ASL Vets is growing. Our Billericay practice has spent two years building a reputation for genuinely attentive patient care, and this June we opened our doors in Wickford. We're now looking for an experienced Veterinary Care Assistant / Ward Assistant to work across both sites and help us carry that same standard into our newest team.
This is a hands-on clinical and client-facing role for someone who already has real animal care experience under their belt — whether that's in a veterinary practice, a rescue centre, kennels, or a similar setting — and wants to build a career in one. Depending on your experience, there's a genuine route from here into a Veterinary Care Assistant Apprenticeship or the Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN) Apprenticeship.
The role at a glance
Sites Billericay and Wickford (you'll work across both)
Hours 40 per week
Shifts Early (08:30–17:00) or Late (10:30–19:00), on a rota
Weekends 1 in 4 Saturdays, 09:00–13:00
Progression Clear pathway to VCA or RVN Apprenticeship, depending on experience
What you'll be doing
Patient & clinical support
- Daily animal care — cleaning, feeding, handling, and general husbandry
- Assisting vets and nurses during consultations and procedures
- Providing calm, confident, safe patient restraint
- Monitoring inpatients and delivering their day-to-day care routines
- Keeping wards, kennels, and clinical areas clean and genuinely hygienic — not just tidy
- Processing lab samples and maintaining equipment sterilisation
- Setting clinical spaces up properly ahead of each day's caseload
- Stock control and general hospital upkeep
- Helping keep patient flow moving smoothly through a busy practice
Client care & reception
- Welcoming clients with warm, professional service — often at their most anxious moments
- Answering calls and handling enquiries with confidence
- Scheduling appointments and managing bookings
- Taking payments and keeping records accurate
- Responding to emails clearly and supportively
- Supporting admissions and keeping clients updated on their pet's care
What we're looking for
Essential
- Previous hands-on animal care experience — this could be in a veterinary practice, or transferable experience from a rescue centre, kennels, cattery, grooming, or similar animal-handling environment. This isn't an entry-level role, so we do need you to arrive with real, practical experience rather than enthusiasm alone
- Confident, calm animal handling and restraint skills
- Comfortable balancing clinical duties with front-of-house client care in the same shift
- Reliable, organised, and able to prioritise when the day gets busy
- A genuinely compassionate, client-focused approach — in person, on the phone, and by email
Desirable
- Experience with laboratory sample processing and sterilisation procedures
- Prior exposure to inpatient/ward monitoring
- An interest in progressing toward a VCA or RVN apprenticeship
Why join ASL Vets
- A supportive, multidisciplinary team where your clinical judgement is trusted, not micromanaged
- A genuine, structured pathway into VCA or RVN apprenticeship routes
- Broad, hands-on exposure to a wide variety of patients and cases across two sites
- The chance to help shape a brand-new site during an exciting growth phase, rather than just join an existing routine
- A role where the standard of care you deliver is visible and valued, every day
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £22,568.00-£26,436.80 per year
Benefits:
- Additional leave
- Company events
- Company pension
- Employee discount
Application question(s):
- Do you have previous experience working in a veterinary setting?
- Are you interested in progressing onto a Veterinary Apprenticeship as part of your career development?
Work Location: In person
