RIVERSIDE ANIMAL CENTRE WILDLIFE UNIT SEASONAL VOLUNTEERING 2015 - GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES The list below explains some of the tasks that you will be asked to help with and the things we will be relying upon you to do. Some are lovely, others are dirty, unpleasant and make you smell terrible! It’s all part of the fun of working to help save British wildlife - some people love it but it’s not for everyone! 1. You must be able to commit to one or more shifts (see overleaf) per week between April and October. We are looking for people whose absence is unlikely to exceed 3-4 weeks during this period 2. Arrive on time, ready to be briefed and to get stuck into whichever ‘ward’ or ‘section’ you are assigned to. Prompt arrival is essential as there may be hungry babies waiting on YOU! 3. Clean out cages and pens with some of the messiest creatures you’ve ever seen including fox cubs, ducklings and baby crows. The smell, first thing, can be pretty special, even for seasoned workers! There is a set way to clean a cage so as to do it properly, avoid cross-infection and maintain the best environment for the animal. We need people who will do it our way, with no cutting corners. 4. Handle and hold birds, baby mammals and even bigger ones too. You need to be confident, gentle, calm and never outwardly nervous - we’ll show you and guide you through it, step by step. 5. Learn what animal eats what and how much….we’ve seen people put a dog dish in with four starlings and give them enough food for the day as would last them a lifetime! We’re here to help while you learn the ropes but feeding does involve handling a wide range of produce including nuts, seed, raw fish, maggots and mealworms and frozen chicks/mice, which sometimes need to be chopped up! 6. Help with housekeeping tasks such as mopping and sweeping the floors and pathways, putting laundry on, unfolding and stacking newspapers and leaving your work and food prep areas exactly as you would wish to find them. 7. Working with your team colleagues to get everything finished, even if your section is done. There is almost always something that needs doing and we’re looking for genuinely motivated people that want to help and make a difference. 8. You can also help out on rescue calls and general pick-ups if that sort of thing appeals to you. After 3 weeks, if you haven’t run away screaming, we’ll conduct a brief review to see how you’re doing. At this point, if all is going well, ask you to purchase a Riverside Polo or Sweatshirt as it is important that we present a professional image to each other as well as visitors. We’ll also ask you to help on our Spring and Summer Open Days, which will involve coming in at 7.30am to help get all the cleaning done. The dates for 2015 are Sunday 17th May and Sunday 6th September. These help us generate much needed funds and are a vital part of our survival strategy. Now that you’ve read this, you’re ready to go to the application form overleaf. RIVERSIDE ANIMAL CENTRE WILDLIFE UNIT SEASONAL VOLUNTEERING 2015 - APPLICATION FORM PART 1 Thank you for considering seasonal volunteering with the Riverside Animal Centre Wildlife Unit. Our two stage selection process will help us identify the right candidates for this rewarding but demanding role, which can be both physically and emotionally challenging at times. We sincerely regret that this role is not generally suited to persons with learning or cognitive disabilities or those with physical disabilities which have a moderate or greater effect on hearing, sight, speech or mobility. To join us you will need to show aptitude, enthusiasm and an ability to work both alone and as part of a team. You will be available on a regular weekly basis up to the end of September/October and be willing to attend initial and continuation training sessions. You should be able to follow instructions and have a clear regard for the health, safety and well-being of the animals and people that will be around you in this role. If this is for you, please complete the application form in full and return it to us at least 7 days before our next published induction date, which can be found on our website. We will contact you as soon as possible to let you know if you have been successful in going forward to our Selection Process Stage 2, which comprises an interview and a 2 hour practical session. In the meantime, thanks again for your interest. NAME: Mr/Mrs/Miss ADDRESS: POSTCODE: LANDLINE MOBILE: E-MAIL: DATE OF BIRTH NB MUST BE 17 YEARS OR OVER: SHIFT CHOICE DAY: SELECT: AM / PM / EVENING 1 (AM =09.00 - 13.30 / PM = 13.30 - 17.30 / EVENING = 17.30 - 21.30) SHIFT CHOICE DAY: SELECT: AM / PM / EVENING 2 (AM =09.00 - 13.30 / PM = 13.30 - 17.30 / EVENING = 17.30 - 21.30) AVAILABILITY 1) ARE YOU AVAILABLE TO START ON OR BEFORE 1st APRIL?