Small Animal Veterinary Surgeon

Supportive and nurturing hospital practice with a friendly team who will help build your confidence and develop your skills… My father founded Connaught House Vets in 1953, and we were one of the first practices in the country to be awarded RCVS hospital status. Since then, we have grown into a thriving multi-centre practice with 10 full-time and several part-time vets, with our hospital at the heart of the practice. We remain proudly independent, allowing us to have excellent clinical freedom and continuity of cases. One of our lovely vets, Bonny, is heading home to Hong Kong, so we are looking for a small animal vet to join us. The role will be mainly based at our 2-3 vet Kingswinford practice, with some time spent at the hospital and our Shifnal clinic. We believe in nurturing our team and can offer lots of support, so whether you’re just starting out or are an experienced vet looking to follow your interests, our friendly team will help build your confidence and develop your skills. Our VetGDP Advisors are ready to mentor a new graduate, and we can also offer the XL Vets New Graduate scheme as additional support. We want you to be in a place where you feel comfortable, and our current team reflects that, with many of us having been here for years or some who left and came back, twice in one case! Both Shifnal and Kingswinford are standalone clinics with all the usual kit, including digital x-ray and ultrasound, and we also offer acupuncture and laser therapy and an in-house lab. You also have access to the full range of facilities available at our hospital, along with the expertise of vets undertaking certificates in feline medicine, surgery, and cardiology. Being able to refer cases in-house allows you continuity of care as you can follow your cases through. For those more complex, non-emergency cases, you have the option to be involved with the care given at the hospital. We have a culture where you’re not alone, and we really enjoy helping each other out. But don’t just take our word for it; here’s what our team says: “After initially visiting as an EMS student, I’ve been working at Connaught House for over 20 years! Working in this enriching, progressive, professional, yet truly supportive and friendly environment with a high level of patient care and lasting professional relationships with our loyal clients has been an amazing experience. The benefits of working in an independent practice where there is a high level of clinical freedom, a challenging and diverse caseload supported by excellent team collaboration are something I wouldn’t trade for anything.” Julie MRCVS “Ever since my first day, Connaught has been a friendly, supportive and flexible place to work. I have been able to follow my passion for surgery and study for a certificate, fully supported by the practice. The team is more like a family; the atmosphere is one of support and teamwork where you never feel like you are alone.” Zadie MRCVS Laura started with us as a locum and liked it so much that she stayed: \”For me, working at Connaught House, Shifnal provides the warmth and security of a small, tight-knit team alongside the bustle and buzz of a busy branch clinic. Clinical freedom and some really diverse cases allow for progression and development, but there are enough routine appointments and regular clients to really build up a rapport with people and their pets. The dedicated and supportive team makes work genuinely enjoyable, and an abundance of tea also helps!\” Laura MRCVS This is what one of our former vets, Isla, who’s now completing a residency, had to say about her time with us: “Connaught House Vets provided a supportive and nurturing environment where I could grow my internal medicine and critical care skills. Its varied and interesting caseload equipped me with both practical skills and clinical experience, thus developing my enthusiasm and knowledge. This facilitated my transition to a multidisciplinary university-based internship and ongoing training.” Isla MRCVS We are really flexible with the rota, so whether you are looking for a full or part-time role or have other commitments to work around, please do get in touch to discuss the options available. We appreciate that everyone has their own skill set and areas of interest. If your ideal day is being elbow-deep in surgery or, equally, if you prefer seeing consults, we are happy to design a rota to accommodate this. Our out-of-hours are outsourced to Vets Now from 7 pm daily, and our inpatients are cared for at the hospital site by our experienced RVN team, who provide 24/7 care. There are no routine weekends normally needed with a part-time role, and our full-time vets only do 1:8 Saturday mornings and 1:8 daytime weekends (overseeing inpatient care only after 7 pm). There is plenty of opportunity for career development, and we will fully support this, so whether you want to improve your skills or are looking to take on a certificate, we will not only fund this but can also provide the varied caseload to help you achieve this. We enjoy mentoring and watching our team thrive, and have structured our days to support this. We also have 20-minute consultations for some patients, so there is no need to rush with new or more complicated cases. We are a sociable team who enjoy spending time together, both inside and outside of work. Whether it\’s a practice meeting with pizza or a more ambitious challenge like cycling 100 km to raise money for Hounds for Heroes, we\’re always up for an adventure. We\’re also big supporters of various charities, hosting events like coffee and cake mornings and selling masks to support the Air Ambulance. Situated near the beautiful countryside of Shropshire and Staffordshire, our location has the best of both worlds, being just within 20 minutes of Birmingham but a short ride to the amazing Shropshire hills. It also has great transport links and is just 15 mins from the motorway network, taking you all over the UK. We offer Salary of £36,000 to £55,000, depending on experience 5 weeks\’ holidays plus bank holidays, or a day off in lieu if worked No OOH after 7 p.m. (inpatient care only) Flexible CPD allowance, certificates funded and supported, Professional fees paid for RCVS and VDS Temporary accommodation if relocating, plus a potential relocation bonus Visas sponsored If you would like to enjoy working with our close-knit, supportive team, please call us for an informal chat or apply now! #J-18808-Ljbffr