Description
Contract: Permanent, full time
Salary: £26,208 per annum
Location: Nelson Street, Grimsby
Closing date: Sunday 7th September 2025
Interview date: Wednesday 17th September 2025
We’ve been delivering veterinary services to Grimsby’s local community since 1959, helping over 10,000 unique pets every year. From routine procedures like neutering to intricate surgeries and advanced diagnostics, our hospital offers a comprehensive range of treatments.
By joining us as a Night Animal Care Assistant, you will be working alongside a Night Vet ensuring we can offer a 24/7 service helping pets and their families!
More about the role
Blue Cross animal hospitals and pet care clinics play a vital role in providing veterinary treatment to sick and injured pets, particularly when their owners are unable to afford private veterinary fees. Our veterinary care services are accessible to pets whose owners receive certain means-tested benefits and reside within the catchment area of one of our animal hospitals or pet care clinics.
As an Animal Care Assistant, you have a key role in our fast-paced hospitals, providing a high standard of care to the pets in our hospitals and providing support to their owners. Each day will see you providing care to the pets in our hospitals which includes cleaning, feeding, exercising, grooming, laundry and administering treatment, dealing with clients on our busy reception, dispensing medication and taking payments. You will also be monitoring our patient’s health, wellbeing and behaviour as well as those recovering from anaesthetic.
This is full time role working an average 42 hours a week with a one hour paid lunch break on a rota to include weekends and public holidays. Due to the nature of the work of Blue Cross, and this post, it may be necessary to exceed these hours when the workload demands.
The rota for this role looks like;
* 4 nights on/ 3 nights off
* 2 nights on / 3 nights off
* 2 nights on / 4 nights off
* 3 nights on / 2 nights off
* 3 nights on / 2 nights off
About you
We’re looking for someone with hands-on experience in animal care, whether that’s in a vet practice or a kennel setting. A genuine passion for animal welfare is at the heart of this role, so strong animal handling skills and a caring, compassionate approach are a must.
Whilst we need you to have experience working on a busy reception, what really matters is that you can support both animals and their owners with empathy and professionalism. The job involves difficult or emotional situations, as well as challenging animals or customers, so we’re looking for someone who can stay calm under pressure, think on their feet and make confident decisions. Above all, you’ll be dedicated to giving animals the best possible care whilst being the only animal care assistant over night supporting the Night Vet.
Knowledge, skills, and experience:
* Experience working or volunteering in a veterinary practice or within a similar role
* Experience within a reception or client care role
* Good communication skills, both written and verbal
* IT literate with MS Office and web-based databases and platforms
* The ability to demonstrate, understand and apply our Blue Cross values
Although not essential, it would be great if you also had:
* Experience within a reception or client care role
* Qualification in Animal Care or similar
* The ability to observe changes in animals health and wellbeing
* The ability to interact face to face with clients and visitors and communicate effectively with a range of people
How to apply
Click the apply button below and complete the online application process before the closing date. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive an overwhelming response.
Blue Cross benefits
Our people are the most important part of delivering our purpose. If it were not for their amazing efforts and commitment, we would not be able to make the difference that we do today.
In return, Blue Cross wants to ensure we provide you with the best working environment we can. We want you to be happy working for us and will do everything we can to make sure you are.
Our generous benefits package includes:
* Full time equivalent of 38 days holiday rising to 43 with service (including Bank Holidays)
* Programmes for physical and mental wellbeing support
* Free access to GP via MetLife- 24/7 GP services, private prescriptions and more for you and your family
* Free physiotherapy advice and face to face intervention
* Health cash plan
* Unlimited access to an employee assistance programme
* Pension scheme with enhanced employer contribution
* Professional fees paid with Continuing Professional Development and personal development support.
* Life assurance
* 20% discount on Pet Plan pet insurance
* Enhanced family friendly policies
* Recognition scheme
* Annual volunteer days
* Charity worker discounts across a variety of retailers
To read more about the benefits Blue Cross has to offer, please visit the 'why work for us' page on our website.
If you’d like to learn more about Blue Cross, our mission, and the work we do to support animals and people, take a look at our About Us page