Author Archives: Alison German

Join us at Head Nurse Congress 2021, we’re going virtual!

The College of Animal Welfare is delighted to announce that its 2021 Head Nurse Congress, will be taking place online and is now open for registration.

After much consideration in light of the global Coronavirus pandemic, the congress will run in a virtual format on Thursday 4 March 2021. We were keen to adapt and continue to offer the opportunity for head nurses to benefit from this event, so we have been busily putting plans in place behind the scenes to make this possible. We hope by moving this event online, not only will it allow delegates to attend from the safety of their homes or workplaces, it will also welcome a diverse range of attendees and speakers who may not have been able to be a part of the event previously due to location or time restrictions.

The event focuses on the role of the head veterinary nurse and the responsibilities and challenges that come with it. Attendees will get the chance to listen to a variety of relevant lectures from expert industry speakers including veterinary surgeons Libby Kemkaran-Thompson, MA VetMB MRCVS, from Kemkaran Consulting Ltd and Anne-Marie Svendsen Aylott MRCVS, Leadership Coach at PurpleCat Coaching Ltd and veterinary nurse Jill Macdonald, DipAVN (Surgical) RVN FHEA from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Delegates will also be sent snacks and lunch to enjoy during the day!

Who should attend Head Nurse Congress 2021?

Whether you are an aspiring, new or experienced head nurse or practice manager, this congress is for you! A focus on leadership, working relationships and business growth means the event would be particularly useful if you are:

Interested in learning more about management
Wanting to create a strong and motivated team
Hoping to progress within your role
Wanting to be the best leader you can be
Interested in keeping up-to-date with everything happening in the industry

Why attend?

By attending Head Nurse Congress 2021 you will get the chance to:

Listen to lectures from a range of industry speakers
Have your questions answered by speakers in the live Q&A sessions
Gain practical takeaways on a variety of topics that you can implement in practice
Earn 8 hours of evidenced CPD
Watch back the recording of the congress in your own time
Watch recorded lectures from previous Head Nurse Congresses

Book before 31 January 2021 to receive the Early Bird discount

If you book your place before 31 January 2021, you can attend for the discounted early bird price of £125+VAT – saving you £60!

A full agenda and more information on how to book can be found on our website. What’s more – you can keep up to date with Head Nurse Congress by liking our event page on Facebook.

COVID-19: Student and Employer Update Monday 2 November 2020

Following on from the government’s announcement that there will be new national restrictions come into effect on Thursday 5 November 2020, we would like to reassure students and employers that the College will continue to provide learning to our students. Our main priority is to avoid interrupting students’ learning and allow them to achieve their qualification, while keeping them as safe as possible and minimising any risks.

The College has successfully replaced its face to face classroom lectures with live streaming and online support, allowing them to engage with their lecturers and tutors in real time either from home or from work.

For those students who are attending one of the College’s centres for essential skills training and examinations, the existing protective arrangements already in place will still apply.

We are proud of the steps and efforts being made by our staff collectively to protect future careers and give learners the ability to continue to achieve their goals.

The College of Animal Welfare expects all members of our community to follow the latest government instructions to assist with minimising the risk of spreading the virus. Further guidance and the latest updates are provided on the official Government website and the NHS website. Please also see the following resources from the World Health Organisation for more information:

Please subscribe to our newsletter, keep an eye on our blog and the student Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to stay informed of future updates.

We are keeping our employers up-to-date with regular bulletins via email, these can all be found in the Employer information area of the VLE.

We would like to thank both our students and staff who have risen to the challenge of learning and working under these challenging conditions with new approaches and embraced the opportunity to adapt to continue to develop.

We understand this may be a challenging time for some of our students and we would like to remind them that we offer a wealth of resources and services to help provide support during this time. Please see the mental health section of this page to find out more.

New Animal Care Apprenticeship: By Employers, for Employers

In August 2018 the Institute of Apprenticeships launched the new Animal Care and Welfare: Level 2 Apprenticeship Standard as a response to employer demand for a training solution that is current, relevant and fit for purpose.

So what’s changed and what does it mean for you?

