Job Title-Kennel Attendant
Salary/Grade- 1 £20,490-£20607
Closing Date-13th February 2023
Main Purpose Of The Role
As a Kennel Attendant, the post holder is responsible for the day to day care & management of Police Dogs in kennels, with your main priority, the environment in which our dogs reside whilst in kennels.
Kennel Attendants are responsible for maintaining extremely high levels of cleanliness & hygiene of the kennelling & whelping facilities, whilst also providing exercise to Police Dogs who are in kennels.
Kennel Attendants will provide support to the Puppy Development Programme by assisting with matings & the whelping of puppies. There is an expectation that all Kennel Attendants support the whelping of puppies, which includes an overnight on call rota whereby you could be called out to assist in the delivery of puppies.
Kennel Attendants are also responsible for ensuring dogs receive appropriate veterinary treatment & grooming.
The role of a Kennel Attendant is extremely physical, working a 3 on, 2 off shift pattern to include earlies & lates finishing at 2130.
Our kennelling strategy is to maintain the highest levels of cleanliness & biosecurity to ensure our dogs are kept in the best possible environment, this means that there are high demands on the physical nature of cleaning kennels regularly throughout the whole shift.
Due to the nature of the role, Kennel Attendants will be required to handle operational Police Dogs, both detection dogs (spaniels/labradors) & general purpose dogs (GSD/malinois) – it is therefore important that applicants are confident in handling all dogs & are able to effectively manage & mitigate risks.
Key Responsibilities
- Cleaning of kennels regular throughout the day
- Ensure high levels of biosecurity, cleanliness & hygiene of the kennelling & whelping facilities
- Provide exercise to Police Dogs whilst in kennels
- Prepare daily food for Police Dogs
- Grooming of Police Dogs
- Conduct veterinary visits with Police Dogs
- Administration of daily medical treatment to Police Dogs
- Provide support to Puppy Development Programme with matings & whelping
- Maintain accurate Police Dog boarding records
- To work a shift pattern which involves working on Public Holidays, weekend working & unsociable hours
- To be ‘on call’ for whelping of puppies
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- To have high standards of cleanliness & hygiene
- To have experience of handling/working with working dogs
- To have experience of whelping & delivering puppies
- To have experience of mating dogs
- Possess a full UK Driving Licence
- Possess “First Aid At Work” (Can be obtained once in post)
Desirable
- To have basic IT skills (Microsoft Office applications)
- To have experience of working with volunteers
- To hold an Animal Behaviour Qualification
Skills
Essential
- To be confident around working dogs
- To possess integrity & professionalism at the highest level
- To be a dynamic, motivated individual who seeks a challenging role in Police Dogs
- To be able to work with minimal supervision & use own initiative
- To be able to show a high level of flexibility
Desirable
- To have an analytical mind to identify problem solving solutions
- To demonstrate networking & relationship building skills
Vetting
Successful applicants will be required to pass Recruitment Vetting and Counter Terrorism Clearance scrutiny prior to commencing their role, this will include a full background & financial disclosure as part of the vetting process.
Medical (Operational)
Appointment to this role will be dependent upon successfully medical checks, which may include a drugs test and if required a fitness test.
Hours of work
shift basis 3 on, 2 off
Location
Dog Training Centre, Balsall Common
West Midlands Police is a Disability Confident Leader - the highest level an organisation can achieve under the scheme run by the Department of Work and Pensions. As part of our commitment we operate a ‘Disability Confident Interview Scheme’ - all candidates who declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role will be offered an interview.
It is important to note that there may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled people who meet the essential criteria for the job. For example: in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. In these circumstances, the employer could select the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job, as they would do for non-disabled applicants.
"Diversity and Inclusion Vision: Maximise the potential of people from all backgrounds through a culture of fairness and inclusion to deliver the best service for our communities"