Deane Vets, UK

Organisational background

Originally established as a mixed practice at the dawn of time, we moved to our purpose-built site in the ‘80’s but don’t worry, the clinical areas have been overhauled and refurbished more recently! We continued as a mixed practice until June ’21 when our varied ‘baby-grads’ all flew the coop, the client base of the small animals overtook the large animals and we didn’t have the large animal caseload to develop expertise for the newer vets.

We are looking to continue to develop and grow our small animal practice with quality, compassionate client and pet care. Once fully staffed & back on track we would like to offer people the opportunity to undertake further training in their own areas of interest including completing certificates, or focussed CPD.

Organisation aims & mission

Teamwork and support are key.

We aim to keep our independent practice atmosphere while ticking all the boxes required for corporate practice. It’s difficult to put on paper how team-focused we are without making it sound like we don’t give two hoots about the clients

Why not come and meet us – spend a morning or stay FOREVER…..

Above all, we are a family. We work closely together and value input from ALL members of the team, no matter what level of experience or role within the practice. We try at all times to keep morale high and aim to have fun in our down time where possible, from pub outings, to Go-Ape and GavFest2.0 (see definition in small print). We love to celebrate team members achievements and we have all made life long friends. There is always someone to take you under their wing so you won’t feel like a newbie for long.

Small print: GavFest2.0 was a celebration of the working life of a colleague who abandoned us to the big smoke of Bristol – there was cider in boxes, barbequed meat, a chocolate fountain, party games, an ICE CREAM VAN with vodka slushies and copious amounts of rain. We aim to repeat this experience minus the rain…

We have a brilliant team of vets and nurses, a great attitude to team working and supported learning. We all pitch in and you’ll never be abandoned if you’re having a shit time.

We are a democracy and we aim to ensure everyone feels equally valued.

Our ‘liquid list’ is always personalised & up to date and our coffee cupboard full. Each individual is assigned a personalised mug by their first Christmas (so join before then!). There’s always endless amount of munch provided almost exclusively by one of our CDs. On special occasions, we have been known to partake in a celebratory tipple and there’s always at least one enabler on a ‘bad day’ when you’re super busy and need a food fix (Eat The Bird, McDonald’s, KFC and Dominos all deliver! And we’re next to a Majestic Wine if it’s been REALLY bad!)

Location, location, location – if you’re into your outdoor pursuits there’s opportunities a plenty – Taunton is a large town but the surrounding areas very quickly become countryside with The Blackdowns, The Quantocks and Exmoor on your doorstep. We are only a short car journey from Bristol or Exeter or even the lovely South Devon coasts and Cornwall – all close enough for a day trip to the beach. There’s great train links (with London only taking 2 hours) and 2 airports within a 45-minute drive.

Life outside of work - We have a keen rower and Morris dancer, many equine enthusiasts, gym enthusiasts, walkers, working dogs and an amateur dramatics extraordinaire (also, foodies and cider drinkers, with more farmhouse cider producers locally than you can shake a stick at!)

Teamwork and support are key. We aim to keep our independent practice atmosphere while ticking all the boxes for required for corporate practice. It’s difficult to put on paper how team-focused we are without making it sound like we don’t give two hoots about the clients – so come and meet us – spend a morning or stay FOREVER…..

• We are looking for an individual who is willing to join our family and integrate into the team.
• A sense of humour (preferably dark at times) is a must. They must be able to join in with banter and cope with the fact that our nursing team is incredibly knowledgeable and proactive and are expected by other team members to give input on cases.
• We don’t have an archaic hierarchy and we prefer a whole team approach to patient care.

This is what vet Phoebe thinks.

“As a new graduate in 2017, I received two job offers. One was in the city, the perfect location where all my friends and partner lived, and the other was Deane Vets.

One hour into my trial day at Deane and I knew that this was where I wanted to be. The Deane team were all incredibly welcoming to a slightly shy new graduate, as I worked with them further I realised just how lucky I was to have found them.

The support offered to a new graduate was incredible. Tim, one of the clinical directors, was an amazing mentor. Hayley, who is now a senior vet, also offered a high level of support in day-to-day practice and much-needed pearls of wisdom.

The nursing team are the backbone of the practice and the most incredible group of people I've ever met. As a new grad they offered unending support and confidence-boosting, somehow always making it seem like it was my idea all along! They are all incredibly skilled at their work and able to tackle emergencies and the mundane without breaking a sweat.

If I could have uprooted the whole practice to Bristol, or moved the whole of Bristol to Deane Vets I would have done it in a heartbeat. Deane Vets would have been a job for life, if I hadn't had to make the move to Bristol.

If you have the chance to interview or have a day in practice at Deane then I would highly recommend it. They tick all the boxes and I wish I could have stayed forever!”