__________ 2) ARE YOU AVAILABLE UNTIL AT LEAST LATE SEPTEMBER?___________ RIVERSIDE ANIMAL CENTRE WILDLIFE UNIT SEASONAL VOLUNTEERING 2015 - APPLICATION FORM PART 2 SEASONAL VOLUNTEERS - TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF ENGAGEMENT PLEASE NOTE: Riverside Animal Centre reserves the right to decline any application from a prospective volunteer without entering into correspondence. RELEVANT INFORMATION: Prior to acceptance as a volunteer, we will require you to furnish us with any information that may be relevant to your work, your personal safety or the safety of those around you in respect of medical conditions, regular or temporary medication, criminal convictions or disqualifications from professional ranks. We will also ask you to supply us with full details of your next of kin and, at our discretion, the name of a personal or professional referee. WORKING PRACTISES: Upon acceptance, you agree to work as a volunteer in accordance with the training and instructions given to you by staff and senior volunteers. You further agree to work at all times in a manner which has due regard for the health, safety and well-being of your colleagues and the animals in care at the centre. BEHAVIOUR: We expect and require all volunteers to behave as ambassadors for the Riverside Animal Centre during their time with us and to undertake to do nothing that may bring the work of our Charity into disrepute. We ask that you take particular care when engaging with on-line social media not to portray yourself as an official representative of our Charity, nor to in any way associate yourself with us on such media if you participate in any activity which may be deemed unlawful or likely to offend common decency. REFERENCES AND PERSONAL DATA: The information we hold on you will be kept for the duration of your term of engagement with us as a volunteer and for a very short period afterwards. We do not retain details of past volunteers nor disclose any details to third parties unless required to do so by law. Your details will be held on paper in a secure office and only transferred to electronic media in the event that you are permanently retained. We are unable to offer references in the future as we do not retain your details or information beyond the end of the season (October 31st) unless you plan to return the following year. Therefore, should you require a reference, please ask at or before, the time of your leaving. VOLUNTARY ACCORD: The agreement between Riverside Animal Centre and its Volunteers is, by its very nature, a voluntary one. No rights of employment are implied or conferred and both parties remain free to withdraw from said agreement without prior notice. As such, we reserve the right to terminate the services of any volunteer at any time during their tenure without notice or explanation should we decide, at our sole discretion, that it is in our best interests so to do. Please sign and date below to confirm your acceptance and understanding of the above Signed_______________________________________________ Dated___________________ Print Name____________________________________________________________________ Please proceed to Part 3 overleaf, Thank you PART 3: APTITUDE ASSESSMENT: PLEASE ANSWER AS FULLY AS POSSIBLE Most of the animals we deal with are often seen urban species, such as feral pigeons, grey squirrels and foxes. Why do you want to help care for these species that are sometimes considered pests ? What do you think might be involved in caring for baby birds in our nursery ward? In a busy wildlife/animal rescue centre, what sort of general housekeeping tasks would you expect to be involved with as a volunteer? A) What skills, experience and attributes do you have that can help us maintain and improve on our success rate in caring for wildlife? B) Are you happy to work indoors and outside as needed? What duties would you expect in the outside section? Please ensure you have filled in all sections of this application form fully and then return it to us at Riverside Animal Centre, Beddington Park, Church Road, Wallington, SM6 7NN. We will contact you within 7-10 days of receipt to let you know whether or not you have been selected to attend an induction session. We regret that we are unable to enter into correspondence regarding unsuccessful applications. Thank you for your interest in our work.