Veterinary Care Support: Level 2 Apprenticeship

Throughout the apprenticeship you will gain the essential knowledge, skills and behaviours needed of a veterinary care assistant to ensure you can thrive in a fast-paced veterinary care environment.

Knowledge
You will gain a comprehensive understanding of a range of knowledge areas, including:

• the behaviours of the animal, applicable to the species and how it impacts its care and welfare such as stress/distress/pain/fear/frustration
• basic anatomy and physiology
• basic reproduction and obstetrics and reproductive behaviour
• data Protection and records in line with legislation, codes of practice and workplace requirements
• the importance of the human and animal bond
• hygiene, bio security procedures and infection controls when working with animals
• common medical, behavioural and surgical care requirements
• the principles of care and related procedures and how to deal with these
• clinical parameters of common species seen in a veterinary environment
• legislation in relation to the dispensing and administering of medication
• end of life care processes, procedures and support

Skills
You will gain a number of skills including:

• common medical, behavioural and surgical care requirements
• UK and EU Animal related legislation
• how to safely approach/handle/restrain/move animals
• end of life care processes, procedures and support
• customer/client communication
• exercise, socialisation and enrichment of animals relevant to their specific needs
• provide food and water to animals and monitor intake
• maintain, update and reference correct records in accordance with current legislation

Behaviours
You will look at safe working, work ethic, responsibility, teamwork, communication and professionalism.

Functional Skills
Apprentices under 19 years of age will be required to undertake Functional Skills Level 1 and/or 2 in English and Maths unless exempt.

Off-The-Job Training Hours
You will undertake a minimum of six hours a week of off-the-job training hours, this is learning that takes place during your normal working hours. These could comprise of working through online course materials, time spent on your portfolio, undertaking relevant webinars etc.

You will compile a portfolio of evidence to demonstrate your knowledge, skills and behaviours.

Once you have completed your portfolio, Functional Skills and a minimum of 12 months of training, you will be able to undertake the End Point Assessment (EPA). The EPA consists of:

1. Practical Assessment: An observation of the apprentice by an independent assessor completing two practical tasks.
2. Professional Discussion: A structured discussion between the apprentice and the independent assessor, made up of a portfolio review and 10 competency-based questions to establish an applied level of knowledge, skills and behaviour.

Your performance in the EPA will determine the apprenticeship grade of fail, pass or distinction.

This apprenticeship can be started at any time. You will work through your online course materials at a time that is convenient to you and be supported by a personal tutor.

There are no formal academic entry requirements. However, you will need to be living and working in England within a clinical role in a veterinary environment* and earning at least the National Minimum Wage for Apprentices. To complete this apprenticeship within the anticipated timeframe you will need to be working for a minimum of 30 hours per week, if you are working less than 30 hours a week the length of your apprenticeship will be extended depending on your working hours.

* Please note the veterinary practice does not need to be a Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ (RCVS) approved Training and Assessment Practice (TP or aTP).

International qualifications
Students with foreign qualifications are required to have their certificates translated using a UK ENIC Statement to confirm if they have previously achieved Level 2 English and Level 2 maths for their apprenticeship. If a student has not previously achieved this, they will need to complete Functional Skills English and/or maths as part of their apprenticeship. More information about how to apply, how it works and prices can be found on the UK ENIC’s website here.

Additional Information
As our courses include online learning components, students are required to have access to a PC or laptop with a reliable internet connection.

Apprenticeship course fees are payable by the employer. Fees are dependent upon the size of the organisation you are employed in.

Course fees for Growth and Skills (Apprenticeship) Levy Paying Employers
(organisations with an annual pay bill of more than £3 million)

These employers will pay the full apprenticeship amount of £5,000 using their digital account.

Course fees for Non-Levy Paying Employers
(organisations with an annual pay bill of less than £3 million)

These employers will pay 5% (£250 in one payment) towards the cost of the apprenticeship using their digital account.

Please note that apprenticeship fees are fully funded (free) for those aged 16-24 years, working in a non-levy paying organisation.

These are current figures and may be subject to change. The differences in course fees reflect the level of funding that is available as a result of government policies and priorities. These may be as a result of age, employment status, previous education achievements, or location for example, and are outside the control of CAW Business School (The College of Animal Welfare).

If you have not achieved your qualification by the planned end date detailed in your individual learning plan, your employer will be able to pay monthly direct debit payments to allow you to continue to receive support and access to your course until certification of your award.

After you have achieved this qualification, you will be a qualified veterinary care assistant which will enhance your CV if applying for future veterinary care jobs.

You could also consider going on to train as a veterinary nurse by completing the Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing programme. You would need to have achieved a full Level 2 qualification in Maths and English Language (e.g. GCSE Grade C/4 or above or Level 2 Functional Skills) in addition to this qualification in order to be able to do this.

If you do not wish to go on to train as a veterinary nurse, but are involved in helping veterinary surgeons with the assisting of monitoring of animals under anaesthesia or sedation in your current role as a veterinary care assistant you may wish to look at undertaking the VetSkill VTEC Level 2 Certificate in Assisting Veterinary Surgeons in Monitoring Anaesthetised and Sedated Companion Animals course.

Yes. In order to undertake this apprenticeship, you must be living and working in England in a veterinary practice in a care assistant role.

No, there is no need for the practice you are working in to be a TP.

Off-the-job (OTJ) training hours are mandatory, paid learning hours for apprentices that take place during normal working hours to help them to gain new skills and knowledge outside of their normal daily work duties. This could be working through online course materials, undertaking webinars, time spent on your portfolio etc. Each apprentice has to undertake a minimum of six OTJ hours per week (this may be pro rata for part time employees).

Typically you will support veterinary nurses and surgeons with animal handling, patient care, cleaning and preparation of clinical areas, maintaining animal accommodation, and general veterinary support duties appropriate to their role and experience.

Yes. Many students use this course as a stepping stone into veterinary nursing training by gaining practical experience, confidence, and industry knowledge before progressing to level 3 study.

Unfortunately not, apprenticeships must be paid for by the employer. It is also important that your employer is supportive of you undertaking the apprenticeship as they would have to allow you a minimum of six hours a week of off-the-job training.

At the current time, you would need to find your own employment in a veterinary practice to begin this apprenticeship. We are sometimes asked by employers to help them to recruit an apprentice; any apprenticeship vacancies we know about will be advertised on our Apprenticeship Vacancies webpage – you can also sign up to receive new apprenticeship job alerts via this page.