Animal Care Instructor
37.5 hours per week
Salary: £24,180 per annum
Location: Minstead, New Forest
Minstead Trust is a values-driven charity focused on supporting adults with learning disabilities across Dorset and Hampshire. As a Trust we put the people we support at the heart of everything we do. We support them to achieve greater independence and live happier and healthier lives. This can be done through support to live in their own homes, learning new skills at day opportunities or receiving work training to move towards employment.
We celebrate people by working to provide excellent support to those with wide-ranging care needs. Without our incredible team of staff and volunteers, we simply wouldn’t be where we are today!
As an Animal Care Instructor, you will play a vital role within our Day Opportunities team, dedicated to delivering practical experiences with animals for the individuals we assist, with the objective of fostering their personal development and self-assurance.
Your expertise in animal husbandry will be complemented by your capacity to inspire and guide participants, ensuring that their educational experience is both fulfilling and supportive.
You will be instrumental in enhancing and broadening our current Animal Care offerings by increasing the variety and number of animals in alignment with our newly established three-year Animal Care Development Plan.
The role:
- Provide tailored support to participants, encouraging their involvement in all aspects of animal care
- Plan and deliver engaging, hands-on sessions that align with individual goals and learning objectives
- Foster a safe, inclusive, and positive environment where participants feel valued and respected
- Oversee the care and well-being of the current group of animals, goats, donkeys, and geese, ensuring their health, safety, and welfare
- Research and agree the expansion of the current group of animals to include pigs, sheep and other small mammals in year 1 to be agreed with the Senior Leadership Team
- Teach participants practical animal care tasks such as feeding, grooming, cleaning enclosures, and monitoring animal behaviour
- Maintain high standards of hygiene and cleanliness in all animal areas
- Maintain the fields, fencing, paddocks and enclosures, and ensure maintenance help is sought if required
- Ensure that all activities adhere to health and safety regulations, including risk assessments for animal care and participant involvement
What are we looking for?
- Experience in animal care, particularly farm animals
- Proven ability to work with individuals with learning disabilities and/or autism in a supportive role
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with a patient and empathetic approach
- Confidence in delivering structured activities to individuals or groups
- Knowledge of health and safety requirements in animal care environments
- Preparedness to work outside in all weathers
- Ability to cover weekends.
Desirable:
- Teaching or training qualifications, or experience in an educational setting
- First aid certification
- Knowledge of therapeutic approaches in animal-assisted interventions
- Experience of driving a minibus -including a D1 licence.
What benefits can we offer?
- 33 days holiday inclusive of Bank Holidays
- Refer-a-Friend scheme worth £750!
- A Celebration Day’s Leave for Your Birthday
- Death in Service Insurance
- Company Pension
- An easy to access Health Care Scheme
- Cycle to Work
- Free Parking on-site
- Blue Light Card Eligibility
- Furzey Gardens Membership
- Hanger Farm Membership
- Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Pay
- Company Sick Pay
If you would like to apply for this role, please complete our application form and return the completed form to careers@minsteadtrust.org.uk or fill out the online application form.
Our Vision at Minstead Trust is to live in a society where people with learning disabilities enjoy fulfilling lives of their own choosing.
As a trust, our mission is to support people with learning disabilities to fully develop their individual potential by providing opportunities, enhancing life skills, ensuring informed choice and influencing society.
- We appreciate each person. Everyone is different – we respect and celebrate this.
- We’re always learning. We all have something to offer and more to learn.
- We’re always improving. Striving to give our best and to have more impact.
- We push for change. We will challenge society to be fully inclusive.
- We find the joy in everyday life. We have the freedom to be ourselves and enjoy what we do.
We are not licenced to sponsor employees for visas; therefore, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. You need to have, or be able to obtain, right to work in the UK in order to take up this position.
All staff working for, or on behalf of Minstead Trust, understand their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding adults at risk and know who to escalate concerns to within Minstead Trust.
Due to the nature of this employment section your application is subject to a successful Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS).
No terminology in the advert you have seen is intended to discriminate on the grounds of age, gender, race, colour, religion, disability of sexual orientation, and we will gladly accept applications from all sections of the community.
We are only able to accept direct applications at this time; no agencies please.