Support volunteer volunteer jobs in Leighton buzzard, central bedfordshire

JOB TITLE:                         Centre Based Assistance Dog Instructor (Maternity Cover) 

LOCATION:                        Based at our Centre in Milton Keynes, with travel up to 3 hours 

SALARY BAND:                 £26K - £32K per annum, depending on experience. Line management experience desirable.

JOB TYPE:                          Full time and Part time applicants considered. Fixed Term of 12-18 months 

REPORTS TO:                    Interim Head of Assistance Dog Programme 

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 Role 

We are looking for a passionate and driven person who has previous proven experience and skills working as an Instructor within an Assistance Dog organisation, who has worked with clients and partnerships. The role includes supporting both clients who have had a MDD dog placed with them and also our own dog applicants with their puppies and young dogs to ensure they receive the highest standard of socialisation and early training in terms of obedience, public access and developing an alert to the applicant’s condition, with the aim to reach an accreditable assistance dog partnership status. The role will also include carrying out client specific and odour training for MDD own dogs, placing these dogs with their new clients and looking after a number of established partnerships. This role would suit somebody residing up to an hour from our centre in Milton Keynes.  

Duties that encompass the role of an Instructor include:  

• Be the first point of contact for the allocated partnerships in your area. To provide guidance and instruction to applicants who have applied to the charity to have their own dogs considered for the training programme guidance and instruction on handling, behaviour and obedience and odour training as well as newly placed partnerships.

• Alongside the Instructing team, to run puppy classes, public access training, recall sessions in small groups for applicant own dogs that are in line with the charity’s quality standards and in accordance with timescales and targets. 

• To also carry out support visits and home interviews for applicants and clients that have been allocated to you.  

• Regularly monitor progress of any young dogs and partnerships in training in your area and provide detailed, evidenced feedback to Interim Head of Assistance Dog Programme.

• To carry out client specific training with any MDD owned dogs that have been matched, including the required odour scent training.

• Instructing, guiding and supporting new assistance dog clients in managing and handling a Medical Alert Assistance Dog effectively, via pretraining, placement training and aftercare visits.

• Supporting partnerships in training in successfully reaching an accreditation standard and in maintaining this standard throughout the life of the partnership.

• To support a number of established partnerships in the form of aftercare, refresher training and yearly re-accreditations, assisting further afield on occasions as required.

Responsibilities  

• To escalate issues and problems to the Interim Head of Assistance Dog Programme as appropriate.

• To carry out scent assessments on any MDD dogs in socialising as and when required with the support of the rest of the Instructing Team.

• To plan, organise and deliver practical and theoretical training to clients, meeting their individual needs in line with agreed standards to include areas such as dog welfare, appropriate handling, commanding and overall management. This will involve working with the parents as Team Leader and child as Client and working with adult clients.
• Assess the team dynamics of the family & balancing the needs of all family members as well as those of the dog.
• Assess the individuals preferred learning style and amending as relevant to aid a client.
• To accompany the client into all regular environments that they will take the dog to, ensuring the dog behaves in an acceptable manner and that the client and others are aware and clear in terms of where they dog should reside and behave for e.g. public transport, place of work. To complete a check list of environments for any applicant own dogs in training who are on the programme to be assessed within.
• To support and advise clients in transferring the odour training from pot training and recognising alerting behaviours to establish real life alerting.
• To ensure all partnerships are in line with the ADUK regulations with regards to behaviour, obedience and welfare and branding.
• Due to the nature of the role, flexible working hours may be required in some instances to facilitate the effective delivery of the work e.g. working during the school holidays with school age clients.
• To monitor the correct and false alerting percentages of allocated partnerships via data analysis, advising where necessary until the correct alerting levels are achieved.
• To complete comprehensive reports and paperwork for any time spent with applicants or partnerships in training or established. Maintain accurate records by providing verbal and written information with agreed timescales about clients, dogs, applicants and apprentices as appropriate.
• To work alongside allocated partnerships with the aim of the partnership reaching an accredited standard and feeding back to the Interim Head of Assistance Dog Programme if there are any concerns that the accreditation cannot be achieved.
• To provide clients with appropriate aftercare services at regular intervals in their own homes in the form of annual visits, support visits or at refresher workshops run at the Centre to agreed standards.  This will include continual re-assessment of the dynamics of family and dog, formulating and training on appropriate solutions, as well as offering additional dog training advice.
• To deliver handling days as part of an applicant’s pretraining to include ‘Introduction to Assistance Dog’ ‘Advanced Handling’ and Family Handling.
• To scent train and seizure proof advanced dogs in preparation to be partnered with an adult or child client and ensure that applicant own dogs have received this at the earliest opportunity.
• To maintain the ongoing public access training with any advanced dog in scent training that has been allocated to them.
• To liaise with Independent Contractors as relevant.
• To provide support to the Charity’s public relations and fundraising functions as required, specifically in your area.
• To act as the ‘contact’ person for the assistance dog programme in relation to training policy procedures with clients and their families, other professional service providers and members of the public.  This will include on-going research and development of the project.
• As required, to liaise and provide support for Volunteers of the Charity.

