The Mayhew Animal Home is proud to offer an NVQ qualification in Level 2 Animal Care. This work-based qualification is run by The Mayhew Animal Home in conjunction with The College of Animal Welfare (CAW). The Mayhew provide the work placement for this course.

The NVQ course is approximately 18 months long and is a self-study course. Each student is expected to work unpaid three days a week at The Mayhew in order to gain practical experience for his or her qualification and this will include one weekend day.

Are you motivated and passionate? Are you prepared to dedicate your time to gain knowledge and understanding of the care of companion animals? Then read on:

The Procedure:

The first step of our NVQ course is to attend an initial interview followed by a trial day. This will give you a peek into the day to day duties  Successful applicants will then need to commit to the starting date and take part in four days of classroom based information sessions and hands on training, concluding in a simple theory test.

All successful candidates will go onto a 2-month probation period before a final assessment. On completion of this they will be registered with the College of Animal Welfare. Then the hard work begins.

In house you will work alongside trained members of staff. This work is hard and can be dirty! Your duties will be divided between kennel, cattery and rabbit areas, feeding, cleaning and taking part in the general husbandry of the animals. Where possible, time will also be allocated in our operating theatre and working in other departments of the home.

During your course you will need to complete a portfolio consisting of a number of modules relating to the care and welfare of animals. At the end of each module your work will be assessed before presenting it to the College Assessors.

We will provide a weekly theory sessions at The Mayhew, however as the course is not classroom based  it is in your own interest that you research particular areas. Books and the internet are useful tools, as are the staff, many of whom have achieved the NVQ qualification themselves.

The NVQ is a good grounding for a career in animal care and is respected throughout the industry. The work is challenging but rewarding for anyone looking for a career with animals.

Applications

We accept applications three times a year: March, July, and October. Please send applications for the coming term only. Please download and print an NVQ application form here and forward this to: NVQ Applications, The Mayhew Animal Home, Trenmar Gardens, Kensal Green, London, NW10 6BJ.