The Animals in Distress charity in partnership with Oakwood Court College provide an ideal and safe location for students to experience Animal Care.

The partnership allows the students to work at the charity’s animal sanctuary so that they can develop the skills that will enable them to work in this setting and similar settings in the future.

All first years will undertake Animal Care as part of their ‘Vocational Tasters’. The course has also been offered to second and third years who have identified Animal Care as a preferred vocational route.

Other partnerships are being formed to allow the students to expand their experience  of working with animals, to date this includes placements at a local stables and a local zoo.

Overview:The College has a partnership with the charity Animals in Distress and Oakwood Stables. Through this partnership the College’s students attend work placements at the Charity’s sanctuary & at Oakwood stables, where they undertake a variety of animal care based tasks.

Objectives:

• To develop general and specific employability skills.

• To develop vocational skills in animal care.

Anticipated Outcomes

• The students will improve their ability to demonstrate a number of key general employability skills.

• The students will improve their ability to demonstrate a number of specific employability skills.

• The students will improve their ability to demonstrate a number of key vocational skills in animal care.

Embedded Functional Skills
The member of staff identifies which of the student’s SMART targets can be addressed during the session and embeds them as appropriate within the session.

• Access to the course is open to all students who attend Oakwood Court College, providing their behaviour does not impinge on their/colleagues health and safety.

• The course is able to meet 20 of the 28 descriptors outlined within the Every Child Matters strategy.

• In-house accreditation:

• Students work towards objectives set by the College.
  
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  External Accreditation:

• • ASDAN’s Towards Independence (Animal Care) – Pre Entry.

  • NPTC’s Skills for Working Life (Animal Care) – Entry 2 and 3.

  • City and Guilds NVQ 1 in Animal Care.

  • City and Guilds NVQ 2 in Animal Care.

Detail:

• In-house accreditation focuses on employability skills, which generally fall under the following sub headings:

  • Punctuality.

  • Appearance.

  • Attitude to work.

  • Effort.

  • Behaviour.

  • Communication skills.

  • Awareness of health and safety.

  • Relations with colleagues.

  • Independence.

  • Work rate.
    
    

• External accreditation: ASDAN’s Towards Independence:

  • Choosing a pet.

  • Preparing the housing for animals.

  • Feeding and health care.

  • Keeping the animals clean.

  • Grooming.

  • Giving the animals an interesting environment.

  • Animal and handler safety.

  • Training.

  • Caring for an animal during the holidays.
    
    

• External accreditation: NPTC’s Skills for Working Life (Animal Care and Horse Care at Entry 2):

  • Recognise small animals

  • Recognise parts of the body of small animals

  • Recognise types of animal housing and bedding for small animals

  • Assist with cleaning of animal housing

  • Recognise types of foods and feed small animals
    

  • Recognise Colours, Markings and Points of the Horse

  • Skip out a stable

  • Provide Food and Water

  • Groom a Horse

  • Recognise Tack
    

• External accreditation: NPTC’s Skills for Working Life (Animal Care and Horse Care at Entry 3):

  • Recognise Types and Parts of the Body of Small Animals

  • Assist with catching and restraining a small animal

  • Check that a Small Animal is Healthy

  • Groom a Small Animal

  • Show Visitors around a Small Animal Enterprise
    

  • Catch and Lead a Horse

  • Recognise signs of health in a horse

  • Fit and Remove a Rug

  • Saddle and Bridle a Horse

  • Clean Tack

  • External accreditation: Level 1 and 2 NVQ in Animal Care:

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