Reduced Fees…

The government have agreed to fund 95%* of the apprenticeship fees for small employers (those with an annual payroll of less than £3 million) so, if this applies to you, it leaves you with only £250 to pay!* What’s more if you have less than 50 employees and your apprentice is under 19 years of age there are no fees to pay and you’ll get a £1,000 grant too!

If you are a large employer (with an annual payroll bill of more than £3 million) the £5,000 apprenticeship fees are payable via the apprenticeship levy money in your digital account.

Tailored Learning…
The new apprenticeship contains a number of core knowledge, skills and behaviours that all animal care apprentices must be competent in. In addition there are 7 available pathways to choose from. This means that the apprenticeship can be tailored to ensure that it is relevant to their role and to your business. The new pathways are:

Animal Interaction and Handling
Rehoming
Breeding
Working Dog Handler
Wildlife Rehabilitation
Movement and Transportation
Operational Reception Duties

Robust Assessment….

To achieve the apprenticeship the apprentice will:

Complete a portfolio
Undertake Functional Skills in English and Maths (unless exempt)
Pass a final End Point Assessment (EPA) consisting of a practical assessment and professional discussion.

What else do you need to know?

The apprenticeship is expected to take 18 months to complete if the apprentice is working for 30 hours a week or more.

All apprentices must spend 20% of their working time allocated to ‘off-the-job-training’. This can include time being allocated to work on activities such as reflective logs or portfolio tasks, or perhaps undertaking a research project or reviewing working processes. There are many ways in which to use this allocation to the advantage of both the apprentice and your business!

To find out more visit our website or call us on 01480 422060.

*Updated inline with the funding rate change on 1 April 2019

New Level 2 Animal Care Apprenticeship: By Employers, for Employers

So what’s changed and what does it mean for you?

Reduced Fees…

The government have agreed to fund 90% of the apprenticeship fees for small employers (those with an annual payroll of less than £3 million) so, if this applies to you, it leaves you with only £500 to pay! What’s more if you have less than 50 employees and your apprentice is under 19 years of age there are no fees to pay and you’ll get a £1,000 grant too!

Tailored Learning…

The new apprenticeship contains a number of core knowledge, skills and behaviours that all animal care apprentices must be competent in. In addition there are Tailored Learning…7 available pathways to choose from. This means that the apprenticeship can be tailored to ensure that it is relevant to their role and to your business. These are:

Animal Interaction and Handling
Rehoming
Breeding
Working Dog Handler
Wildlife Rehabilitation
Movement and Transportation
Operational Reception Duties

Robust Assessment….

To achieve the apprenticeship the apprentice will:

Complete a portfolio
Undertake Functional Skills in English and Maths (unless exempt)
Pass a final End Point Assessment (EPA) consisting of a practical assessment and professional discussion.

What else do you need to know?

The apprenticeship is expected to take 18 months to complete if the apprentice is working for 30 hours a week or more.

To find out more visit our website or call us on 01480 422060.

New Process for joining the RCVS Register of Veterinary Nurses

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) have recently changed their process for students applying to enter the Register of Veterinary Nurses through the use of a new online portal.

The new process for students of The College of Animal Welfare (CAW) is as follows:

On successful completion of the City & Guilds OSCE exams and CAW make a certificate claim to City & Guilds.
Once the certificate has been received by CAW from City & Guilds it will be forwarded to the student.
In the meantime, City & Guilds inform the RCVS directly that the student has achieved the qualification.
The RCVS then emails the student a link to the online registration portal, where they must complete their application and upload a single file of evidence to show they have met the 2990 training hours (of which a minimum of 1800 must be within a Training Practice – TP).

Evidencing your training hours

Students who have been employed in practice for the entire duration of training
You must complete the Record of Training and Record of Absence and Leave and have it signed and dated by the Practice Principal registered with the RCVS as being responsible for veterinary nurse training. CAW prepare and email to you your Record of Education (college hours). You must then combine all the documents into one file to upload to the online portal.

Students who have been on unpaid placement for the entire duration of training
CAW will email you a Summary of Training which includes details on both your hours on placement and your college hours. You will then need to upload this document to the online portal. You do not need to complete a Record of Training or a Record of Absence and Leave as CAW will have done this for you.

