Animal Care & Welfare Assistant - Level 2 Apprenticeship

Depending on where you employed, there are two different pathways: Animal Care or the Veterinary Care Support route.

Examples of some of the topics you may cover (depending on pathway):

• UK and EU Animal related legislation
• Current legislation, policies, procedures, guidelines, Codes of Practice and ethics relevant to the workplace and the health and welfare of animals
• The species/breeds specific to your role and common characteristics
• Signs that indicate potential problems with animals’ health and welfare and the actions that should be taken
• Medication types, administering medication, safe handling and disposal of medication
• Animal first aid, urgent, ongoing and preventive care
• Accommodation and environment requirements that are suitable and safe for animals
• The use of different cleaning materials and equipment
• Feeding, watering and basic nutrition and characteristics of foodstuffs
• How to safely approach/handle/restrain/move animals
• The behaviours of the animal, applicable to the species and how it impacts its care and welfare
• Animal behaviour
• Methods required to meet the animals’ need for enrichment/exercise opportunities, appropriate to species and individual animal
• Basic anatomy and physiology
• Basic reproduction and obstetrics and reproductive behaviour, including neutering
• The importance of the human and animal bond
• The changing needs of animals’ dependent on their life stage
• Basic awareness of capture techniques
• Hygiene, bio security procedures and infection controls when working with animals