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Shape your journey!
No matter where your passion in veterinary medicine lies, the IVC Evidensia Graduate Academy programme offers a comprehensive and tailored learning experience to support you in achieving your potential.
Are you a recent or soon-to-be veterinary graduate looking to embark on a successful and fulfilling career in veterinary medicine?
Shape your journey to veterinary excellence with our Graduate Academy programme. Unlock your potential through practical and online CPD courses and development opportunities. Feel empowered with mentor and well-being support, alongside a host of benefits and rewards. Find support and inspiration, with our global network of peers and professionals ready and waiting to welcome you.
Join us on this exciting journey, and let's shape the future of veterinary care together.
Unlock your passions at Churchfield Veterinary Centre
We are a small animal and equine practice in South Yorkshire with good access to major roads, rail links and airports (Manchester, Leeds/Bradford, East Midlands).
The cost of living in Barnsley and surroundings is significantly lower than national average with rents much lower. As well as some very well kept urban parks and walking/cycling on sites of reclaimed industrial heritage, we are very close to the Peak District National Park surrounded by some wonderful countryside and also close enough to enjoy all that the major cities of Sheffield and Leeds have to offer.
There are several National Trust properties and large heritage estates nearby including Wentworth Castle, Wentworth Woodhouse, Nostell Priory and Chatsworth House with marvellous dog walking and off road biking routes. Rock climbers, hill walkers, mountain and road bikers are very well catered for in the Peak District and North Pennine foothills.
Entertainments include drama at the Barnsley Civic, Sheffield Lyceum and world famous Crucible, South Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds, music at the Sheffield Leadmill and City Hall, Sheffield and Leeds Arenas. Local festivals include Sheffield Tramlines, Leeds/Reading Festival, Barnsley Live, Wentworth Festival and Underneath the Stars.
Sport is followed and played with equal enthusiasm from local league football, hockey, cricket and rugby to world class snooker at the Crucible and professional league one football at Barnsley FC's home in Oakwell (and some other teams in other leagues from Sheffield, Leeds, Huddersfield and Rotherham!). The Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Yorkshire Wildlife Park are award winning and very close by.
Our team includes 3 full time small animal veterinary surgeons (1 VetGDP Adviser), 3 full time equine veterinary surgeons (1 VetGDP Adviser and CertAVP(ESTS)) and 2 mixed small animal and equine veterinary surgeons. We work alongside 5 Registered Veterinary Nurses (including our head nurse), 1 Student Veterinary Nurse (the practice is a registered nurse training centre), 2 veterinary nursing assistants, 3 receptionists, 2 office assistants and our practice manager.
You will be provided with support and training in the practice and with the IVC Academy courses to help you develop your skills in these areas. We are developing our small animal branch surgery in the village of Skelmanthorpe which is a 25 minute drive from Barnsley, but our new graduate veterinary surgeons will not be expected to provide sole charge at this surgery, until they are confident to do so.
Our small animal clinic is well equipped with digital radiography, colour doppler ultrasound, endoscopy, dentistry facilities and in house laboratory. Our equine clinic has full surgical and knock down facilities, with DR radiography, endoscopy including gastroscopy, stocks, stabling and menage.
We are not a specialist practice and do not have highly specialised equipment, but we do know how to provide a supporting environment for our new graduate colleagues to develop to their full potential and we aim to bring the practice along with their aspirations.
Step into a supportive start
Your normal hours of work are 40 hours per week, 5 days a week. Monday to Friday between 8.00AM and 6.00PM. You may also be required to participate in a weekend rota and an EQ only out of hours on-call rota which will include working on weekends and bank holidays.
We have an exceptional client care policy and very friendly staff. We strongly believe that excellent internal communication is essential for all our colleagues' wellbeing, but especially those of our new graduates. We have established protected time for monthly practice staff meetings and for VetGDP adviser/graduate meetings, initially weekly, moving to fortnightly and then monthly portfolio reviews.
30 minute SA appointments are standard for new graduates with onsite experienced vet support. We encourage the gradual development of surgical skills and will provide detailed support and training initially in elective procedures. We have very experienced RVNs, who provide significant support to our new graduates. The age structure of practice is such that it has a feel of an extended family and there is much socialising among the younger team. Team building is very important with trips out to bowling etc.
Coaching and mentoring are considered very important aspects of the support we offer and help to ensure our new graduates enjoy the experiences and challenges of first opinion practice. Our one-to-one reviews encourage our new graduates to discuss their successes and also challenging day to day experiences in practice openly and without judgement. The meetings are also useful as a forum to discuss clinical cases which are suitable for inclusion in their EPAs and reflect on these in their VetGDP portfolio.
Our practice family has always been there for each other during difficult times and we encourage open discussion about any problems encountered. We have a senior MRCVS colleague training to be a qualified mental health counsellor who has a wealth of understanding, care and compassion. We are an IVC practice and as such have an ethos that respects all individuals for who they are and what they can bring to our team.
We are IVC Evidensia
We are committed to supporting you in shaping your journey to reach your potential, whatever your career aims. That’s why, our graduate academy programme has been developed to offer you:
- Comprehensive learning
- Take your career to the next level with our comprehensive blended learning programme, with a choice of streams to fit your career dreams.
- Global Network
- Build lifelong connections with our global community of veterinary professionals, and the opportunity to work at locations across our network as your career progresses.
- CPD and development
- Unlock your passions with exciting CPD and development opportunities, including access to apply for the IVC Evidensia Research Fund.
- Support
- Gain invaluable experience and support from a dedicated mentor who cares about your progression.
- Wellbeing
- Feel empowered with our wellbeing support offering.
Benefits
Discover a host of benefits and rewards, including a competitive salary starting from £34k. A rewarding career – it’s yours for the taking. We offer excellent employee benefits, as we believe that our people do their best work when they feel comfortable, nurtured, and valued:
- Year 1 salary from £34,000 increasing to year 2
- No financial tie-in
- 6.6 weeks annual leave
- Your birthday as a paid day off
- Pension scheme
- Private medical insurance
- Health and wellbeing – you’ll get free eye tests and discounted gym membership.
- ‘Pawsome’ benefits and rewards scheme, plus a great discount on pet care
- Employee assistance programme - we all have times in our life when we need a little extra support, which is why we offer a comprehensive employee assistance programme, including access to support.
- Professional memberships – we cover the cost of your RCVS renewal fees and other memberships.
We know how committed you’ve been throughout your studies now let us help you create the perfect launch pad to a bright career. Join us on this exciting journey, and let's shape the future of veterinary care together.
As a BAME and LGBT+ inclusive employer, we are keen to hear from candidates from all minority and diverse groups. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are keen to hear from candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions and would be happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments needed during the recruitment process.