Fairfield Trust Job Description and Person Specification

Job title:  Animal Park Team Member

Work base:  Fairfield Animal Centre, Southwick, Trowbridge

Team:   Commercial

Hours of work:   2 x vacancies available – temporary for 6 months
in the first instance, possibly longer.

Working 37.5 hours per week 8.30am – 4.30pm on a 3-week rota
basis (to include working 1 in every 3 weekends)

Salary: £23,809.50 per annum
(based on 37.5 hours per
week)

 Safeguarding

Fairfield Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and all
staff are expected to share this commitment. You will be expected to report any concerns relating
to the safeguarding of young people in accordance with agreed procedures. If your own conduct
in relation to the safeguarding of young people gives cause for concern, Fairfield Trust agreed child
and adult protection procedures will be followed.

All  posts  involving  direct  contact  with  young  people,  children  and  vulnerable  groups  are  exempt
from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. However, amendments to the Exception Order 1975
(2013 & 2020) provide that certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’.   These are not
subject to disclosure to employers and cannot be taken into account.  Guidance and criteria on the
filtering of these cautions and convictions can be found on the Ministry of Justice website

For all roles that involve regulated activity, a DBS check will be required before appointment is
confirmed

 Job context and purpose

Fairfield Trust is a local independent Charity, the core business areas are: an independent specialist
college for young people with additional needs; residential and independence services, a pub and
an animal park.

The Trust’s mission is: To enable young people to live and work without barriers

Our 5 agreed values are:

Teamwork: We hold ourselves and each other to account, and are better when we work together
Compassion: We act with trust, honesty and kindness in everything we do
Inclusion: We treat each other fairly and with respect
Innovation: We encourage thoughtful, creative and aspirational ideas
Pride: We encourage each other to be proud of who we are and what we do

Working at Fairfield Animal Centre you will be responsible for maintaining high standards across
the park. This includes the welfare of our animal collection including larger livestock, small
mammals, poultry and aviary birds. Ideally, you will have experience of working with animals and
maintaining their environment.

Fairfield Animal Centre is a local visitor attraction, open daily to the public. In addition to caring for
our animals and maintaining the park area, it is expected that your role will also be customer facing
and will include tasks such as leading our popular goat and alpaca walks as well as participating in
seasonal events and other visitor interactions as required.

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Additionally, you will be self-motivated and be able to work independently, prioritising your
workload.

Holiday entitlement is 5.6 weeks for full time and pro-rata for part time employees and will be by
negotiation to fit in with other team members. Bank holiday entitlement is included in this amount
and you may be required to work on a bank holiday if this falls on your normal working day.

 Main duties

  To work directly with our animals, ensuring the highest standards of animal care are always

adhered to in line with current welfare legislation

  To deliver on animal handling activities, special events, or other revenue opportunities
  When required, to use company vehicles including the truck, van, utility vehicle, ride on lawn

mower, to follow the policy on completing the necessary paperwork and visual inspection before
each use

  To work as part of a multi-disciplinary staff team providing support to colleagues including

work placements, young people and college students

  To support the Animal Park Team Leader and Deputy Animal Park Team Leader in delivering any

work-based learning opportunities for work placements and provide feedback on progress

  To ensure the health and safety of staff, students, work placements and visitors is always a priority

through correctly adhering to safe work practices as identified on risk assessments

  Once trained to do so, complete any health and safety checks of the park as instructed by the
Animal Park Team Leader and Deputy Animal Park Team Leader and report any perceived
hazards identified that may threaten the safety to any student, member of staff or visitor
  To ensure any tasks undertaken are completed in accordance with the correct standard of

procedure to minimise risk of injury

  To support the team in maintaining high standards of cleanliness throughout all guest facing and

back of house areas of the park. This includes toilet areas, play equipment, litter picking and
rubbish disposal

  To complete basic maintenance and grounds keeping tasks across the park. This includes the use

of power tools, once training has been given

  To ensure that all customers gain the maximum  benefit from their time with the Trust
  To always work within the framework provided by the Trust’s policies and procedures
  To give medication, basic animal first aid and other means of medication delivery to animals

based on the animal park, following completion of relevant training

  To be fully conversant with and always implement the Trust’s Safeguarding policy and

procedures

  To attend staff meetings and  mandatory staff training and development days to ensure  that

the Trust continues to maintain the standards required by its various funding bodies

  To liaise effectively with managers and staff  across the Trust to ensure that a high-performance

culture pervades the organisation and underpins the values and aims of the organisation

  Any other duties which may reasonably be requested

 Supervision/management of people

Not applicable

Contacts and relationships

The post holder will:

  Report to the Animal Park Team Leader, or Deputy Animal Park Team Leader in their absence
  Work with other FAC Managers and employees and wider-Trust staff

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What we offer - Employee Benefits

There is a pension scheme available for eligible staff
Free entry to Fairfield Animal Centre for 2 adults & 2 children



  10% discount at The Weavers pub
  Discounted staff lunches in the Student Canteen (College Site)
  Corporate Eye Care Scheme


Training & Development opportunities

 Information technology

Daily use of computers that require excellent IT skills and will include using, Database, Word, Excel
and web-based software.