Other 

• Share best practice with colleagues across the charity.

• Any other duties or tasks that are required to ensure the successful running of the Medical Alert Assistance Dog Department and the Charity overall.

PERSON SPECIFICATION 

SKILLS AND ABILITIES 

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• High level of preparation, organisational and co-ordination skills
• Strong and clear teaching and instructing skills
• Experience of running puppy classes, carrying out public access training and recall sessions
• Able to develop training plans for any dogs in training under your care
• High level of self-motivation and planning
• Approachable, calm and empathetic to children and adults with debilitating and life-threatening conditions
• Happy to travel alone within the UK to visit any clients as necessary
• Willing to be on call for partnerships as and when required
• Willing to stay away from home in local accommodation when client locations are too far to travel back home
• Happy and able to have Medical Alert Assistance Dogs in training reside in your home
• Good team player, but equally able to work independently
• Positive, empathetic and calm attitude
• Able to embrace a constantly evolving organisation
• Flexible

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE 

Essential 

• Previous Assistance Dog Instructing and Dog Training experience
• Knowledge of AD(UK) and ADI regulations
• Law in relation to dogs 
• Knowledge of medical conditions relevant to puppies between 8 weeks and 2 years of age
• Knowledge of dog and human psychology
• Proven evidence and experience of dog handling and training skills
• Previous experience of teaching and instructing
• Sound dog training and dog behaviour knowledge
• IT literacy and report writing skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, Teams, Zoom and SharePoint
• Full UK driving licence
• Pass a DBS (CRB) check due to regular contact with children

Preferable  

• Knowledge of debilitating medical conditions and understanding of how they can impact people, both physically and psychologically, particularly when they are unstable and fluctuating
• Previous knowledge of odour/scent training
• Previous line management experience 

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES ​

• Strong and clear teaching and instructing skills 

• Approachable, calm and empathetic to children and adults with debilitating and life threatening conditions 

• Able to embrace a constantly evolving organisation

• 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

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 being 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.

DIVERITY, EQUALITY & INCLUSION

We are a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive Charity. Medical Detection Dogs thrives when everyone feels comfortable bringing their best self to work. We celebrate difference, whilst striving to create an environment where colleagues feel respected and valued for their unique potential. We are committed to our values on equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Charity Values

All employees are expected to uphold the charity’s core values in their daily work. This includes demonstrating respect through open and considerate communication, fostering cooperation by working collaboratively, maintaining honesty in all interactions and ensuring fairness through just and transparent decision-making.

