Volunteer Role Description for: Location: Main contact:

1. Volunteer Role Description for: Location: Main contact: Volunteer KennelAssistant Essex Rehoming Centre Karina Grimwade Volunteer Coordinator Purpose of the role: Working to Dogs Trust’s standards and Health and Safety guidelines, support and assist the Rehoming Centre staff to ensure our kennel facilities are cleaned, maintained and in good working order for our dogs and help provide essential exercise for them. • Skills/experience required: • This role would particularly suit students who are studying an animal based role, and require a volunteer role as part of their course. • Passionate about dogs, dog welfare and experience of handling them • Excellent face to face communication skills with the ability to listen • Good level of fitness to carry out the role quickly and efficiently. • Confident and approachable manner • Ability to work comfortably in a close knit team or alone • Ability to following instructions • Experience in a cleaning role is desirable but not essential • Key tasks: • Work with centre staff to clean kennels and other service areas to Dogs Trust standards to ensure the dogs in our care are comfortable and safe • Work to tight time scales to ensure that kennels are clean in good time, according to our opening hours. • Other kennel-related tasks as requested by Dogs Trust staff • Provide exercise to dogs as allocated by centre staff • Monitor each dog’s health and welfare, reporting any concerns to centre staff • Adhere to centre protocols for collection of dogs, walking routes and use of exercise compounds • Use centre approved equipment e.g. leads, harnesses, muzzles, etc • Complete animal records as required • Report any faulty or damaged equipment to centre staff Time commitment: Monday to Sunday, 08:00 – 11:00, 17:00-20:00 Ideally we are looking for volunteers who can commit to at least 1 shift per week, we are able to offer more than one shift if required. Volunteer Appointment Process: Volunteer application form Interview Selection (successful / unsuccessful) References taken Induction session (1 ½ hours) On the job training Three month review meeting

2. Volunteer Role Description for: Volunteer Canine Assistant • What you can expect from Dogs Trust as a volunteer: • A staff member main contact who will manage your tasks, answer your questions and help you with the volunteer rota • A buddy (either another volunteer or a member of staff) who will help you through your first few weeks at the centre • Volunteer uniform • Induction and ongoing role-specific training, guidance and support • An opportunity to feed back to your main contact about your experience volunteering with Dogs Trust • Recognition of the role that you are carrying out in support of Dogs Trust through our Volunteer Merits Scheme • Opportunities to try new things and learn new skills, where appropriate A message from the CEO Without our dedicated volunteers we couldn’t hope to achieve as much as we do for the dogs in our care; the support from our volunteers is absolutely vital to our work. The work that volunteers help us with may not always be easy, but I know that volunteering with Dogs Trust is a rewarding experience. Clarissa Baldwin OBE Chief Executive • What we expect from our volunteers: • Support Dogs Trust in its work and carry out your volunteer role to the best of your ability • Complete a Rehoming Centre volunteer induction session, this will be held at your centre and complete any other additional training as required • Make new people welcome and work well within the team • Recognise the importance of our members, sponsors and donors in supporting the work of Dogs Trust • Wear your Dogs Trust volunteer uniform at the centre and ensure you are presentable at all times • Support Dogs Trust procedures and standards by: • Being aware of your own health and safety and of that of others • Respecting others and treating people equally irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race religion and belief, sex and sexual orientation (Equality Act 2010) • Ensure all activities undertaken in the name of Dogs Trust achieve the charitable aims and objectives and do not bring the organisation into disrepute • Be accountable and accept constructive comments • Maintain confidentiality regarding Dogs Trust activity, the dogs in our care and our team • Meet time commitments and standards agreed, and give reasonable notice when unavailable, so other arrangements can be made • Be a positive representative of Dogs Trust, ensuring you are polite and friendly to all visitors to the centre Dogs Trust is the UK’s largest dog welfare charity. Through our network of 20 rehoming centres across the UK and one in Dublin we care for 16,000 abandoned and unwanted dogs a year. No healthy dog is ever destroyed. Dogs Trust Essex Rehoming Centre Nevendon Road Wickford Essex SS12 0FH E: volunteer.essex@dogstrust.org.uk T: 01268 535 050 @: www.dogstrust.org.uk