Animal Care Assistant (Surgical)

At inspiring vet care, our people are at the heart of everything we do. As the UK’s number one vet care provider, we're trusted with the care of over 2 million animals, delivering our purpose of healthier animals and happier owners.

We are seeking an enthusiastic and team-orientated Animal Care Assistant to join our team at Swift Referrals on a full-time basis.

Opened in 2019 and purpose-built to industry-leading standards, Swift Referrals is a multidisciplinary referral hospital delivering exceptional veterinary care across orthopaedics, neurology, internal medicine and soft tissue surgery. Our purpose-built hospital is equipped with world-class facilities including a Siemens 1.5T MRI scanner, 128-slice GE CT scanner, Doppler ultrasound, endoscopy, arthroscopy and state-of-the‑art operating theatres.

We're proud of the supportive culture we've built for our team of more than 80 colleagues, with our commitment to wellbeing consistently reflected in our excellent team satisfaction survey results.

How You’ll Make a Difference

As an Animal Care Assistant, you'll play an important role in supporting our clinical teams to deliver exceptional patient care while helping ensure the hospital operates safely and efficiently.

Working alongside our Veterinary Surgeons and Registered Veterinary Nurses, you'll assist with patient care, support clinical procedures, maintain equipment and contribute to a positive experience for both patients and clients.

Working Pattern

• Full‑time permanent position
• Five 8‑hour shifts per week

Key Responsibilities

• Support the medical RVNs and clinicians to ensure the smooth running of the hospital
• Care for and maintain clinical equipment
• Assist with handling and caring for day patients
• Support laboratory work and sample processing

You Might Be a Great Fit If...

You Are a Reliable And Motivated Individual Who Enjoys Working As Part Of a Team And Is Keen To Develop Within a Veterinary Environment. You'll Bring

• A caring, professional approach with a genuine interest in animal welfare
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and clients
• Good organisational skills and the ability to manage tasks effectively in a busy environment
• A proactive approach to learning, with openness to feedback and development
• Experience working with animals in either a clinical or non‑clinical environment would be advantageous

How We’ll Support You

At inspiring vet care, we're committed to supporting your development and wellbeing from day one. When you join us, you'll benefit from:

• Structured development opportunities, including Animal Care Assistant development programmes and apprenticeships
• Clear career pathways with progression opportunities into Student Veterinary Nurse roles and beyond
• A supportive, collaborative referral team focused on delivering outstanding patient and client care
• A values‑led culture focused on care, community and continuous improvement

What We Offer Our Team

• 6.6 weeks' annual leave plus your birthday off
• Increasing holiday allowance based on length of service
• Enhanced family‑friendly policies, including maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental and surrogacy pay
• Employee wellbeing initiatives including Healthcare Cash Plan and Cycle to Work scheme
• Learning and development opportunities via the inspiring vet care Academy
• Pension scheme
• Discounted veterinary care
• Voluntary benefits including Green Cars salary sacrifice scheme and access to discounts and cashback with hundreds of participating retailers

We're committed to supporting our people through career development opportunities, wellbeing initiatives and access to world‑class learning resources.

Whether you're just starting out or looking to take the next step in your career, inspiring vet care offers the support, opportunity and community to help you grow.

£0 - £0 a year

Up to £26,500 per annum

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

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