Company

Pet People Vets

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  • Sectors Business , Industry (Animal Health)
  • Posted Jobs 0
  • Flexible work environment We offer flexible working for those in the clinic who may have administrative roles.
  • Support for global candidates/visas We support the relocation of candidates from abroad and their visa sponsorship.
  • Remote/work from home Available for certain non-clinical positions.
  • Benefits A multitude of benefits including compressed working week, employee share scheme and unlimited CPD!
  • Company overview

    Pet People are an independent clinic owned by directors Dr Ian Stroud, Aphra Brandreth and Francesca Verney. Pet People originated  from a small business idea around Ian’s kitchen table and the clinic started in Ian’s back garden summer house at the back end of COVID. It was a delight to finally move in to the brand new purpose-built clinic in November 2021 and the team began to grow from there.

    Since then the practice has attained over 2000 pets on our books and over 15 members of staff from a range of backgrounds. There was a large shift of clients who moved over to Pet People as they were unsatisfied with some of the care and treatment their pets where receiving and were after something better- that’s where we come in.

  • Company values

    Proactive
    We use proactive care to maintain wellness, rather than just react to illness. We also take great care of ourselves and colleagues because happy people make happy pets. We combine pioneering technology with our years of expertise (and lots of cuddles of course) to deliver first-class care, maximise health, minimise pain and reduce stress.

    Innovative
    We have great connections with some of the best specialists in the country which offers more options for pet care that reach beyond the conventional remit of a opinion practice. More recently, with the launch of our Pet People Pro service, we have joined forces with a fantastic team of specialist peripatetic veterinary surgeons and nurses from ProVetSurg to provide a unique and holistic approach to the treatment of elbow dysplasia and other orthopaedic and soft tissue conditions. Pet People Pro brings you referral-level treatment options without the need to transport pets to another clinic. We are offering outpatient CT and orthopaedic procedures to avoid referral in some cases where finances are limited.

    Local
    We’re proud to be part of the community and work closely with groomers, behaviourists, physiotherapists and 24h referral practices to improve the wellbeing of all local pets and wildlife. We regularly host events for our local businesses to harbour a relationship with other like-minded people who all want to help provide the best care for the pet’s of South west London. Regular visits to local schools in the area also take place to help inspire the younger generation and educate them about what vets really do.

    Personal
    Every pet is unique, so we treat them that way. Our personal approach means we really get to know our clients and their pets. We offering personalised wellness questionnaires, a (non-rushed) consultation and believe one paw print doesn’t fit all and therefore our approach should reflect just that. We want to identify risks and introduce preventative care as early as possible to ensure that pet leads a long and happy life.

  • What makes your organization a great place to work?

    If the non-crumbly practice and 4 day working week wasn’t already enough to draw you in, we’re more than happy to max out the character count on this one.

    So, what sets Pet People apart from the rest?

    You are listened to.

    First and foremost, we’re all about inclusivity and fostering a culture where everyone’s input is valued. Hosting monthly senior leadership meetings, we bring together the brains of the directors, and line managers to discuss our 4 C’s. Sadly they’re not crumpets, croissants, coffee and crudités.

    Our four C’s are client, commercial, customer and clinical. We discuss all areas of clinic life to ensure the business is moving in the right direction and we aren’t dropping the ball on anything (much to our canine friends disappointment). We believe in a collaborative approach, ensuring that every team member has a say in the development and growth of our practice. The hosting of our monthly M+M meetings also invited an opportunity for team to discuss important cases that went well or areas we may want to improve our approach differently in the future. We use VetSafe as a way of auditing our practice and harnessing a no-blame culture to develop our team and keep clinical standards as high as possible.

    Bringing referral treatment options to opinion practice

    Our commitment to excellence extends to the surgical realm. We work closely with exceptional peripatetic surgeons to ensure that our clients receive nothing but the best care possible. This collaboration enables us to offer cutting-edge surgical procedures and expertise, providing our clients with peace of mind and the highest level of care for their pets.

    Where necessary we also work closely with the Virtual Veterinary Specialists (VVS).The VVS digital platform makes it possible to have real-time live interactions with Veterinary Specialists, enabling us to access specialist knowledge and advice for our patients wherever and whenever we need it.