 Financial responsibility

Work with the Fairfield Animal Centre Managers and Team Leaders to ensure strict budget controls.
Contribute to revenue generating initiatives across the Animal Park.

Always ensure effective use of resources and value for money is secured for the Trust.

 Health and Safety

To be responsible for your own health & safety and that of anyone else who may be affected
by your acts or omissions. You will be responsible for risk assessing, reviewing, and monitoring all
aspects of your work.

 Equality and Diversity

You are required neither to discriminate against, harass nor victimise colleagues, suppliers or third
parties at work.  You are further required to report incidents of discrimination at work, either to the
principal or anonymously to the Chair of Trustees.

Records management

You are responsible for ensuring that all information sources for which you have responsibility are
maintained in-line with guidance.  This applies to all electronic and hard copy information.

You should also ensure that access permissions are maintained to limit access to sensitive
information.  You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive data, whether held
electronically or in hard copy, and promptly reporting all breaches, or potential breaches of
security to the Head of HR.

 Other duties

You may be required to perform duties other than those given in the job description for the job.

The duties and responsibilities attached to jobs may vary from time to time without changing the
general character of the duties or the level of responsibility entailed.  Such variations are a common
occurrence and would not in themselves justify the re-evaluation of a job.  In cases, however,
where a permanent and substantial change in the duties and responsibilities of a job occurs,
consistent with a higher level of responsibility, then the job would be eligible for re-evaluation.

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Authority to work in the UK

You must have the legal authority to work in the UK.  You must have the relevant approval to work
in the UK from the UK Border Agency or relevant documentation.  Copies of all documents
provided by you as proof of identity are retained for our records, by providing these proofs the Trust
will treat this as your consent for this to happen.

Person Specification

The person specification details the essential and desirable personal criteria which the job holder
should possess to be able to successfully perform the job.

Alignment
With our values

Commitment to demonstrating the organisations
values and behaviours in their work:

Essential

Desirable

Teamwork: We hold ourselves and each other to
account, and are better when we work together
Compassion: We act with trust, honesty and
kindness in everything we do
Inclusion: We treat each other fairly and with
respect
Innovation: We encourage thoughtful, creative
and aspirational ideas
Pride: We encourage each other to be proud of
who we are and what we do

  L3 Animal Management qualification or

qualified by experience

  Working with a diverse range of animals

and maintaining their environment



Qualifications or
equivalent level
of skill or
knowledge
Experience of

Skills

  To be highly personable with excellent

communication skills

  To be self-motivated, enthusiastic and a self-

starter

  To show an understanding of the

importance of  working within strict Health
& Safety guidelines

  Ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary

team and on own initiative

  To have a clean, full driving licence and a

willingness to drive necessary vehicles

  Working in a

public setting
  Working with
children and
young people
with learning
and/or physical
disabilities

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Personal
qualities  and
motivation

  To be honest, trustworthy and reliable
  Highly motivated and able to motivate others
  Able to work with a variety of colleagues and

clients from different professions and
backgrounds

  A willingness to undertake further professional

training if required

Literacy,
numeracy  and IT

 Good written and spoken English and IT literate.
 Strong numerical skills

 Level 2 in English and

Maths.

Safeguarding

  Displays a commitment to the protection and

 Up-to-date

safeguarding of young people
  Takes action and raises concerns
  Forms appropriate relationships and maintains

professional boundaries at work
  Works within organisational policies,

procedures and guidance at all times

knowledge of
relevant legislation
and guidance in
relation to working
with and the
safeguarding of
children and
vulnerable adults

Suitability of shortlisted candidates will be assessed at interview using a combination of values-based
recruitment techniques; a formal interview and/or a supervised observation or practical session
where applicable.

Should you require any reasonable adjustments to the application process, please speak to a
member of the HR team.

The closing date for this post is Wednesday 5th November 2025 at 9.00am

Interviews will take place on Thursday 13th November 2025

We would welcome applications made via the Trust Application Form, available on our website;
https://fairfieldtrust.org.uk/jobs/

Please note that we will not accept CVs

We anticipate a large response to this advert, therefore, we reserve the right to close the advert early,
once sufficient applications have been received.

Fairfield Trust is an Equal Opportunities employer
A charity for the advancement of education for young people with learning disabilities

This job description and person specification updated October 2025

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