Horse Adoptions Preparation Rider: Burford horse unit, part-time (weekends)

Contract:  Permanent, part time (weekends) 

Salary:  £14,040 per annum (£23,400 FTE)  

Location:   Burford rehoming centre, OX18 4PF 

Closing date:  Wednesday 13 October 2024 

Interview date:  Thursday 17 October 2024    

We're recruiting an Adoptions Preparation Rider to join our team at our Burford rehoming centre. Are you a skilled horse handler, rider, and trainer? If you’re passionate about equine care and ready to take on a rewarding challenge, we’d love to hear from you! 

More about the role

As a skilled horse handler, rider, and trainer, the Adoptions Preparation Rider expertly manages horse cases within our on-site care, including rehoming and crisis care. You'll ensure high welfare standards and swiftly complete the assessment, training, and rehabilitation of horses preparing for new homes. 

Each day, you'll handle, ride, and train various horses and ponies, collaborating with the Rehabilitation Trainer and Behaviour Advisor (RTBA) and the Adoptions Preparation Lead.  

You'll be part of a team focused on optimising training and delivering excellent customer service to showcase and promote Blue Cross horses and ponies, enhancing their rehoming chances.  

As the public face of Blue Cross, you'll prioritise customer service in every interaction. Your role is key in helping us achieve our mission and support more pets and horses. 

At our Burford rehoming centre, we provide onsite accommodation for pets in our care 24/7.  Overnight shifts are usually undertaken by team members who live on site. Occasionally, you will be expected to carry out night checks or stay in on site accommodation overnight when the resident team members are either not working or away for a period of time. These duties are organised on a local rota and shared between all members of the team. 

This is a part-time role working 22.5 hours over three days on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays each week.

For a more detailed look at the role and its requirements, please see the attached job description. 

About you

You are intuitive with horses, empathetic, and focused on welfare, having worked in similar environments. You assess horses' needs, recognise behavioral signs, and have knowledge of medications like hibiscrub and worming treatments. You understand that finding a new home quickly is the best welfare intervention. 

As a confident and patient rider, you handle a variety of horses and ponies. Self-motivated and forward-thinking, you bring creative and pragmatic ideas to horse care. You quickly assimilate and accurately record information while engaging with clients and stakeholders. Your excellent communication and interpersonal skills make you approachable and effective. 

Experienced in emotionally charged environments, you have resilience and "bounce back ability." Your emotional intelligence, empathy, and support for clients and colleagues are key strengths. 

Knowledge, skills, and experience  

• Demonstrable experience of having previously worked or volunteered with horses or in a horse welfare environment. 
• BHS stage 3, NVQ3 or equivalent professional experience 
• Good communication skills  
• A working knowledge of caring for a variety of field kept and stabled horses/ponies 
• Experience of handling, riding and training a variety of different types of horses and ponies 
• Experience of starting, riding and producing a variety of young horses  
• Knowledge of basic horse veterinary procedures, common horse ailments and injuries 
• Current full driving licence 
• The ability to demonstrate, understand and apply our Blue Cross values. 

Although not essential, it would be great if you also had: 

•  Qualification or similar experience in horse behaviour or animal training. 
• Previous experience in working in a customer focused environment and used to achieving a high level of customer satisfaction. 
• Understanding of safeguarding issues. 
• Practical application behavioural science and learning theory when training horses  
• Assessing, creating training plans and handling horses with behavioural problems  
• Preparing horses and ponies for rehoming 

How to apply  

Please visit our website and complete the online application process before the closing date on 13 October 2024. 

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive an overwhelming response.

Blue Cross benefits   

Our people are the most important part of delivering our purpose. If it were not for their amazing efforts and commitment, we would not be able to make the difference that we do today.  

In return, Blue Cross wants to ensure we provide you with the best working environment we can. We want you to be happy working for us and will do everything we can to make sure you are.  

Our generous benefits package includes:  

• Full time equivalent of 38 days holiday rising to 43 with service (including Bank Holidays)  
• Programmes for physical and mental wellbeing support  
• Free access to GP via MetLife- 24/7 GP services, private prescriptions and more for you and your family   
• Free physiotherapy advice and face to face intervention  
• Health cash plan  
• Unlimited access to an employee assistance programme  
• Pension scheme with enhanced employer contribution   
• Professional fees paid with Continuing Professional Development and personal development support.  
• Life assurance   
• 20% discount on Pet Plan pet insurance   
• Enhanced family friendly policies   
• Recognition scheme   
• Annual volunteer days  
• Charity worker discounts across a variety of retailers 

To read more about the benefits Blue Cross has to offer, please visit the 'why work for us' page on our website.  

About Blue Cross

Blue Cross is a national charity that has been helping sick, injured and homeless pets since 1897. 

Every month we help thousands of pets and their people by providing veterinary care, expert behaviour advice and find homeless pets loving families. We also offer education for future generations plus pet bereavement support for those who have lost their beloved pet companion. 

We love the ways that pets can make such an amazing difference to the people they live with and we offer lifelong support and advice to help that unique relationship thrive. With your support we can give back to more pets and their families who need our help. 

Pets change lives. We change theirs.
 

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion   

We believe that every pet should enjoy a healthy life in a happy home, and we always seek to recruit the best people who share our values and commitment so we can continue to help and support pet owners across the UK to achieve this. 

At Blue Cross, we want you to feel that you belong, without the need to hide any part of who you are.  

Diversity and inclusion at Blue Cross means creating a workplace where all people, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, nation or country of origin, disability, age, and socioeconomic backgrounds are welcome, respected, supported, and have access to equal opportunities.   

We are working hard to reflect the world we live in and the communities we serve at every level of our organisation. As much as we have made positive advances, we consider diversity and inclusion to be a work in progress – a continual commitment that remains a priority for all of us.  

If you would like to talk to us about any reasonable adjustments or changes to our recruitment process to support you to be your best, then please get in touch.  

Our values    
Our values define the way we do things. We use them every day to guide us, and to make sure we put people and pets at the heart of everything we do.  

Compassionate: We listen, we are non-judgmental, we are kind and caring to the pets and people we encounter, and we offer support in difficult times  

Courageous: We make brave decisions, embrace change, and encourage innovation, ensuring we always act with integrity – doing the right thing even when no one is looking  

Inclusive: We value all our relationships and work in an open and positive culture where we celebrate our diverse talents and empower you to be you