Job Title: MO7 Taskforce Kennel Staff - Dog Training Establishment
Salary: £23,903 to £25,835 plus a 12.5% Shift Disturbance Allowance and a Location allowance of £1,639. You will receive £23,903 the band minimum. Progress to the band maximum of £25,835 will be via incremental progression.
Location: Kent
The Metropolitan Police has approximately 320 dogs based at 6 key locations in North, South, East, and West London including the Dog Training Establishment.
Approximately 60% of MPS dogs are General Purpose Police Dogs and these are mainly German Shepherd Dogs or Belgian Malinois. The remaining 40% are Specialist Search dogs and these are mainly English Springer Spaniels, Labradors and Cocker Spaniels. Operational Dogs typically reside in the Police Officer handlers’ home.
The role of the Dog Support Unit is to provide 24 hour specialist dog support across the 32 London Boroughs. The MPS dogs perform a variety of policing support roles; dogs are trained to locate suspects and property, giving support to borough colleagues at public order incidents; firearms, drugs and cash recovery, being included in pro-active crime initiatives. They can also search for explosives and human remains.
All dogs are trained at the Dog Training Establishment (DTE). It holds its place as one of the world’s foremost police and service dog training facilities. Its breeding programme has evolved to such an extent that it produces dogs of various breeds, used not only by the Metropolitan Police, but by other police services and agencies from around the UK and around the globe. New and innovative training methods in the world of explosive and narcotic detection are continually pioneered by the instructional staff and the standard of both dog and student is of the highest calibre available anywhere.
Kennel Staff play in essential role within the Dog Support Unit. You will be looking after Operational Police Dogs when handlers take annual leave or are absent for other reasons.
The primary role is to look after the health and welfare of all dogs in your care; you will be working as part of a small team where excellent communication skills are essential.
This is a physical and demanding role and you will be working in sometimes extreme weather conditions.
You will be responsible for the feeding, grooming and exercising of Police Dogs; administrating dog medication as prescribed by the vet; cleaning kennels and surrounding areas; clearing dog excrement from exercise areas and kennels; general housekeeping; assisting in the dog school veterinary consulting room; accurate completion of daily kennel logs and veterinary treatment; whelping of brood bitches. You will also be taking care of our Brood Bitches and young puppies from birth onwards and may be involved in training exercises under the supervision of accredited Instructors.
You will be working shifts, generally 06:30hrs - 14:30hrs or 14:00hrs - 22:00hrs to cover kennel duties 365 days a year. You will be expected to work Bank Holidays including Christmas Day and Boxing Day (depending on how your shift pattern falls each year). There may be occasions when leave is restricted on operational grounds (usually during summer months and school holidays).
There is also an expectation that you will be willing to work occasional night duties (22:00hrs to 06:30hrs) when we have a whelping brood bitch.
Application
Following the initial sift your application will be assessed against the role criteria. If successful at this stage, we will contact you regarding an interview date.
The interview will be a competency-based interview and questions will be posed around the criteria for the role in question, as set out in the advert and information pack.
If successful at interview you will be required to attend and successfully complete a two-day suitability assessment of working with large working Police dogs within the kennels at the Dog Training Establishment.
Additional Information
This role is currently under-represented within the black and minority ethic and male candidate, and we would welcome applications from these groups. Final selection to the post will solely be based on merit.
Please note that the role is based at the Metropolitan Police Dog Training Establishment, Layhams Road, Keston, Kent, BR2 6AR and there is no direct access to public transport.
Please click on the below link to view an online candidate information pack that will you give you an insight into the Met, the competency framework we use which shapes our daily work behaviours, the application process and a host of other information, that will help inform and support your application:
https://sscl-innovation.com/MPScandidatepack/
Click the apply now button below and start your career at the Met. Applications will be via a Personal Statement and online application form. Your personal statement should outline why you are interested in the role and how your skills and experience demonstrate your suitability for the role.
Completed applications must be submitted by 26th May 2022.
We view diversity as fundamental to our success. To tackle today’s complex policing challenges, we need a workforce made up from all of London’s communities. Applications from across the community are therefore essential.
As a Disability Confident Committed Employer the Met have committed to ensuring that disabled people and those with long-term health conditions have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations.
www.metpolicecareers.co.uk
