possible emergency surgery or extras/the following day.
• General assisting with animals in the practice and in patients if required.
• Handling of dogs and cats in the consulting room and theatre with nurse/vet as required.