Bale's Farm is an alternative provision delivering unique educational opportunities for young people with SEN.
With the expansion of our Post-16 provision we now have an exciting opportunity for the right person to undertake an Apprenticeship course in Animal Care and Welfare. We are looking to work alongside one of the government approved training providers in our locality to ensure that both practical and educational aspects of the course are met. We are Disability confident employers and as such we are also able to offer this apprenticeship to those with SEN and EHCP's and can provide an appropriate job coach to support in the role.
We are looking for someone with a passion for working with animals and the desire to further their learning journey to join the farm team.
A brief outline of the role requirements are the desire to work with our horses mainly and support with the other animals when required, ability to use computers and programs such as google sheets and google docs for managing data, making appropriate appointments for the animals, providing day to day care such as feeding, cleaning and grooming, making enrichment, updating records, providing training if necessary and lots of animal cuddles
A horse groom provides essential daily care for horses, covering feeding, watering, stable and yard maintenance, and grooming their coats. They also monitor the horse's health, treat minor injuries, clean and maintain tack (like saddles and bridles), and exercise the horses.
Core Responsibilities
* Feeding and Watering: Providing horses with food, water, hay, and supplements as required.
* Stable Management: Mucking out stalls, replacing bedding, and keeping the barn and yard clean and tidy.
* Grooming and Hygiene: Cleaning, brushing, and sometimes clipping a horse's coat, mane, and tail.
* Health and Welfare: Monitoring horses for any changes in condition, reporting issues to vets, and treating minor wounds or ailments.
* Tack Maintenance: Cleaning and maintaining riding equipment such as saddles, bridles, and other gear.
* Exercise: Taking horses out for daily exercise, which can include riding or hand walking.
The role will be initially for the duration of the apprenticeship and remuneration will be a minimum of the National Apprenticeship wage. At the end of the apprenticeship program we would either be looking to extend an offer of employment or help the applicant find a role within the local community that fits their criteria.
Depending upon training provider the role will be for a minimum of 30 hours per week with some weekend work required. The course will begin in October/November 2025 but ideally we would like someone to start a month or so before to have time to settle into the role before also starting college/online learning.
There is travel within the role as we have 3 different sites and travel to college may be necessary. To note - one of our sites is not on a bus route so own transport is desirable but can be discussed at interview should you be successful.
Applications will be accepted in a variety of formats- please feel free to send us a CV if you have one or a letter stating why you want to be considered for the role, or if appropriate you could send a video application to, or send an email to the hay inbox and arrange a time for us to call for a chat. All applicants will be considered and we are more than happy to offer a supported role through the Access to Work scheme.
Join us in making a positive impact on the lives of animals in our care
Job Types: Part-time, Apprenticeship
Pay: £11,778.00 per year
Benefits:
* Company pension
Work Location: In person