Inspectorate Support Assistant (3476)

Working hours and location: 35 per week, 08.00-16.00 Monday and Friday from home. 09.00-17.00 Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from the National Control Centre (NCC) in Wath Upon Dearne, Rotherham. Your training will take place at the NCC 5 days per week for approximately a month.

Help us make a difference to animals by supporting the RSPCA to focus on the incidents where their expertise and presence are needed most.

Our Inspectorate Team investigates complaints of animal cruelty and neglect, rescues distressed animals, and educates owners on proper animal care. As an Inspectorate Support Officer, you'll play an important role in helping us respond efficiently to the high numbers of  reports of cruelty and neglect we receive at our National Control Centre (NCC).  You'll review incidents, speak with members of the public and professional partners, and resolve incidents remotely wherever possible.

You'll work through a varied workload allocated by a supervisor, reviewing incident information and deciding what action is needed to progress each incident. This could include contacting callers or witnesses for further information, managing expectations, arranging visits, identifying when another organisation is better placed to help, or coordinating with vets, police and other professional agencies.

You'll play an important role in helping us address lower-level animal welfare concerns by providing owners with literature containing clear, practical information and advice, without the need for an officer to attend in person. You'll also follow up with owners who respond, talking through the information provided.

The team is sometimes required to support other departments in the RSPCA to gather information by contacting callers or the owners of animals. This data is then used to support ongoing projects in different areas of the RSPCA.

You'll need to be confident making reasoned decisions, sometimes with limited or changing information, while ensuring incidents are handled according to RSPCA priorities and required timescales. You'll also help ensure records and completion notes are accurate and up to date, allowing any necessary follow-up work to be progressed quickly.

This is a busy and varied role where no two incidents will necessarily be the same. You'll need to remain calm under pressure, communicate confidently with a wide range of people and be comfortable working in a constantly changing environment. You'll also work closely with colleagues, using tools such as Google Chat to share information, seek advice and escalate issues when needed.

We're looking for someone who can demonstrate:

• Strong problem-solving, analytical and decision-making skills.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the confidence to speak to members of the public and professional agencies.
• The ability to manage expectations and handle potentially challenging conversations professionally.
• The ability to work effectively under pressure and prioritise competing demands.
• A willingness to learn, develop and continually improve.
• A collaborative approach, with a commitment to supporting colleagues and delivering an excellent service.
• The ability to work confidently with ambiguity and adapt to changing circumstances.
• A reasoned and considered approach to decision-making, using the information available to reach appropriate outcomes.
• Previous experience working in a telephone customer environment.

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 as we are unable to sponsor visas.

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

Our vision is a world where all animals are respected and treated with kindness and compassion. Our purpose is to inspire everyone to create a better world for animals. 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 purpose.  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. 

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.