Out of Hours Veterinary Care Assistant

Veterinary Care Assistant – Join Our Growing Veterinary Team

Vets for Pets Colchester Referral Hospital is looking for a motivated, caring and reliable Out of Hours Veterinary Care Assistant (VCA) to join our established and growing team.

If you love working with animals, enjoy being part of a busy clinical environment and want a role where every day brings something different, this could be the opportunity for you.

Working across our progressive, multi-disciplinary Referral Hospital in Stanway and alongside our first opinion practice you'll play an important hands-on role in delivering excellent patient and client care. You'll work closely with Veterinary Surgeons, Registered Veterinary Nurses and our wider hospital team, gaining valuable experience and developing your skills within a supportive environment.

And there's a difference to our working pattern too: rather than the traditional two days off every week, our four-week rota is designed to give you longer periods away from work, including a six-day consecutive break within each four-week pattern. This provides valuable time to properly recover between shifts, enjoy time with family and friends, pursue your own interests or simply switch off and recharge.

About Us

Our purpose-built practice in Colchester is equipped with advanced diagnostic, medical and surgical facilities, providing high-level inpatient and outpatient care.

We work closely with our associated Referral Hospital in Stanway to provide seamless continuity of care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Across our two Colchester facilities, our wider team includes:

• 25 Veterinary Surgeons
• 25 Registered Veterinary Nurses
• 4 Student Veterinary Nurses
• 10 Veterinary Care Assistants
• 3 Practice Managers
• 4 Hospital Operations Coordinators
• 15 Client Care Advisors

Vets for Pets Colchester has experienced consistent growth over the past 20 years, with continued investment in our facilities, services and people.

The Role

As a Veterinary Care Assistant, you'll be an important part of the team, providing practical and compassionate support to our vets, nurses and client care teams.

No two days are quite the same. You'll be involved in caring for patients, supporting clinical procedures, helping clients and keeping our hospital environment running smoothly.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone looking to build a career in the veterinary sector, with full training provided and plenty of opportunities to learn from experienced veterinary professionals.

What You'll Be Doing

Your responsibilities will include:

• Communicating with clients, booking appointments and assisting with patient admissions
• Supporting Veterinary Surgeons and Registered Veterinary Nurses during consultations and procedures
• Handling and restraining patients calmly, safely and compassionately
• Monitoring inpatients and supporting their daily care
• Maintaining cleanliness and hygiene across wards, kennels and clinical areas
• Supporting laboratory maintenance and cleaning, sterilising and preparing equipment
• Assisting with stock control and general practice upkeep
• Ensuring clinical areas are organised, clean and ready for the day's caseload
• Supporting efficient patient flow and the smooth running of hospital operations
• Helping to provide a consistently high standard of patient and client care

What We're Looking For

We're looking for someone who is proactive, dependable and genuinely cares about animals.

You don't need to have years of veterinary experience. What matters most is your attitude, willingness to learn and ability to work well as part of a team.

You'll Bring:

Dedication – You're conscientious, reliable and take pride in doing a job well.

Teamwork – You enjoy working collaboratively and treating colleagues with respect.

Initiative – You're comfortable taking responsibility and getting on with tasks independently when required.

Organisation – You can prioritise effectively and stay calm in a busy environment.

Compassion – You genuinely care about animal welfare and understand the importance of supporting clients at what can sometimes be a difficult time.

A willingness to learn – You're keen to develop your knowledge and skills within a veterinary environment.

Previous experience within a veterinary practice is desirable, but full training will be provided for the right candidate.

About You

Essential

• Excellent communication and client care skills
• A genuine interest in animal care and welfare
• Eagerness to learn and develop within the veterinary environment
• Reliable, organised and able to work effectively as part of a busy team

Desirable

• Previous experience in a veterinary practice, animal care or a similar environment
• Qualifications within the Animal Care industry

A Shift Pattern Designed Differently

One of the things that makes this role different is our four-week shift pattern.

Rather than working to a traditional rota with two days off every week, our pattern is designed around longer blocks of work followed by longer periods of time off.

Within each four-week rota, you'll have a six-day consecutive break. This gives you the opportunity to properly recover between shifts and enjoy meaningful time away from work — whether that's spending time with family and friends, getting away for a few days, pursuing hobbies or simply having time to yourself.

The pattern includes:

• Late day shifts starting from 10:30am
• Night shifts starting from 7:30pm
• Approximately 1.5–2 weekends worked within each four-week period
• A six-day consecutive period off within the four-week pattern
• A rota designed to balance the requirements of a busy 24/7 hospital with proper recovery and meaningful time off
• 40hour full-time opportunities, with part-time options also considered if able to work weekends

While you will work some weekends and later/night shifts, the longer periods of time off are designed to balance this — giving you fewer short breaks between working periods and more substantial time to switch off and recharge.

Salary & Benefits

• £26,500 – £28,500 per annum (FTE), depending on your level of relevant client care experience
• Flexible shift patterns
• Full-time position, with part-time considered
• Six consecutive days off within each four-week rota
• 224hrs annual leave including bank holidays which increases after number of years at the practice
• Pension scheme
• Colleague discount, including 20% discount at Pets at Home
• Full training and ongoing development support
• Opportunities to develop your skills within a large, experienced veterinary team
• The opportunity to work alongside experienced Veterinary Surgeons and Registered Veterinary Nurses
• The chance to be part of a growing, forward-thinking veterinary team

Why Join Vets for Pets Colchester Referral Hospital?

This isn't simply a job caring for animals. It's an opportunity to become part of a large, experienced and supportive veterinary team where you can learn, develop and make a real difference to patients and their owners.

You'll benefit from:

• Modern, purpose-built and well-equipped veterinary facilities
• A large, experienced and collaborative clinical team
• A supportive, learning-focused environment
• Exposure to a varied caseload across first opinion and referral services
• Excellent opportunities for professional development
• A working pattern that provides meaningful blocks of time away from work
• A team that values the contribution of every member of staff

If you're looking for a role where you can develop your veterinary career while enjoying a shift pattern that gives you genuine, extended time off, we'd love to hear from you.

How to Apply

If you're interested in developing your career with Vets for Pets Colchester, we'd love to hear from you.

You can apply online or contact us for a confidential, informal discussion about the role.

Email: recruitcolchester@vets4pets.com

Application: Online submission available

All enquiries and applications are treated confidentially and without obligation.