Behaviour and Welfare Advisor (2035)

We are looking for a Behaviour and Welfare Advisor (BWA) to join our team at the RSPCA Southridge Animal Centre in Potters Bar. 

As a Behaviour and Welfare Advisor, you will design and implement behaviour and welfare plans for dogs in RSPCA care who, due to a history of neglect and abuse, have welfare or behavioural needs. 

You will be part of a network of Behaviour and Welfare Advisors, with the support of the RSPCA's Clinical Animal Behaviourists and a wide range of animal welfare professionals playing a crucial role in the rehabilitation and rehoming of animals in our care.

• Working hours: 35 hours per week between 08.30-17.00 on a rota basis to include every other weekend.
• Site based role with occasional travel for Society purposes, for example visiting adopters, other sites housing RSPCA animals, or socialising dogs.

You will use one of our fleet vehicles for this purpose, so it is important that you have a full manual driving licence (subject to reasonable adjustments). We are also located in a rural area with limited public transport.

If you want to find out more about life at the centre and the animals in our care, check out our Facebook or Instagram pages.

Are you ready to be part of our journey and make a difference?

Here at the RSPCA, we know it's a cliche but no two days are the same!

This is a challenging but extremely rewarding role where you will take a leading role in changing the lives and futures of animals.

This is an amazing job, because of the variety of the role, you will be based predominantly outdoors, but will have some office based duties, the very best part, you have the opportunity to be really hands on with the animals you are working with. 

On a typical day you will be undertaking behaviour observations of primarily dogs, but also cats, working with these animals, advising the kennel team staff and volunteers on how to best bring about the required changes in behaviour. Finding the most suitable home for our animals relies on the centre staff finding the most suitable person to adopt him or her,  as one of the centre's two BWA's you will be very involved in this process, you will enjoy face to face and over the phone communication with the public.  

The support we provide to our adopters continues after our animal has left the centre, so you have the opportunity to continue the rehabilitation process in the home, and we have the satisfaction of seeing the difference our work has made to that animal's life.  

There is a great team of staff at Southridge who are truly dedicated to turning the lives of the rescued animals around, they work tirelessly to achieve this goal. 

If you have shared desires then please don't hesitate in applying. 

You'll develop training, behaviour and welfare plans for animals in RSPCA care and work with the animal centre team, including Animal Care Assistants and volunteers, to implement and oversee training programmes enabling training, behaviour modification and rehabilitation. You'll also work with the RSPCA's team of Clinical Animal Behaviourists on more complex welfare and/or behaviour cases.

You'll be a trusted point of contact for advice from colleagues and volunteers, and will also provide support during the adoption process, following up with adopters to maximise successful rehoming.

We will support you with continuous professional development so you can maintain up-to-date and evidence-based knowledge in the welfare and behavioural rehabilitation of companion animals. You will also have a network of Behaviour and Welfare Advisors and a National Behaviour Team of Clinical Animal Behaviourists to share science-led and welfare-based best practice and learning.

For more information about the role please see the job description attached to this advert.

Essential:

• Formal level 5 qualification in dog behaviour, welfare and training;
• A level 5 or higher qualification in cat/small animal welfare, behaviour and training'
• Full manual driving licence;
• Practical experience of the care, husbandry and handling of dogs gained whilst working in the animal care/welfare industry. This does not include the care of your own pets;
• Practical experience of the application of behaviour modification and training principles outside of your experience with your own pets;
• Excellent communication skills to effectively liaise with and educate colleagues, adopters and members of the public;
• The ability to manage and prioritise your workload.

Desirable:

• Animal Behaviour Technician (ABT)/Animal Training Instructor (ATI) registered with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council
• Experience of working with dogs/cats/small animals who are fearful or behave in a  challenging manner (this must be outside the care of your own pets);
• Experience of training colleagues or owners in handling, training and behaviour modification in dogs/cats/small animals;
• Experience of caring for dogs/cats/small animals in a shelter environment;
• Experience of working in the charity sector.

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.

Due to high interest in some of our roles, we review applications as they are received. This can occasionally result in positions closing earlier than advertised. Therefore, we strongly recommend submitting applications early.

Unfortunately, we are unable to accept applications after the posted closing date.

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! 

Should you need any support with your application or interview process please contact resourcingteam@rspca.org.uk / 0300 123 0685.

Our mission is to ensure animals have a good life by rescuing and caring for those in need, by advocating on behalf of all animals and by inspiring everyone to treat them with compassion and respect.