Animal Care Assistant - Casual (3019)

We're on the lookout for a passionate Animal Care Assistant's to join our dedicated team at the RSPCA Southridge Centre on a casual basis. 

Location: Southridge Animal Centre, Packhorse Lane, Potters Bar, EN6 3LZ

This is an incredibly exciting to join the team at Southridge with it being one of the RSPCA's largest centres caring for a significant number of dogs, cats and small animals along with taking a lead in holding and rehoming our farm animals in need of rehabilitation and rehoming. 

This is a casual role so you will pick up shifts as and when they become available. It is important that you can work weekends and are only up to an hour travel time from the centre, in order for you to pick up shifts with short notice.

Every animal that comes through our gates has a story - most are abandoned, abused or neglected. From cats, dogs, rabbits and small furries to farm animals, we care for them all. On any given day, we can be looking after 150+ animals, each one getting the love, attention and rehabilitation they deserve.

Are you ready to join our movement?

Here at RSPCA we know it's a cliche but no two days are the same, as an Animal Care Assistant we've added a short summary of what a typical day might look like.

This is an exciting and challenging opportunity at the largest animal welfare charity in the UK as an Animal Care Assistant. Our amazing Animal Care Assistants are critical in the day to day operation of our Animal Centres. You will work as part of a team with our staff and volunteers in providing care, compassion and enrichment and socialisation  for all animals in the centre.  

Our Animal Care Assistants are responsible for the care and rehabilitation of animals who have been rescued from cruelty, abuse and neglect.

You'll start your day cleaning the animals' accommodation,as well as feeding and watering them, and then start the daily exercise routine. It can be physically hard, but also very rewarding and satisfying work knowing the animals are comfortable and happy when you are finished. Our Animal Care Assistants ensure the highest standards of welfare, and will monitor and report on animal behaviour, wellbeing and health. You will also administer medication or treatment prescribed by a Vet, and implement behaviour modification programmes with guidance from our Behaviour and Welfare Advisors and the wider team.

Once the animals in our care are ready for their forever home, you will be involved in the adoption process, helping to find the perfect matched home for the animal you look after. 

Join our dedicated team for this amazing and rewarding opportunity to make a real difference to an animal's life!

• Experience working with animals either through paid or voluntary work (not including your own pets).
• Experience working around large dog breeds. Some of the dogs we currently face are of large size & unsocialised. We will require an individual who has the experience & confidence to manage the characteristics of these dogs effectively.
• Resilience - many of the animals in our care have been victims of neglect and/or abuse and cruelty. 
• Emotional resilience of euthanasia - although you will not be required to conduct euthanasia, there may be times where you will be exposed to this; such as transporting or being present of a euthanised animal.  
• Willing to undertake practical work outdoors in all weather (practical work subject to reasonable adjustments if required).
• Excellent communication and team working skills - you'll be working with colleagues across the RSPCA, volunteers and members of the public.
• Able to multitask and work under pressure - working with animals can be busy and unpredictable!

Successful candidates for certain RSPCA roles will need to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK - We are unable to sponsor visas at RSPCA

We want to ensure we do all we can to give you a positive candidate experience through our recruitment. Whilst we do try to give feedback where we can, sometimes due to receiving high levels of applications, this may not always be possible

We are building the future of a diverse Society, and our priority is to support animal welfare by finding people from all backgrounds who are committed  to our mission.  For this reason we actively encourage a wide diversity of applications - in particular from members of minority ethnic groups, and people with disabilities - as these candidates are currently under-represented at the RSPCA. Your transferable skills & lived experiences could make you a valuable addition to our RSPCA Family! 

We're here to support you and encourage you to let us know if you need any adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process. Please feel free to contact us at resourcingteam@rspca.org.uk or 0300 123 0685 so we can ensure the process works for you.