    This is convenient for our clients, less stressful for our patients, as they remain in the familiar surroundings of your clinic and means more efficient treatment planning.

    Furthermore, our practice is unique in its ability to provide comprehensive veterinary care all under one roof. Thanks to our close relationships with orthopaedic, soft tissue, and cardiac specialists, we can offer our clients referral-level treatment options right here at Pet People. This means that clients and their pets can access a wide range of specialised care without the need for external referrals, making the process smoother and more convenient for all parties involved.

    Fantastic, loyal and friendly client base

    We boast a dedicated and loyal client base with over 2000 pets registered with us since opening in November 2021 ensuring a steady stream of interesting cases and opportunities for professional growth. Our clients want the best for their patients, many of them have insurance which assists us with offering a fuller ranage of options for our patients.

    Not ‘just’ a Veterinary Nurse

    One of our core strengths lies in our dedication to our nursing team. At Pet People, we empower our nursing professionals to reach their full potential. You’ll have access to excellent training and a clear path for career progression. We invest in your growth and development because we know that a strong, skilled nursing team is essential for providing top-notch care to our clients and their beloved pets. One of our veterinary nurses Tabitha has undertaken her schedule 3 qualification meaning she is confidently taking on stitch-ups, lump removal and tail amputations. This not only empowers her as an RVN but also alleviates some pressure on the ops board.

    Experienced, enthusiastic and well-staffed team.

    Our team is comprised of  3 Customer Care advisors responsible for making our client and patient journey through the clinic as hospitable as possible. From offering tea and coffee and a copy of our own clinic magazine for them to flick through whilst waiting (not very long) for their appointment, we want our clients and their pets to feel at home. Our separate cat waiting area also offers a calm and quiet area for our feline patients to wait away from the stress and noise of dogs sticking their noses in the carriers.

    Our excellent nursing team is made up of five RVN’s- yep you heard it right, two student nurses and one animal care assistant. Our nurses are always on hand to assist with consultations, dental x-rays and scaling and polishing a pet’s teeth when you probably have severe hand cramps from your 2-hour cat dental and want to throw yourself out the window. Not only that, they’re a shoulder to (hopefully not) cry on. Our team are very close and work to encourage and support each other wherever we can.

    New, innovative and (actually functioning) equipment- Hallelujah!

    In terms of equipment, we spare no expense. Our clinic is equipped with a CT scanner, laparoscopic equipment, a dedicated sterile theatre, and a specialised dental suite with X-rays to ensure that you have the tools you need to excel in your role. Our clinic also offers hot-desking areas for our customer care and the rest of the team so they can choose a space to work in depending on what they need to do. Vets may want a quiet space to write up their notes or work through some travel documents (boring). Let’s be honest, trying to file insurance claims whilst a client at reception is telling you all about their dog’s anal glands really isn’t a vibe! We have plenty of places you can hide to do your work, don’t worry!

    A few little things that make a big difference.

    • A team huddle every morning to discuss the day’s plans, highlight any potential obstacles and make a strategic plan to make the day run as efficiently as possible.
    • We are actively working towards becoming a cat-friendly clinic, with a separate cat clinic area and plans for ISFM cat-friendly certification in the near future.
    • Let’s not forget the little creature comforts – we offer a bean-to-cup coffee machine to keep you energised and ready to tackle the day. (Sometimes we even get GAILS beans!- result!)
    • Your birthday off- because who wants to be at work when they should be eating birthday cake in bed.
    • Practice events such as art classes, yoga, socials (we did rock climbing last time which was equal measures fun and terrifying –if you can describe fun as seeing your teammates in (slightly restrictive) climbing harnesses.
    • Shorter working week so our team does a 4-day working week to maximise productivity on days in the clinic and unwind and relax when on your day off and focus on your hobbies.
    • Last but not least, Pet People is part-employee owned, giving you a stake in the success of our practice. Your dedication and hard work directly contribute to the growth and prosperity of our clinic.

    In summary, Pet People offers a unique and fulfilling veterinary career opportunity. We’re not just a veterinary practice; we’re a community committed to providing exceptional care and fostering professional growth.