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 

• Be willing to travel to the Centre based near Milton Keynes

Responsible To:  Conservation Manager Wales
Location:  Home based, with frequent travel around the project site in the Alun Valley, Vale of Glamorgan, S Wales.
Salary:  £28,148 - £32,519 plus 8% employer pension contribution
Hours: Full time, 37 Hours Per Week (1 FTE)
Contract:  Fixed term contract ending 31st August 2027
 
Natur am Byth! is Wales' flagship species recovery programme. Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF), Natural Resources Wales, Welsh Government, Welsh Government’s Landfill Disposals Tax Communities Scheme, Arts Council Wales and Esmee Fairbairn, Natur am Byth unites nine environmental charities to deliver the country’s largest natural heritage and outreach programme to save species from extinction and reconnect people to nature.

The High Brown Fritillary is the UK’s most threatened butterfly species, with a single colony remaining in Wales, where it is restricted to Old Castle Down and Cwm Alun in the Vale of Glamorgan. As such, the species is highly vulnerable to extinction and is a priority for targeted action through Natur am Byth! as one of a small number of single species focal projects. This post focuses on delivering surveys, monitoring and habitat improvements for High Brown Fritillary in the Alun Valley alongside wider species actions contributing to Natur am Byth! in South Wales. 
 
Job Purpose 

•  Deliver agreed conservation outcomes for the High Brown Fritillary single species project within Natur am Byth! in the Vale of Glamorgan. Lead on the delivery of survey and monitoring work, habitat management, volunteer coordination and liaison with graziers, landowners, farmers, partners and contractors to achieve the necessary habitat management outcomes. 
• Work closely alongside the High Brown Fritillary Project Officer focused on the community engagement outcomes of Natur am Byth!, which complement the conservation outcomes. With volunteering and community engagement a critical part of delivering species recovery and ensuring its legacy, close communication and collaboration is essential to deliver this role effectively. 
•  Deliver targeted habitat management activities and conservation advice, survey and monitoring for wider species outcomes within South Wales. 

 
Main Responsibilities

• Lead conservation action targeting High Brown Fritillary within the Alun Valley through liaison with internal and external partners and stakeholders (including private landowners, commoners, land managers, and NRW). 
• Coordinate and manage site-wide habitat monitoring and assessment for High Brown Fritillary to ensure management activities are delivering successfully. 
• Deliver site advisory visits providing specific ecological advice on habitat management for butterflies and moths to benefit threatened species as part of wider site management objectives.
• Manage targeted habitat improvements for High Brown Fritillary and Adder in the Alun Valley through supervision of habitat management contracts and coordination and delivery of volunteer work parties. 
• Organise and deliver a series of conservation workshops to share and promote good practice in grazing and habitat management techniques for threatened species. 
• Lead and collate GIS mapping of species, habitat and project activities to support project reporting, activity planning and ongoing monitoring. 
• Maintain good working relationships with key landowners & commoners,  securing all relevant permissions to undertake appropriate land management where required and engage them in Natur am Byth! events and outcomes.
• Review Natur am Byth! project objectives and schedule and revise actions to maximise impact for species and key stakeholders for an effective project legacy. 
• Manage the conservation elements of the project budget alongside your line manager, and maintain administrative systems to ensure effective delivery and evaluation of the project.
• Ensure effective health and safety procedures are in place for all participants, including staff, public, volunteers, project partners and other BC staff. 
• Promote and publicise the work of the project through events, presentations, print and social media. 
• Contribute to conservation delivery for species within Natur am Byth! and Butterfly Conservation’s wider work within South Wales in agreement with your line manager.

 
General

• Promote BC’s values (Excellence, Passionate, Inspiring, Collaborative) ensuring they are adopted in all aspects of the role.
• Undertake any other reasonable duties as required and commensurate with the grade of post.
• Undertake all duties and responsibilities in compliance with the rules and regulations encompassing equal opportunities to help foster a diverse workforce.
• Work in accordance with BC’s policies, procedures, and codes of conduct
• Actively participate in on-going professional development activities.

