Dog Training Coordinator Jobs in Home Based

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)

JOB TYPE: Full time permanent, with occasional evening and weekends required

Medical Detection Dogs trains dogs to save lives.

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.

The Job

The welfare of our dogs is very important to us.  We have a no kennel policy and all our dogs live in the homes of volunteer puppy socialisers for about the first 20 months.  We are committed to providing quality training and support for all our dogs, and the volunteers who look after them.

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.

Reports to: Socialising Training Coordinator

Responsibilities

Training and Development of Puppies

· Take responsibility for a cohort 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.

· 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 Socialising Trainer Coordinator, provide any client specific training needed prior to the match.

Socialiser Support

· Be the first point of contact for the socialisers in your area, which will include guidance and instruction to socialisers on handling, behaviour and training of the dogs under your supervision.

· Provide general health care advice within your core working hours.

· To support when required on dog emergencies that arise out of your core 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.

 PERSON SPECIFICATION

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 confidence 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,

• Welfare and safety and appropriate time for referral to others.

• Appropriate support to apprentices

• Dealings with other staff, clients and members of the public

· 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.

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE

Practical knowledge in the following areas:

·      Experience of working with Assistance Dogs and ADI regulations

· 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.

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.

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

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

Barnwood Trust is not your typical funder. We drive forward changes so that disabled people and people with mental health conditions have choice of opportunities, access their rights, and are included where they live.  We bring people together for a different conversation and explore big ideas. Through learning and collaboration, we influence the change that’s needed. By partnering with local organisations, involving people with lived experience directly in our work, and looking for better ways to fund, Barnwood makes a difference in Gloucestershire.   

As part of this work, our Engagement Team engages a wide range of people in the Trust’s vision for Gloucestershire, and our Marketing and Communications are integral to this.

 We are looking for a Marketing & Communications Manager to develop and manage the marketing and communications function and team at Barnwood Trust. This includes Barnwood Trust’s websites, social media channels and print media, as well as responsibility for marketing and logistics planning for public-facing workshops and events.  

Expertise in communications, including delivering high standards of accessibility, implementing organisation-wide communications and marketing strategies, and line management experience are welcomed for this role.  

We want to diversify our team to better reflect the work and communities we support – this means we would particularly welcome applications from people who: 

• are from Black, Asian and minoritised backgrounds. 

• have lived experience of disability and/or mental health challenges.

Contract terms: 

• This role is permanent, and we welcome applications from people looking for full time hours (37.5hrs per week).   

• We offer a flexible start between 8am and 9.30am Monday to Friday.  

• Salary £42,639 p/a FTE  

• 36 days holiday inc. bank holidays  

• This position is based in our office in central Cheltenham with occasional opportunities for home working. 

Summary of key duties: 

Management of Barnwood’s external communications channels  

• To engage with a wide range of external audiences, including Barnwood Circle members, potential project partners and participants in our convening and learning activities.  

• To manage communications and marketing strategic plans, and their delivery for Barnwood Trust.  

• To coordinate printed and digital products, in a range of accessible formats and in line with the Trust’s vision.  

• To develop, lead and ensure the implementation of our social media strategy to positively reflect the Trust’s culture and values.  

• To lead the delivery of the Trust’s external events.

Line management of x3 direct reports:  

• Provide line management to the function team, managing resources and maximising the skills and capabilities of team members.  

• Enact the Trust’s management processes and ensuring that access requirements are supported.  

• Hold regular management reviews with direct reports, providing open and honest feedback on performance, setting personal development goals and plans.  

Knowledge and experience: 

• Line managing a small team.  

• Creating dissemination plans and marketing materials for a wide range of audiences and channels, including print media, digital media and face to face engagement.  

• Planning and delivering public events.  

• Delivering communications to high standards of accessibility.  

• Project planning tools and techniques.  

• Independently managing complex projects with a diverse range of stakeholders.  

• Supporting the implementation of organisation-wide communications and marketing strategies.  

• Data management, adhering to legal information governance requirements and internal policies.  

For full details please see our application pack. 

Summary of skills 

• Excellent communication and organisational skills, including high level written communication skills.  

• Self-awareness, enabling excellent working relationships with a wide range of people using tact, diplomacy and sensitivity.  

• Ability to apply appropriate communication channels and methods, including digital and print media.   

• Strong IT skills (proficient in MS Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, WhatsApp, Teams and Zoom, as minimum).  

• CRM database management.  

Benefits: 

• 36 days annual leave including bank holidays. (FTE) 

• Work within an organisation that is committed to improving equality and diversity. 

• Competitive salaries and fantastic pension contribution rates. 

• Excellent personal development plan and extensive training which includes a commitment to training employees to be confident when working with people with a wide variety of impairments, disabilities, and mental health challenges.

• Friendly and collaborative working culture; everyone’s voice is heard. 

• We have a range of supportive wellbeing policies and almost a third of our employees, are qualified mental health first aiders with Mental Health England.

• Our offices in central Cheltenham are wheelchair accessible, have free accessible parking on site and great facilities. 

• Assistance dogs are welcome. 

Guidance On Applications: 

You need to apply for this role via our online application form. 

You will also find a detailed application pack which gives a full and detailed job description and person specification as well as guidance on how to make an online application and what you should include within it. 

Should you have any questions or require any of the information in a different format please email the recruitment team directly at recruitment@barnwoodtrust. org.

We want our application process to be right for you as an individual. If there’s anything we can do to make the process below more straightforward for you, please email recruitment@barnwoodtrust. org and we will contact you to discuss what support we may be able to provide.

Our careers page on our website has some examples of things we may be able to put in place.

Deadline for applications:  12.00 noon on Wednesday 24th April 2024

First interviews: Monday 29th April 2024

Second stage interviews: Tuesday 7th May 2024

We would like the successful candidate to start as soon as possible.