Students who have spent some time on unpaid placement and some time in employment in practice
You must first complete the Record of Training and Record of Absence and Leave covering your period of employment, and have it signed and dated by the Practice Principal registered with the RCVS as being responsible for veterinary nurse training. You must then send this document, in hard copy, to The College of Animal Welfare, Headland House, Chord Business Park, London Road, Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire PE29 2BQ. CAW will then collate this information with your hours on placement and your college hours and email you a Summary of Training which you then need to upload to the online portal.

Further Guidance

A tutorial on how to complete your Record of Veterinary Nurse Training can be found on the VLE.

Beat the Buzz Wire Competition at BVNA Congress: Terms and Conditions

If you are heading to BVNA Congress this weekend (12-14 October 2018), come along and visit The College of Animal Welfare stand (D8) and have a go at our ‘Beat the Buzz Wire’ competition. You could be in with a chance of winning a CPD voucher!

Terms and conditions

This is a competition run by The College of Animal Welfare during the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) Congress from the 12-14 October 2018.

The Competition

Entry for the buzz wire competition will take place at BVNA Congress on The College of Animal Welfare stand from 12/10/2018 to 14/10/2018.
Entrants must be 16 years of age or over.
The competition is not open to employees of The College of Animal Welfare or their families.
We reserve the right to end this competition at any point at our discretion.
The competition involves guiding a metal loop around a metal cat frame in an attempt to not touch the frame with the loop, and in doing so setting off the bell.
Prizes will be awarded to those who successfully navigate the loop around the frame without touching it and ringing the bell. There will be two resting points around the frame; getting to these, or around the entire frame, will result in the awarding of a prize as below:
- First resting point – £25 CPD voucher
- Second resting point – £50 CPD voucher
- Entire frame – £125 CPD voucher

The vouchers

Vouchers are non-transferable. There is no cash alternative.
Vouchers are valid between 12 October 2018 and 31 December 2018.
Vouchers must be redeemed online at https://cpd.caw.ac.uk, using the code stated on the voucher, at the checkout at the time of booking.
Vouchers may only be used once.

International parkrun Day – Saturday 6 October 2018

Border Collie in harness and lead ready for parkrun

This Saturday is International parkrun Day. People all over the country take part in parkrun each week – it’s a great opportunity to get some exercise out in the fresh air. Whether you are just taking your first steps into running or an experienced runner, parkrun has something for you. What’s more, many parkruns also allow you to take a dog with you – just make sure that, if you do, your dog is fit and healthy enough to take part and is comfortable in the company of other people and dogs as some park runs get very busy!

To find your nearest parkrun visit https://www.parkrun.org.uk/.

Want to work with animals? Start your job search at our Apprenticeship Recruitment Day!

The College of Animal Welfare is delighted to be running a new Apprenticeship Recruitment Day at its Huntingdon centre on Wednesday 1 August 2018 for those looking to find an Animal Care Apprenticeship job.

We know just how hard it can be for people looking to work with animals to finding that illusive apprenticeship job to enable them to get started, and we want to help!

During the day we will not only be providing help and advice on CV building, interview techniques and job seeking, we will also be screening attendees for any animal care apprenticeships jobs that we are helping employers to fill. You will even get the opportunity to apply for jobs on the day if we have any apprenticeship vacancies that match your skills and interests.

During the day you will:

Start your job search: Discover where to find apprenticeship vacancies and look at current apprenticeship vacancies being advertised by the College.
Develop your interview skills: Look at how best to answer interview questions, prepare a list of things that you should (and shouldn’t!) ask at interview, know how best to present yourself and have a mock interview with feedback.
Get a CV: Look at what to include to show off your strengths and leave the day with your own CV to make sure you are ready to start applying for jobs straight away.
Determine your levels of Maths and English: Undertake basic skills assessments to help you identify your current working levels and where to find additional help if needed.
Find out what employers want: Working with employers every day gives us a real insight into what employers want – we will share these with you to give you get a head start!

Whether you have just finished school, are looking for a career change, or want to retrain to get back into work, an apprenticeship could be the right move for you!