 
Candidates must have the right to work and be resident in the UK.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early before the advertised closing date and time.

Closing date: 7 April 2026, 9am
Interviews will be held on 16 April 2026
 
Teitl Swydd:  Swyddog Cadwraeth Natur am Byth! 
Yn atebol i:  Rheolwr Cadwraeth Cymru
Lleoliad:  Gartref, gan deithio'n aml o amgylch safle'r prosiect yn Nyffryn Alun, Bro Morgannwg, De Cymru.
Cyflog:  £28,148 - £32,519 ynghyd â chyfraniad pensiwn cyflogwr o 8%
Oriau: Llawn amser, 37 awr yr wythnos (1 FTE)
Contract:  Contract tymor penodol yn dod i ben ar 31 Awst 2027
 
Natur am Byth! yw rhaglen flaenllaw Cymru ar gyfer adfer rhywogaethau. Caiff Natur am Byth ei ariannu gan Gronfa Dreftadaeth y Loteri Genedlaethol, Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, Llywodraeth Cymru, Cynllun Cymunedau Treth Gwarediadau Tirlenwi Llywodraeth Cymru, Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru ac Esmee Fairbairn, ac mae’n dod â naw elusen amgylcheddol ynghyd i gyflawni rhaglen treftadaeth naturiol ac allgymorth fwyaf y wlad i achub rhywogaethau rhag difodiant ac ailgysylltu pobl â natur.
 
Y Fritheg Frown yw'r glöyn byw sy’n wynebu’r bygythiad mwyaf yn y DU, gydag un gytref ar ôl yng Nghymru, lle mae wedi'i gyfyngu i Old Castle Down a Chwm Alun ym Mro Morgannwg. O'r herwydd, mae'r rhywogaeth yn agored iawn i ddifodiant ac mae'n flaenoriaeth ar gyfer camau gweithredu wedi'u targedu drwy Natur am Byth! fel un o nifer fach o brosiectau sy'n canolbwyntio ar un rhywogaeth. Mae'r swydd hon yn canolbwyntio ar gyflawni arolygon, monitro a gwella cynefinoedd ar gyfer y Fritheg Frown yn Nyffryn Alun ochr yn ochr â chamau gweithredu ehangach ar gyfer rhywogaethau er mwyn cyfrannu at Natur am Byth! yn Ne Cymru. 
 
Pwrpas y Swydd 

•  Cyflawni canlyniadau cadwraeth y cytunwyd arnynt ar gyfer prosiect rhywogaeth sengl y Fritheg Frown o fewn Natur am Byth! ym Mro Morganwg. Arwain ar gyflawni gwaith arolygu a monitro, rheoli cynefinoedd, cydlynu gwirfoddolwyr a chysylltu â phorwyr, tirfeddianwyr, ffermwyr, partneriaid a chontractwyr i gyflawni'r canlyniadau rheoli cynefinoedd angenrheidiol. 
• Gweithio'n agos ochr yn ochr â Swyddog Prosiect y Fritheg Frown gan ganolbwyntio ar ganlyniadau ymgysylltu cymunedol Natur am Byth!, sy'n ategu'r canlyniadau cadwraeth. Gyda gwirfoddoli ac ymgysylltu cymunedol yn rhan hanfodol o gyflawni adferiad y rhywogaeth a sicrhau gwaddol, mae cyfathrebu a chydweithio agos yn hanfodol i gyflawni'r rôl hon yn effeithiol. 
•  Cyflwyno gweithgareddau rheoli cynefinoedd a chyngor cadwraeth wedi'u targedu, arolygu a monitro ar gyfer canlyniadau rhywogaethau ehangach yn Ne Cymru. 

