The RSPCA animal charity is recruiting animal rescue officers, including roles in Croydon, Bromley and for the Warlingham and Caterham area.
Job opportunity: the RSPCA is recruiting for rescue officers
Animal rescue officers are frontline workers who respond to reports of cruelty, neglect and injury, deal with complaints, and collect and rescue injured and trapped animals. They carry out some of the vital work of the RSPCA, alongside inspectors, in making a real difference to the lives of animals.
There are 179 animal rescue officers across England and Wales. Together with RSPCA inspectors, animal rescue officers have responded to 247,265 incidents so far this year.
“Our animal rescue officers are a critical part of our amazing frontline teams who respond to reports of cruelty, neglect and injury and work to help prevent and reduce these through sharing advice and education with pet owners and members of the public,” Steve Bennett, the RSPCA’s chief inspectorate officer, said.
“There is no typical day in the life of an ARO, but you can expect to work closely with people and animals every day, offering the opportunity for a career that is both varied and rewarding and helps to make a real difference to animals’ lives on a daily basis.
“It can be a challenging role, and you may encounter upsetting and stressful situations. So we are looking for resilient, independent thinkers who can deal with difficult situations with empathy and with the ability to stay calm, professional and focused.
Varied and demanding: no two days are the same for RSPCA staff
“And while there can be difficult situations to tackle, you will work in a team who understands and will ensure you feel supported.”
The RSPCA is recruiting for one animal rescue officer in either Croydon, Coulsdon or Purley, another in Bromley, and another in the CR6 and surrounding area or CR3 and surrounding.
The RSPCA says, “Successful applicants will attend a four-month training course, which starts in April 2025 to help best equip them for the challenges of the role.”
The training can include swimming 50 metres fully clothed and carrying out water rescue training in preparation for what can be a physically-demanding role.
The RSPCA wants to hire animal rescue officers from across our diverse communities and so applications are actively encouraged from people of all backgrounds, regardless of age, gender, race, faith, sexual orientation, parental or relationship status.
Applicants – who must be 18 by the time they start the course – need to demonstrate their passion for animal welfare and their dedication to end cruelty and promote kindness and respect.
They also need to live within one of the specified postcodes for the location they are applying to. They will need a full manual driving licence and have attained a Level 2 qualification in English at GCSE.
All the roles involve working a shift pattern, including working some weekends and Bank Holidays.
- Interested applicants have until December 27 2024 to apply.
- For more information on these roles, visit: https://jobs.rspca.org.uk/jobs/home
- If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, or want to publicise your residents’ association or business, or if you have a local event to promote, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com
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