All this is completely FREE! What have you got to lose?

The event will run between 10am and 3pm. Book your place.

With the weather getting hotter this week remember ‘dogs die in hot cars’

Dogs die in hot cars… Temperatures this week are predicted to reach as high as 24°C! While this is a nice change from the seemingly everlasting winter, there are some precautions you should take if travelling with a dog.

Leaving your dog in a hot car can be fatal. Although the outside temperature may seem bearable, temperatures inside a car can reach double that of the outside within only an hour. And it’s not just cars you need to watch out for, leaving your dog in enclosed spaces such as conservatories or caravans can have the same deadly affect.

But how common are these incidents?

The RSPCA receive almost two calls every hour in relation to dogs suffering from heat exposure over the summer months. The most common incidents involving cars.
According to BVA’s Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey last year, almost half of UK vets had treated animals affected by heat-related conditions over the summer of 2016.

What to do if you see a dog in a hot car

Try to find out how long the dog has been in the car (check time on parking ticket)
If it’s evident that the dog has been in the car a while and is displaying signs of heatstroke (panting, drooling, appears drowsy, has collapsed or vomited) call 999 immediately.
In instances where the dog’s life may be at risk and the police are a long way away, many people may choose to break into the car to free the dog. If you make this choice, ensure you tell the police this is what you’re going to do and why, provide them with a photo of the dog and the names and numbers of any witnesses.

If you think that your dog may be suffering from heatstroke, you should quickly move them to a cooler space, pour small amounts of room-temperature water over them and allow them to drink small amounts of cool water. Once your dog has cooled down, take them to the nearest vet for treatment.

For more information on the dangers of leaving your dog in a hot car, visit the BVA website.

Clinical coaches inspired at this year’s TP Congress

The College of Animal Welfare would like to thank all delegates, speakers and exhibitors who attended TP Congress on the 19 and 20 March 2018 for making the event such a success. The event, which was sponsored by VN Times, saw clinical coaches from across the country come together to share ideas, and listen to lectures and workshops on how to best support student veterinary nurses in practice.

When asked what delegates most enjoyed about the event, the vibe was summed up by comments such as “I learnt so much to take back and use in practice”, “I was expecting to learn how to help my student but help for myself too was fantastic” and “Really inspiring and relevant speakers at the year’s event – very enjoyable!”; with one delegate summing up the event when asked about what could make TP Congress better next year, by replying “More of the same!”.

Due to the fantastic feedback received about last year’s venue, TP Congress returned to the beautiful Whittlebury Hall Hotel and Spa near Silverstone in Northamptonshire, providing onsite accommodation for delegates who had travelled some distance to attend. A commercial exhibition was held throughout the congress, as well as a happy hour on the first evening; giving delegates the perfect opportunity to network with fellow clinical coaches and share their trials and tribulations.

This year’s congress included lectures on mental health support, coaching skills and resilience as well as interactive sessions on OSCE success and challenging delegate’s creativity when using the Nursing Progress Log (NPL).

Congress organiser, Tracey Croucher, said “TP Congress has now been running for 13 years and provides a unique opportunity for those involved in the training of student veterinary nurses to gain CPD relevant to their role and come together with other clinical coaches; sharing experiences and best practice. It is always a pleasure to see so many enthusiastic clinical coaches who are passionate about creating the next generation of veterinary nurses come together under one roof”. She continued “Each year we listen carefully to delegate feedback to ensure that we continue to build on the event to make it current and relevant. With this in mind plans for the 2019 will soon be underway.”

Those interested in keeping up-to-date with news on next year’s TP Congress can register their interest at www.caw.ac.uk/tpc

– Ends –

For more information please contact:
Alison German RVN
Senior Marketing and Communications Coordinator
The College of Animal Welfare
Tel: 01480 422060
Email: agerman@caw.ac.uk

Notes to editors:

The College of Animal Welfare is one of the UK’s leading providers of veterinary nurse and animal care training and education; operating from four training centres around the UK.

The College has a well-earned reputation for excellence and has created a number of unique achievements that have created new opportunities for learning.

For more information about The College of Animal Welfare please visit www.caw.ac.uk.