 
Prif Gyfrifoldebau

• Arwain camau cadwraeth sy'n targedu'r Fritheg Frown yn Nyffryn Alun trwy gysylltu â phartneriaid a rhanddeiliaid mewnol ac allanol (gan gynnwys tirfeddianwyr preifat, cominwyr, rheolwyr tir, a CNC). 
• Cydlynu a rheoli gwaith monitro ac asesu cynefinoedd ar draws safleoedd cyfan ar gyfer y Fritheg Frown i sicrhau bod gweithgareddau rheoli yn cyflawni'n llwyddiannus. 
• Cynnal ymweliadau cynghori ar safleoedd gan roi cyngor ecolegol penodol ar reoli cynefinoedd ar gyfer gloÿnnod byw a gwyfynod er budd rhywogaethau sydd dan fygythiad fel rhan o amcanion rheoli safleoedd ehangach.
• Rheoli gwelliannau wedi'u targedu i gynefin y Fritheg Frown a'r Wiber yn Nyffryn Alun trwy oruchwylio contractau rheoli cynefinoedd a chydlynu a darparu partïon gwaith gwirfoddol. 
• Trefnu a chyflwyno cyfres o weithdai cadwraeth i rannu a hyrwyddo arfer da mewn technegau pori a rheoli cynefinoedd ar gyfer rhywogaethau dan fygythiad. 
• Arwain a choladu gwaith mapio GIS ar gyfer rhywogaethau, cynefinoedd a gweithgareddau’r prosiect i gefnogi gwaith adrodd, cynllunio gweithgareddau a monitro parhaus y prosiect. 
• Cynnal perthnasoedd gwaith da gyda thirfeddianwyr a chominwyr allweddol, gan sicrhau'r caniatâd perthnasol i ymgymryd â gwaith rheoli tir priodol lle bo angen a'u cynnwys yn nigwyddiadau a chanlyniadau Natur am Byth!.
• Adolygu amcanion prosiect Natur am Byth! a threfnu a diwygio camau gweithredu i gael yr effaith orau posibl ar rywogaethau a rhanddeiliaid allweddol er mwyn sicrhau gwaddol effeithiol i'r prosiect. 
• Rheoli’r elfennau cadwraeth sy’n gysylltiedig â chyllideb y prosiect ochr yn ochr â'ch rheolwr llinell, a chynnal systemau gweinyddol i sicrhau bod y prosiect yn cael ei gyflawni a'i werthuso'n effeithiol.
• Sicrhau bod gweithdrefnau iechyd a diogelwch effeithiol ar waith i bob cyfranogwr, gan gynnwys staff, y cyhoedd, gwirfoddolwyr, partneriaid y prosiect ac aelodau staff eraill Gwarchod Gloÿnnod Byw. 
• Hyrwyddo a rhoi cyhoeddusrwydd i waith y prosiect drwy ddigwyddiadau, cyflwyniadau, cyfryngau print a chyfryngau cymdeithasol. 
• Cyfrannu at gyflawni cadwraeth ar gyfer rhywogaethau o fewn gwaith ehangach Natur am Byth! a Gwarchod Gloÿnnod Byw yn Ne Cymru mewn cytundeb â'ch rheolwr llinell.

 
Cyffredinol

• Hyrwyddo gwerthoedd Gwarchod Gloÿnnod Byw (Rhagoriaeth, Angerddol, Ysbrydoledig, Cydweithredol) gan sicrhau eu bod yn cael eu mabwysiadu ym mhob agwedd ar y rôl.
• Ymgymryd ag unrhyw ddyletswyddau rhesymol eraill yn ôl yr angen ac sy’n gymesur â gradd y swydd.
• Ymgymryd â'r holl ddyletswyddau a chyfrifoldebau yn unol â'r rheolau a'r rheoliadau sy'n cwmpasu cyfleoedd cyfartal er mwyn helpu i feithrin gweithlu amrywiol.
• Gweithio yn unol â pholisïau, gweithdrefnau a chodau ymddygiad Gwarchod Gloÿnnod Byw
• Cymryd rhan weithredol mewn gweithgareddau datblygiad proffesiynol parhaus.

 
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