Working Days: Monday - Thursday 

The Forum School

The Forum School and Residential Home is a 52 week residential specialist school providing quality therapeutic care and education for young people with Autism, sever learning difficulties, challenging behaviour and complex needs. The children and young people that attend our school range between the ages of 7 and 19 years.

The Job

The Animal Care Assistant is responsible for helping to provide an efficient and accessible animal Therapy service to support the smooth running and effective management of the establishment. The role is all about supporting and empowering all of our young people to achieve their personal best through working alongside our horses, within the animal environment. Providing appropriate physical and emotional support to ensure effective learning takes place, whilst maintaining a clean and safe environment are key competencies we are looking for. To support our young people both in school and in their homes as required to ensure a consistent approach.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• To contribute to making the animal care team effective. This involves supporting other members of the team and helping to build positive relationships. You must be willing to give and receive constructive feedback aimed at developing the quality of relationships and team performance.
• To work within the health and safety guidelines of the school.
• To support the Equine lead and Groom in order to maintain the health and wellbeing of the animals. This includes taking responsibility for the running of the yard when the equine lead is absent. As well as delivering student sessions.
• Liaise with the Equine Lead and Groom to ensure continuity of care for the animals during times of staff holiday or illness.
• General duties i.e. mucking out, feeding, grooming and animal first aid. To include caring for our small animals – guinea pigs and rabbits.
• Care and monitoring of tack and equipment including ensuring it is safe and fit to use as well as keeping it clean and tidy.
• General care of the animals with specific emphasis on helping our young people groom and complete stable management activities during the year.
• Support in the delivery of sessions by taking responsibility for working with groups or individuals in a range of situations with the guidance of the Equine lead.
• Assist with the preparation of resources for sessions. Help to plan individual programs for our young people, this includes group sessions, 1:1 sessions and staff sessions.
• Maintain students records as required, ensuring that confidentiality is maintained. Always ensuring that records are written to a legible, accurate, high standard at the end of the session.

The Cambian Group

The Cambian Group is one of the largest providers of specialist behavioural health services for children and adults in the UK. We are looking for an Education Administrator to join our team who aligns with our ethos of believing that every child or young person has a personal best. Our work in the UK embraces many specialist services including adult mental health, acquired brain injury, children’s specialist education, children’s residential services and fostering services.

Requirements for an Enhanced DBS and reference checking will be undertaken in line with government regulations and safer recruitment best practice. Whilst we endeavour to keep the recruitment process as short as possible due to the nature of these important checks it may extend the processing time. All young people are equally entitled to have their needs met in a fair and balanced way. Cambian Group employees are responsible for promoting equal opportunities for all and for challenging any behaviour or practice which discriminates against any young person or colleague on the grounds of race, religion, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation or any other perceived difference.

We will conduct online searches of shortlisted candidates. This check will be part of a safeguarding check, and the search will purely be based on whether an individual is suitable to work with children. As care must be taken to avoid unconscious bias and any risk of discrimination a person who will not on the appointment panel will conduct the search and will only share information if and when findings are relevant and of concern.