    Join us in providing the best possible care for our clients and their beloved pets.

  • Describe an ideal employee at your organization

    Tabitha is an RVN and our Pet People Marketing Manager. She has dedicated time to work on her marketing for the practice and is encouraged to attend webinars and courses to further her skillset in this area. She works a 4-day week with 10 hour days to allow a full day off where she always remains busy because that’s the kind of person she is. She also does some of her marketing work from home to allow her space from the clinic to focus on the marketing strategy and making those all important instagram reels!

    She loves her clinical work and wears her individualised unicorn scrub hat proudly around the clinic from lap-spay to ultrasound to TPLO. She loves the clinic social events such as yoga and art class but with her compressed hours rota and 1 in 6 weekends, she does have the headspace to step away from the demands of the profession. She’s got access to a gym membership, cycle-to-work scheme and many other perks and she’s been part of the design group for the new staffroom which will have a wellness focus that we hope differs from the standard dog-haired sofa and TV combo.

    Tabitha is a Pet People Person.

  • Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives you have

    We are an equal opportunities employer and are actively building a diverse team. We also treat everyone as an equal, setting goals and working together as a unified team to make important decisions and shape the future of the business.

  • Sustainability initiatives you have in the workplace

    As the demand for a more sustainable way of life as a business becomes more pressing, at Pet People we try to do as much as we can to make our business sustainable. Our team have their own surgical scrub hats which not only reduces the need to use disposable ones but also allows the team to show a bit of their personality. We have pandas, unicorns, ninja turtles, you name it, it’s probably on someones scrub hat.

    Our cycle-to-work scheme also encourages a more carbon negative way of travelling around London and encourages our team members to think more sustainably when getting too and from work.

    Sustainability is an important component in the way we serve our customers – we recognise that the way we operate as a business gives us the opportunity to practise what we preach.

    We are on our journey to be net zero within our own operations and have started to procure 100% renewable electricity as part of this.

    Our team are empowered to make sustainable choices such as through our cycle-to-work scheme or through the use of multi-use surgical scrub hats which serves to reduce our waste footprint.

    We only work with companies whose ethics align with ours – it is important to us that our supply chain is just as sustainable as we are!

  • Structured career progression initiatives at the workplace

    We value every member of our team and the individual strengths they bring. We are committed to lifelong personal development through training, coaching and experiential learning, to ensure our team achieves great things and thrives in a positive environment.

    New graduate training scheme

    We know how intimidating stepping foot in a practice is as a newly graduate vet or nurse. Years worth of scrawling notes hanging out of your perfectly organised bag you nervously packed the night before, name badge on upside down- we get it, it can be A LOT!

    That’s why at Pet People, in order to help out new graduates take their first step in to practice, we are proud to be working with the RCVS as part of their Veterinary Graduate Development Programme (VetGDP).

    The programme aims to support new grads in practice by building their confidence with simple, straightforward tasks, and gradually moving through to more complex tasks as their knowledge and experience grows.

    Mentorship
    New graduates on the Vet GDP scheme will be partnered with another veterinary surgeon in practice who is responsible for supporting them and overseeing their training. Our fantastic student veterinary nurses are buddied up with a qualified RVN who is their clinical coach in practice. Regular meetings take place between mentors and their students to ensure they are being challenged, have goals to work towards and feel supported. Wellness Action Plans (WAPs) are also used to ensure mental health of that individual is also being considered and a plan to manage their mental wellbeing also and give them the tools to take on any challenges that might come their way.

    Performance management
    For new employees they will have a review after one week, one month, three months, 6 months and one year. This means regular check ins take place and open and honest conversations are encouraged. Existing staff they will have a 6 month and annual review. Before review meetings a feedback form is filled out which highlights goals, feedback and areas for improvement.

  • Workplace certifications or affiliations (AAHA, Blend, MCVMA, BVEDS, Pride, Flexee, Vetmums/DVMom owned BIPOC owned, LGBTIQIA2SL+ owned
    • RCVS Vet GDP Programme
    • West London business awards winner for health and wellbeing
    • Richmond business award winner in multiple categories
    • RCVS accredited training practice

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