OOH Veterinary Care Assistant

IVC Evidensia; High Wycombe; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 24,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

6.6 weeks annual leave

Pension scheme

Discounted veterinary care

Learning and development opportunities

Wellbeing initiatives

Job summary

Hamilton Specialist Referrals, part of IVC Evidensia, is seeking a Veterinary Care Assistant to join their team outside High Wycombe. The role supports clinical staff, handles patient care, lab tasks and theatre assistance in a busy 24-hour hospital.

You will work 34 hours per week across shifts, in a friendly, growth-focused environment with strong emphasis on patient care and team collaboration.

Qualifications

• Empathy and caring approach to animals and clients.
• Good communication and collaboration with colleagues and clients.
• Strong organisation to manage tasks in a busy veterinary setting.
• Willingness to learn and accept feedback for development.

Responsibilities

• Restrain patients as needed and maintain kennels.
• Conduct lab tasks and ensure cleaning and sterilisation of equipment.
• Support theatre operations and assist with procedures.
• Assist with dispensing duties and general patient care.

Skills

Communication skills

Teamwork

Organisational skills

Proactive learning

Animal care experience

Job description

At inspiring vet care, our people are at the heart of everything we do. As the UK’s number one vet care provider, we're trusted with the care of over 2 million animals, delivering our purpose of healthier animals and happier owners.

We are seeking an enthusiastic, team-orientated OOH Veterinary Care Assistant to join our team at Hamilton Specialist Referrals on a part time permanent basis.

Located just outside High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, Hamilton Specialist Referrals (HSR) is a purpose-built, 24-hour veterinary hospital equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to deliver advanced treatments for cats and dogs, along with exceptional rehabilitation and physiotherapy services.

Even as a large team, we are dedicated to fostering a friendly and supportive culture that emphasizes growth, clinical excellence, and excellent standards of patient care.

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. You will handle patient restraint, maintain kennels, conduct laboratory tasks, and manage the cleaning and sterilisation of equipment and instruments. Additionally, you will support theatre operations, assist with procedures, oversee dispensing duties.

Key responsibilities include maintaining and caring for machinery and equipment, processing lab samples, ensuring thorough theatre cleaning and closing procedures, and sterilising surgical instruments. You’ll also manage patient handling and provide general patient care, while keeping clinical areas clean to uphold our high standards of care.

Working Pattern

• 34 hours per week.
• Four shifts on and Eight shifts off plus 12 additional shifts a year.

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 with 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
• Experience of working with animals in either a clinical or non-clinical setting would be advantageous

How We’ll Support You

At inspiring vet care, 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
• Clear career pathways with progression opportunities into Student Veterinary Nurse roles and beyond
• Supportive, collaborative teams focused on delivering high-quality patient and client care
• A values-led culture focused on care, community and continuous improvement

What We Offer Our Team

• 6.6 weeks' annual leave plus your birthday off FTE
• Increasing holiday allowance based on length of service
• Enhanced family-friendly policies, including maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental and surrogacy pay
• Employee wellbeing initiatives including Healthcare Cash Plan and Cycle to Work salary sacrifice schemes, subject to eligibility criteria
• Learning and development opportunities via the inspiring vet care Academy
• Pension scheme
• Discounted veterinary care
• Voluntary benefits including Green Cars salary sacrifice scheme and access to discounts and cashback with hundreds of participating retailers

We’re committed to supporting our people through career development opportunities, wellbeing initiatives and access to world-class learning resources.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take the next step in your career, inspiring vet care offers the support, opportunity and community to help you grow.

£0 - £0 a year

Up to £24,225 per annum

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.