Congleton Veterinary Centre, UK

Organisational background

Congleton is a well-established small-animal practice that was set up in 2008 to serve the local community. We joined IVC in 2012, when the company was still in its early inception, long before it evolved into IVC Evidensia.

Our staff, clients, and patients have really seen the benefits of being part of a large organisation, and the practice has benefited hugely in terms of infrastructure and equipment investment.

Organisation aims & mission

• We aim to provide exceptional veterinary care for our patients, whilst providing our clients with excellent customer care.
• Preventative care is a key practice ethos.
• Above all, we want staff to enjoy working together, and excel in their careers, and we provide many ways and means to make this possible.

• We care about our staff's mental health. All of our managers are Mental Health First Aiders, and following the pandemic, we introduced a lunchtime closure (1-2 pm each weekday), so that everyone can get a proper lunch and a break, which works really well.
• We value everyones' work-life balance, and as a result, all weekend shifts are compensated with TOIL that is structured into the rota.
• We appreciate the need for admin time during working hours, and so this, too, is structured into our working diary.
• Finally, our rota is scheduled on a quarterly basis, allowing staff to plan their time off well in advance, and work to live, rather than the other way around!

More than anything else, it's the people that we work with each day, both staff and clients, alike.

Based on the feedback from our team, the ideal employee needs to be

• Happy, approachable, and kind.
• Willing to work hard and support colleagues, and in turn, they will be treated the same.
• Be passionate about helping the practice to maintain its high standards, and continue to develop this in the future.
• Above all, be an excellent team player, and have great communication skills.