Join our Yard Team!

Join our Team!

Crosskennan are currently looking to recruit hardworking and dedicated individuals to join our team. The yard team member needs to be passionate about animals, as well as having relevant experience; working with equines and other animals. The work is labor intensive, repeditive and outdoors. The applicant must be flexible in working hours and be willing to work weekends.

We want the best candidate for the job so we are being as honest as we can be...

- This is very physical work, from mucking out, handling horses and ponies, grooming, feeding, health checks etc.

- We are only a small team but we are caring for over 40 equines currently as well as many smaller animals, including dogs, cats, hens, ducks, etc.

- You will have to work with both the staff team and the volunteers and report to the Sanctuary Manager.

- All of our animals are rescued and many have behavioural problems left over from previous homes; anyone applying ideally needs to have experience working with equines at a minimum.

Everyday our staff go above and beyond to try and work with the amount of animals that call the sanctuary home, no matter how briefly. We hope we can all agree that we all have the animals at forefront in our minds and we all want the best quality of life we can give for them. This means long hours and physical repeditive work.
 

So... Why on earth would anyone sign up for that?

"I love being around the animals and seeing their different personalities and small achievements of getting them to trust you, or coming to you when they are called. You try and do all you can to make their day better. Seeing a horse go from a terrified wreck to loving and trustful is a an honor to witness. Sharing the journey with them as they move from being a pony you can't even look at to one that runs to greet you in the morning and calls across the yard when you have food. It's the small things sometimes too, like finding that perfect spot where they love to be scratched." Current Staff Member

Crosskennan Lane Animal Sanctuary is a registered charity situated close to Antrim in Northern Ireland. The sanctuary has been a registered charity since 1996 and is the only welfare and rescue organisation for horses and ponies in Northern Ireland.

Yard Team Member

Accountable to the Sanctuary Manager

Parttime - inclusive of weekend shifts

Job Description

Job Purpose

To work under the specific management of the Sanctuary Manager and provide a high standard of care.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• To work on the yard. This may include feeding, grooming and mucking out, animal health checks and administering of medication.
• To assist with animal rehabilitation.
• To provide high quality care that ensures all equines have access to suitable water, feed and shelter and to ensure that hygiene is maintained.
• To ensure stables/shelters are mucked out thoroughly, water receptacles are clean and refilled, haynets filled and weighed.
• To ensure instructions regarding the feeding of equines is followed stringently.
• To give a visual health check to the equines including lameness.
• To inform senior staff of equine ailments and needs.
• Medication will be prescribed to some of the equines under your care, this you will expected to give on your rounds.
• To ensure paddocks are checked for hazards and kept clean.
• The catching and holding of nervous horses for the farrier and /or veterinary purposes.
• The grooming, trimming and bathing of equines, with the application and checking of rugs.
• Transporting of equines safely – as an assistant and/or driver of horsebox/trailer – subject to training.
• General use of tack and equine handling equipment.
• To understand the importance of effective communication, observation and unified team work.
• To liaise regularly with your line manager.
• To be an effective team member.

Visitors

• To ensure that the visitor experience is always positive.
• To interact in a welcoming, informative and professional manner with visitors.
• To be knowledgeable on the various schemes and programmes run at the sanctuary and to be able to relay this to Visitors.
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Expectations

• To participate in departmental and “in house” training and carry learned skills into practice.
• To ensure, as far as reasonably practical, observance and adherence to the health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
• To ensure that services and conduct are in accordance with sanctuary standards, equal opportunities and objectives of Quality Assurance.
• To perform other such duties, of a like nature, as may from time to time be required by the Sanctuary.
• Caring for large animals is a very physical activity and the role involves bending, lifting and other labour intensive tasks. The person carrying out this role must therefore be physically fit to carry out many of the tasks.
• Able to work a flexible shift pattern, including weekends.

GENERAL

• Ensure that all within the teams have a grasp of the Sanctuary’s structure, values and purpose and have opportunities for involvement in its further development.
• Ensure the maintenance of confidentiality in respect of staff, volunteer and client records and all privileged information relating to the services of the Charity, its equines, staff and supporters and particularly of the area for which directly involved.
• Promote and foster the Sanctuary’s reputation and standing within the community and nationally; with private, statutory and voluntary sector agencies and organisations.
• Undertake any other duties which may be reasonably required.

NOTES

• All staff must be sympathetic to and able to project the philosophy and concept of sanctuary care and values
• Crosskennan Lane Animal Sanctuary is very much a community and all members of staff are encouraged to be part of its day to day life.

Health and Safety:

• All staff are expected to comply with Health and Safety policies and procedures. Employees have a general duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 to:
• - carry out their work safely without undue risk to themselves, colleagues and others who may be affected by their acts or omissions
• - cooperate with their employer in complying with any duty or requirement imposed by health and safety legislation

This Job Description may change and the duties listed are not exhaustive, but such change will only be made following consultation between the (relevant) "Manager" and the postholder. A job description review automatically takes place as part of the Performance Management process.