Animal Care Assistant

TN United Kingdom; Blandford Forum; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 24,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading educational institution seeks an Animal Care Assistant to support an animal therapy service that empowers young people with special needs. This role involves maintaining animal welfare, assisting with educational sessions, and fostering positive relationships within the team environment.

Qualifications

• Experience working with animals, particularly in a care or therapeutic setting.
• Ability to support and engage young people in animal-related activities.
• Knowledge of health and safety regulations in animal care.

Responsibilities

• Support animal care team and maintain health of animals.
• Coordinate animal care continuity during staff absences.
• Deliver educational sessions with the guidance of the Equine Lead.

Job description

The Forum School and Residential Home is a 52-week residential specialist school providing quality therapeutic care and education for young people with Autism, severe learning difficulties, challenging behaviour, and complex needs. The children and young people attending our school are aged between 7 and 19 years.

The Job

The Animal Care Assistant is responsible for supporting an efficient and accessible animal therapy service, aiding in the smooth operation and effective management of the establishment. The role involves working alongside our horses and within the animal environment to support and empower our young people to achieve their personal best. Providing appropriate physical and emotional support to facilitate effective learning, maintaining a clean and safe environment, and supporting our young people both in school and at home as needed are key responsibilities.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. Support the animal care team and foster positive relationships, contributing to team effectiveness and being open to giving and receiving constructive feedback.
2. Adhere to the school's health and safety guidelines.
3. Assist the Equine Lead and Groom to maintain the health and wellbeing of the animals, including taking responsibility for yard operations in their absence and delivering student sessions.
4. Coordinate with the team to ensure continuity of care for the animals during staff holidays or illnesses.
5. Perform general duties such as mucking out, feeding, grooming, and animal first aid, including caring for small animals like guinea pigs and rabbits.
6. Monitor and care for tack and equipment, ensuring safety, cleanliness, and proper maintenance.
7. Support the care of animals, with a focus on involving young people in grooming and stable management activities throughout the year.
8. Assist in delivering sessions by working with groups or individuals under the guidance of the Equine Lead.
9. Help prepare resources and plan individual programs for young people, including group, 1:1, and staff sessions.
10. Maintain student records confidentially, ensuring they are legible, accurate, and of high quality at the end of each session.

The Cambian Group

The Cambian Group is one of the UK's largest providers of specialist behavioral health services for children and adults. We seek an Education Administrator who shares our ethos that every child or young person has a personal best. Our services include adult mental health, acquired brain injury, children’s education, residential services, and fostering.

Enhanced DBS checks and reference checks will be conducted in line with government regulations and safer recruitment practices. While we aim to keep the recruitment process efficient, these checks may extend processing times. All young people are entitled to fair and balanced support. Cambian employees are responsible for promoting equality and challenging discrimination based on race, religion, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation, or other differences.

Online searches of shortlisted candidates will be conducted as part of safeguarding checks, focusing on suitability to work with children. These searches will be carried out by panel members not involved in the decision-making process to avoid bias, and information will only be shared if relevant and concerning.