Animal Care Assistant (Live-In) Essex

National Animal Welfare Trust; England; On-site; GBP 26,000; Full time

Job summary

A registered charity dedicated to animal welfare is seeking a Live-In Animal Care Assistant at its Essex Centre. The role involves providing high-quality care and support for animals, ensuring their well-being and successful rehoming. The ideal candidate will have experience with animals, a genuine passion for their welfare, and the ability to work in a dynamic environment. This position offers a salary of £25,396 per annum and includes various employee benefits.

Benefits

33 days annual leave

Group Life Assurance Scheme

Contributory Pension Scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Genuine passion for animal welfare, rescue and rehoming work.
• Experience handling animals (personal or professional) is required.
• Willingness to work weekends and public holidays on a rota basis.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality daily care, handling, and enrichment for animals.
• Monitor animal health and report concerns promptly.
• Assist with introductions between potential adopters and animals.

Skills

Passion for animal welfare

Animal handling experience

Good communication skills

Team player

Ability to work independently

Emotional resilience

Education

Qualification in animal care or welfare

Job description

A fantastic opportunity has arisen to join the National Animal Welfare Trust’s team at our Essex Centre as a Live-In Animal Care Assistant.

You will be working for a charity that never stops caring for its animals and people. We believe every pet deserves a chance to thrive in a loving home. Across our five rescue and rehoming centres across the south of England, we care for homeless and unwanted cats, dogs, rabbits, and guinea pigs - helping them find the families they’ve been waiting for.

Location:NAWT Essex, The Street, Little Clacton, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, CO16 9LG

Hours: 40 hours per week, working weekends on a rota basis

Salary: £25,396 per annum (£12.21 per hour)

Closing Date: 18th August2025

About the role

You will have a vital role and will be responsible in providing high-quality daily care, handling, and enrichment for animals within our rehoming centre, supporting their physical and emotional wellbeing and contributing to their successful rehoming. You will work closely with a dedicated team to ensure the centre runs smoothly and maintains high welfare standards. As a Live-In Animal Care Assistant, you will have the additional responsibility of carrying out evening duties and lock up duties, as and when required.

Key Responsibilities

Animal Care & Welfare

• Feed, groom, and exercise animals according to individual care plans
• Clean enclosures, bedding, and feeding areas to a high hygienic standard
• Administer basic medical treatments under supervision (e.g. flea/worm treatments, medication)
• Monitor animal health and behaviour, reporting concerns promptly to senior staff
• Provide mental and physical stimulation through play, training, and enrichment
• Help animals adjust to shelter life and prepare them for adoption such as lead walking, crate training and basic obedience

Adoption & Rehoming Support

• Assist with introductions between potential adopters and animals
• Provide accurate and compassionate information to visitors and adopters
• Help maintain accurate records of animal care, behaviour, and medical needs
• Follow health & safety protocols at all times
• Maintain a clean and safe working environment for staff, volunteers, and visitors
• Support fundraising, events, or outreach initiatives as needed

Person Specification

• Genuine passion for animal welfare, rescue and rehoming work
• Experience handling animals (personal or professional)
• Good communication skills and a team-player mindset with ability to work on your own initiative
• Manual working tasks
• Willingness to work weekends and public holidays on a rota basis
• Previous work or volunteering experience in a kennel, cattery, or shelter
• Qualification in animal care or welfare (e.g. Level 2/3 Animal Care)
• Familiarity with animal behaviour and basic training techniques

Working Conditions

• Outdoor and indoor work in all weather conditions
• Hands-on animal handling, including cleaning, feeding and lead walking a wide variety of dog breeds
• Uniform is provided
• Empathy and emotional resilience when dealing with sometimes challenging circumstances, such as animals in distress and potential euthanasia cases

So, if you are the kind of person who enjoys a busy and varied role, with an empathy for the aims of NAWT, and would relish the opportunity to gain lots of experience within animal welfare – this may be the job for you!

As part of our commitment to making NAWT a great place to work, we offer access to the following employee benefits:

• 33 days annual leave inclusive of bank holidays rising to 38 days after 5 years of service (pro-rated for part time employees)
• Group Life Assurance Scheme
• Contributory Pension Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme and access to Wellbeing Resources.

We are an inclusive organisation and are committed to providing equality of opportunity for all with the right mix of talent, skills and potential. We welcome all applications from the communities we work in. Selection for roles will be based on individual merit.

If you feel you have the right skills to be a successful Live-In Animal Care Assistant at our Essex centre, please send your CV with your cover letter, outlining how your experience and interest connect to our position, to Lizzie Reffell, Centre Manager: [e-mail] at NAWT Essex.

The full description of the Duties and Responsibilities is below.

Please note we are accepting applications on a rolling basis and may close the recruitment process for this role prior to the deadline, so early applications are encouraged. Unfortunately, we are only able to make contact with those applicants who will be invited to interview.