Job Description

Animal Care Assistant Advert

Due to expanding workload, Forest Veterinary Clinic is seeking an enthusiastic, dedicated and personable Animal Care Assistant (ACA) to join our small and friendly team on a part-time basis for 20 hours per week.

We are a small animal, independent veterinary practice owned by two vets. Our small and friendly team is dedicated to ensuring the health and well-being of all the pets (and owners!) we care for. Would you like to join us in our mission to provide the highest standard of veterinary care in a compassionate and friendly environment?

This would be a split role including some days spent working directly with patients in an ACA role, supporting our team of 5 vets, 3 registered veterinary nurses, and 1 student veterinary nurse (expecting to graduate in April 2026) behind the scenes, and some days in a client-facing role providing reception cover depending on the needs of the practice.

Reception responsibilities and duties would include:

Greeting clients and patients upon arrival with a friendly and professional demeanour

Answering and managing phone calls, emails and other communications

Scheduling and confirming appointments

Maintaining and updating patient records and client information on our database

Processing payments and handling billing enquiries

General housekeeping of the practice

Animal care assistant responsibilities and duties would include:

Caring for in-patients in the kennels

Assisting our vets and nurses with procedures like placing catheters and blood sampling

Maintaining patient records on our database

General housekeeping of the practice

The successful candidate when in a reception role will be the first point of contact for our clients, providing customer service and support, and when assisting our nursing team will have close interaction with our in-patients.

This role requires excellent communication skills, attention to detail, animal handling skills and confidence and a passion for animal care.

This is a part-time position averaging 20hrs per week, including one in four Saturdays (9am-2pm) and holiday cover as needed.

This role would suit both an experienced Animal Care Assistant, or someone wanting to gain experience in the veterinary sector.

In return we can offer you:

A friendly, enjoyable and varied working environment with the opportunity for lots of doggy and cat cuddles!

National Living Wage, increasing for experience.

5 weeks' holiday per year plus Bank Holidays.

Generous employee discount on veterinary services and products.

Opportunity for an apprenticeship scheme and potentially funded training to qualify as a Registered Veterinary Nurse for the right candidate in the future.

If you think this is the opportunity for you then we'd love to hear from you!

Please send a CV and covering letter to Leanne Goodchild, Practice Manager, to practicemanager@forestveterinaryclinic.co.uk

Closing date for applications - Friday 19th December 2025

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: From 12.21 per hour

Expected hours: 20 per week

Benefits:

Company pension Employee discount On-site parking
Work Location: In person