Animal Care Assistant

Inspiring Vet Care; Lancashire; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 24,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

6.6 weeks' annual leave

Birthday leave

Pension scheme

Healthcare Cash Plan

Cycle to Work scheme

IVC Academy learning and development

Job summary

IVC Evidensia's Village Vets & Meadowbank in Lancashire is seeking an Animal Care Assistant for a full-time maternity-cover role. You will support the clinical team with inpatient care, patient handling, and maintaining a clean and safe practice environment.

Working up to 40 hours per week across 3–4 days, you will contribute to high standards of patient and client care while developing within a leading veterinary group focused on wellbeing and development.

Qualifications

• You are a caring, professional with genuine interest in animal welfare.
• You have good communication skills and work collaboratively with colleagues and clients.
• You possess strong organisational skills and can manage tasks in a busy environment.
• You show a proactive attitude to learning and development.

Responsibilities

• Provide daily care for animals, including feeding, watering, grooming, and cleaning enclosures.
• Monitor animal health and behaviour, reporting concerns to senior staff.
• Maintain clean, safe habitats and comply with health and safety standards.
• Assist with administering medication under supervision if required.
• Handle animals safely following established protocols.
• Support enrichment activities to promote wellbeing.
• Interact professionally with visitors and clients.
• Assist with record keeping (feeding schedules, treatments, observations).
• Follow organisational policies including welfare and biosecurity.

Skills

Caring

Communication

Organisation

Teamwork

Willingness to learn

Job description

Role: Animal Care Assistant

Location: Village Vets & Meadowbank, Lancashire

Contract: Full-Time, Maternity Cover (12 months)

Village Vets now employs over 30 staff. We are extremely proud of our nursing team, which is comprised of a large number of qualified nurses who take their own clinics, including weight clinics, diabetic clinics, puppy parties and healthy pet checks.

Our veterinary team is very diverse and includes vets with special interests in orthopaedics, soft tissue surgery, ultrasonography and behaviour. Our vets have excellent working relationships with local referral practices and regularly undertake further training courses to enhance their knowledge.

The Buckley practice is credited with hospital status and has state-of-the-art facilities, including three surgical suites, digital x-ray and endoscopy equipment and an ultrasound machine that is identical to that used in human hospitals. There are separate cat and dog kennels, isolation kennels for infectious patients and an in-house laboratory where blood and other samples can be processed the same day.

We are dedicated to providing exceptional Veterinary care to all of our patients and clients, whilst prioritising staff wellbeing and development.

IVC Evidensia is the UK and Europe’s leading veterinary care group, made up of over 900 practices and referral hospitals, united by a shared purpose of happier animals, happier owners.

At IVC Evidensia, we believe careers should be built without limits. Our people are supported to make more clinical impact, access more career opportunities, and play an active role in their local and professional communities. Through investment in learning, innovation, and wellbeing, we create environments where our teams can grow in confidence, capability, and fulfilment—at every stage of their career.

How you'll make a difference

As a Veterinary Care Assistant, you will play an important role in supporting the clinical team to deliver high standards of patient and client care, while helping to ensure the practice environment runs smoothly and safely.

Working under the direction of a veterinary surgeon or registered veterinary nurse, you’ll support inpatient care, assist with patient handling and restraint, help maintain clinical areas and equipment, and contribute to a positive and compassionate experience for both patients and clients.

• Provide daily care for animals, including feeding, watering, grooming, and cleaning enclosures
• Monitor animal health and behaviour, reporting any concerns to senior staff or veterinary professionals
• Maintain clean, safe, and hygienic living environments in line with health and safety standards
• Assist with administering medication under supervision (if required)
• Handle animals safely and confidently, following established protocols
• Support enrichment activities to promote physical and mental wellbeing of animals
• Interact professionally with visitors, customers, or clients where applicable
• Assist with record keeping, including feeding schedules, treatments, and observations
• Follow all organisational policies, including animal welfare and biosecurity procedures

This is a full-time role working up to 40 hours per week, spread over 3-4 days. Full and part time applicants will be considered.

You might be a great fit if...

You are a reliable and motivated individual who enjoys working as part of a team and is keen to develop within a veterinary environment. You’ll bring:

• A caring, professional approach and a genuine interest in animal welfare
• Good communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and clients
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage tasks effectively in a busy environment
• A proactive attitude to learning, with openness to feedback and development

How we'll support you

At IVC Evidensia, we’re committed to supporting your ongoing development and wellbeing. When you join us, you’ll benefit from:

• Structured development opportunities, including access to VCA development programmes and apprenticeships
• Supportive, collaborative teams focused on delivering high-quality patient and client care
• Funded learning and development aligned to your role
• A values-led culture focused on care, community, and continuous improvement

What We Offer Our Team

• 6.6 weeks' annual leave
• Additional annual leave for your birthday, which will be added to your holiday allowance
• Increasing annual leave accrued through length of service
• Enhanced family-friendly policies, including maternity/ paternity/ adoption/ shared parental and surrogacy pay
• Healthcare Cash Plan
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Learning and development opportunities via the IVC Evidensia Academy
• Pension scheme
• Discounted staff pet care
• Voluntary benefits: choose from a range of benefits to suit you
• Access to discounts/cashback with hundreds of participating retailers

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

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