Job vacancies at Medical Detection Dogs
Assistance Dog Trainer
Responsibilities
Training and Development of Puppies
- Take responsibility for a group of puppies allocated to socialisers living in your geographical area.
- Provide training that meets the charity’s quality standards and in accordance with timescales and targets.
- To deliver effective training by holding puppy classes, 121’s and home visits with socialisers in your geographical area.
- To prepare the puppy to be a Medical Alert Assistance Dog, using positive reinforcement techniques to teach desired behaviours and modify unwanted behaviours.
- Regularly monitor progress of the puppies in your area and provide detailed, evidenced feedback to the senior team within Dog Supply and training.
- Support and assist with the potential matches for a particular assistance dog partnership and in consultation with the Assistance Dog Training Coordinator, provide any client specific training needed prior to the match.
- Conduct regular training sessions with assistance dogs in training in various environments to ensure they are confident and responsive in real-world settings.
Socialiser Support
- Be the first point of contact for the socialisers in your area, which will include guidance, support and instruction to socialisers on effective work and training with their assistance dogs.
- Provide general health care advice within your core working hours.
Socialiser Recruitment
- Assist in the recruitment of new volunteer socialisers.
- Carry out home checks to assess prospective new socialisers.
Other
- Update the Harlequin CRM database in a timely fashion to ensure accurate and up to date training, veterinary and health records.
- Support the charity’s fundraising, communications and volunteering teams as required, specifically in relation to your area.
- From time to time you may be required to have a dog live with you for additional training for a set period.
- Share best practice with colleagues across the charity.
- Other tasks or ad hoc duties agreed with your line manager required to ensure the successful running of the charity.
KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE
We are looking for someone with the skills, experience and passion to join our team of trainers responsible for organising and monitoring the progress of our puppies and young dogs to ensure they receive the highest standard of socialisation and early training, thereby maximising their chances of becoming a Medical Detection Dog.
- Experience in training Assistance Dogs.
- Minimum of 1-2 years of experience in dog training
- Basic theory of practical dog training.
- Law in relation to dogs.
- Knowledge of medical conditions relevant to puppies between 8 weeks and 2 years of age.
- Dog and human psychology.
- Health and safety implications of dog and socialiser handling.
- Experience and understanding of ADUK and ADI regulations.
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Ability to demonstrate high quality judgement and a proven track record in relation to the following:
- Dog training matters including the analysis of temperaments, appropriate training methods and requirements necessary to maintain public perception in assistance dogs.
- Solutions to training and behavioural problems.
- Socialiser training including the ability to assess each person’s preferred learning style and adapt as appropriate your training approach, the specific programmes to be followed,
- Strong and clear teaching and instructing skills.
- Ability to plan work, be organised and ensure that time is utilised effectively for yourself, colleagues and socialisers.
- Ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with a wide range of people internally and externally. This will include clients and their families, fosterers, other professional service providers, members of the public, the media, managers and other colleagues.
- High level of IT literacy and report writing skills including experience of using Microsoft based programs such as Outlook, Word, Excel, Internet Explorer and Power Point.
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
You should be supportive of the charitable aims of Medical Detection Dogs and capable of working as part of a team, as well as able to motivate yourself.
You should be adaptable and positively embrace change by not only being flexible towards the ideas of others but also putting forward ideas to colleagues. This will involve creativity in problem solving and making appropriate responses to new ideas and unexpected situations.
Our Values & Behaviours
There are a few key values that we believe are important in the workplace:
- Respect
- Cooperation
- Honesty
- Fairness
Based on the values listed above, we encourage the behaviours below in the charity:
- Respectful communication
- Cooperating with others
- Honesty in all interactions
- Fairness in decision making
Benefits
- Sick Pay
- Health Cover
- 26 days holiday, increasing with service
- 5% Employer Pension Contribution
- Free On-site parking
- Life Insurance
Finally, the successful candidate will also be expected to:
- Hold a full UK Driving Licence
- Provide proof of identity and eligibility to work in the UK.
- Undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
- Work some evenings and weekends
We train specialist dogs to detect the odour of human disease, providing life-saving alert assistance dogs to people with complex health problems across the UK and collaborating with NHS Trusts and other researchers and Universities both in the UK and internationally to advance the early diagnosis of disease.
We have an exciting new opportunity to join this small but fast-growing charity that is a world leader in its specialist innovative field.
LOCATION: Based out of our Training Centre in Great Horwood, near Milton Keynes with responsibility for puppies placed with socialisers in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Northamptonshire (with possible travel outside these areas from time to time)
SALARY: £22,370 to £26,000 Depending on experience
JOB TYPE: Full-time permanent, with occasional evenings and weekends required
REPORTS TO: Assistance Dog Training Coordinator
TO APPLY – Please send your current CV with covering letter (no longer than one A4 sheet) stating why you would like the role to [email protected]