Job Details:
Salary Range: £23,115 - £24,140 per annum
Work Location: Staunton Farm, Havant
Hours per week: 37
Contract type: Permanent
Closing Date: 9 June 2024
Interview Date: 20 June 2024
The Role:
At Staunton Farm, we are passionate about animal welfare and our team go above and beyond to ensure all of our animals receive the very best care. We are looking for someone to join our team as a full-time Assistant Farm Ranger on a permanent basis, who holds a Level 3 Animal Care qualification.
You will work alongside the Farm team, who are responsible for ensuring the health and welfare of every animal on site. You will receive full training from the team and will learn how to undertake basic husbandry tasks including; daily health checks, feeding and cleaning animal paddocks and accommodation. You will also learn how to monitor behaviour, create engaging and enriching environments for the animals, provide animal encounter sessions for our visitors, assist with animal births, help with routine and reactive procedures and treatments.
The role is extremely physical in its nature, with loads in excess of 20kg having to be moved, large animals weighing over 500kg to be handled and distances of 15km walked daily. Some farm vehicles are used including a tractor and ATV. The team are out caring for the animals in all weathers, including storms and snow. Between the team animal care is provided 7 days a week, 365 days of the year, working every third weekend and a rota of bank holidays including Christmas day. Staff often undertake late evening, late night and early morning checks for animals that are due to give birth, animals that are being hand reared or animals that are poorly and need some TLC. The role comes with lots of highs but also the lows of losing animals.
The right candidate for the role will have a passion for animals with an excellent work ethic and a friendly, outgoing personality.
About Us:
Part of Hampshire County Councils Countryside Service, Staunton Farm is a unique site offering visitors a chance to meet a range of animals, explore the walled gardens and Victorian glasshouse before adventuring into the 1,000 acre listed Regency parkland. Staunton Farm is a busy site with over 170,000 visitors each year. The site has a dedicated farm team who care for the animal collection on a day-to-day basis.
The farm team are responsible for a range of animals including:
* Small animal collection of rescued rabbits, guinea pigs and ferrets
* Equines including Shetland ponies and donkeys
* Exotic collection including llamas, alpacas, rhea and a range of invertebrates, snakes and lizards
* Traditional farm animals including Jacob and Hampshire sheep, Bagot, Golden Guernsey and Pygmy goats, OSB, Middle White and Tamworth pigs and Jersey and Highland cattle
* Bird collection including ducks, geese, chickens, guinea fowl, turkeys and aviary birds
The majority of the animals are kept in paddocks on the farm where they can interact with visitors, be used for interactive handling sessions or provide a resource for our Animal Care students. The sheep flock and cattle herd are used to conservation graze the Country Park fields as part of the Environment Land Management Scheme. An annual breeding programme is in place for the sheep, goats, pigs and alpacas. Offspring may be kept as replacements for the Staunton collection, sold for breeding, conservation grazing or in special circumstances to pet homes or finished on-site to provide products for the Farm Shop.
What we can offer you:
We offer a flexible, motivating and inclusive workplace, where talent is truly recognised and developed. We have created an environment that you can look forward to being a part of and where you are empowered to be your best and believe in creating a workplace built on teamwork where people can grow and develop in their roles.
If you think you have what it takes to make a real difference in Hampshire, get in touch!
To find out more about what we can offer you in return, please see our Benefits Package .
Additional Information:
Assistant Farm Ranger Job Description and Person Specification
Contact Details for an Informal Discussion:
Sarah Lizotte, Farm Ranger on Sarah.Lizotte2@hants.gov.uk
Hampshire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment.
In order to combat discrimination, no unnecessary conditions or requirements will be applied which could have a disproportionately adverse effect on any one group. All sections of the population will have equal access to jobs. No applicant or employee will receive less favourable treatment because of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership and pregnancy or maternity, unless a Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR) applies.
We are a Disability Confident Employer – committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible.