Canine Health and Welfare Assistant

JOB TITLE:                         Canine Health and Welfare Assistant

LOCATION:                         Great Horwood, near Milton Keynes

SALARY BAND:                  £22,370

JOB TYPE:                          Full-time, Permanent (10am - 6pm)

 

Medical Detection Dogs trains dogs to save lives.

We train specialist dogs to detect the odour of human disease, providing life-saving alert assistance dogs to people with complex health problems across the UK and collaborating with other researchers, NHS Trusts and Universities internationally to advance the early diagnosis of disease.

The Job

 You will assist the Health & Welfare Coordinator in their role, providing support to socialisers and fosterers and dealing with queries including those relating to health & welfare and holiday cover, referring the queries to the appropriate member of staff where necessary.

The welfare of our dogs is of paramount importance and you will help ensure that dogs at the MDD Centre are at all times well cared for and that their health & welfare needs are met.

Reports to: Health and Welfare Coordinator

Specific Responsibilities

Health & Welfare needs

·        Ensure MDD dogs are fed, watered, toileted and exercised as required while they are at the Centre.

·        Weigh and groom MDD dogs as needed when they are at the Centre.

·        Ensure all dog first aid kits are fully equipped

·        Assist with the weekly health checks of all Bio Detection Dogs and ensure that vaccinations and any preventative medication are always up to date and administered as and when required.

·        Ensure all Bio Detection Dogs have the appropriate equipment and are correctly tagged.

·        To support when requested, the training of any new staff on Health & Welfare matters.

Bio Detection Dogs Supervision

 ·          Assist with the organisation of the monthly schedule for each Bio Detection Dog.

·          To meet the Fosterer’s and handover the Bio detection dogs when they arrive to collect at the end of the day.

·          Assist with arrangements for holiday or other temporary cover when a fosterer is going away.

·          Arrange day cover in emergency situations.

·          Help coordinate the collection and return off dogs from fosterers, liaising with other staff as necessary and as and when required arrange volunteer drivers to collect or return dogs or when

·          necessary collect or drop off dogs yourself.

·          Organise the rota for dog walkers and keep them updated on any changes.

MDD Site Responsibilities

·          Ensure all bedding on the MDD site is washed, clean and changed regularly.

·          Ensure that the dog holding areas are regularly cleaned and well maintained, with support from the contract cleaning team.

·          Ensure that the grooming room is regularly clean and well maintained.

·          Ensure the veterinary room is kept clean and tidy, well equipped with relevant treatment & equipment.

Record Keeping

·        Keep accurate records of Bio Detection Dog health, welfare, weight and any medications or treatments given.

·        Ensure that all Bio Detection Dogs insurance and microchip details are correctly recorded.

Fosterer Queries

·        When requested, act as the first point of contact for all fosterers, including out of normal working hours in emergencies.

 

Other tasks or ad hoc duties agreed with your line manager required to ensure the successful running of the charity.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

·        Experience of practical dog training.

·        Understanding of dog health and welfare and experience of providing basic, considered and appropriate advice and support to dog handlers.

·        IT literacy and report writing skills including experience of using Microsoft based programs such as Outlook, Word, Excel, Internet Explorer and Power Point

KNOWLEDGE

Practical Knowledge in the following areas:

·      The basic theory of practical dog training.

·      The law in relation to dogs i.e. appropriate areas to free run a dog, ID needed etc.

·      Dog and human psychology.

·      Health and safety implications of dog and fosterer handling.

·      A basic understanding of the various diseases and medical conditions with which the charity works, or the capacity and willingness to learn.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS

·      A professional approach to other staff, clients, fosterers and their families and members of the public and the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with a wide range of people internally and externally.

·      A good attitude to work and ability to use initiative and work effectively and efficiently without supervision.

·      Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

·      An organised and methodical approach, with the ability to prioritise.

·      Attention to detail is essential.

·      Interested and passionate about the work of the charity.

·      Must be comfortable working in vicinity of dogs.

·      Flexibility around working hours when required.

 

You will also be expected to:

-          Hold a full UK Manual Driving Licence

-          Provide proof of identity and eligibility to work in the UK.

-          Undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check

-          On occasions you may be requested to take dogs home for some additional training or health and welfare observations for a set period

Values & Behaviours

There are a few key values that we believe are important in the workplace:

·        Respect

·        Cooperation

·        Honesty

·        Fairness

Based on the values listed above, we encourage the behaviours below in the charity:

·        Respectful communication

·        Cooperating with others

·        Honesty in all interactions

·        Fairness in decision making

Benefits

·        Sick Pay

·        Health Cover

·        26 days holiday, increasing with service

·        5% Employer Pension Contribution

·        Free On-site parking

·        Life Insurance