About the Role
This is a permanent, full-time position offering genuine flexibility to suit your lifestyle. You'll work typical hours of 8:30amā6:30pm across four days per week, with the option to discuss five shorter days if that works better for you. Best of all: no weekends, no out-of-hours shifts. If variety appeals to you, there are also opportunities to work across the practice's Summercourt site.
You'll join a well-equipped, spacious practice in Blackwood, South Wales, where the clinical environment includes four consultation rooms (one brand new), dedicated cat and dog kennels with separate waiting areas, a modern cattery, theatre and prep room, laparoscopic equipment, ultrasound, digital and dental X-ray facilities, an Idexx lab, and multi-parameter monitoring. The teamāsix vets, eight RVNs, one SVN, and four receptionistsāis collaborative, supportive, and many colleagues hold or are working toward certificates in Feline Medicine, Anaesthesia, Dentistry, and Emergency & Critical Care.
This is a practice built on genuine care; Summerwood Vets has grown from a single consultation room in the 1960s to ten practices across South Wales, all underpinned by a commitment to clinical excellence and staff wellbeing.
Key Responsibilities
- Deliver high-quality small animal clinical care in a supportive, multi-disciplinary team environment
- Collaborate with colleagues (six vets, eight RVNs, one SVN) to achieve the best clinical outcomes for patients
- Work confidently with a range of cases across the practice's modern facilities, including surgical and diagnostic equipment
- Communicate effectively with clients and team members
- Contribute to the supportive, professional development culture of the practice
Requirements
- Registered Veterinary Surgeon (RCVS)
- Confident communicator with collaborative approach to patient care
- Passion for veterinary medicine and high clinical standards
- Experience level: confident communicator with collaborative approach; all experience levels welcome
Benefits
- Work-Life Balance: 6.6 weeks' holiday including bank holidays, plus your birthday off; enhanced family-friendly leave and pay; 24/7 confidential Employee Assistance Programme
- Professional Development: £1,250 CPD allowance plus 40 hours paid CPD; access to Certificate and advanced learning support; Vetlexicon online resources; world-leading IVC Evidensia Training Centres; £1,250 annual Care Fund per vet
- Professional Memberships: BVA membership, VDS cover, and RCVS fees all covered
- Wellbeing & Perks: Private medical insurance; Cycle to Work and Green Car schemes (eligibility applies); retail discounts and cashback offers; reduced-cost veterinary care for your own pets
- Welcome Bonus: Up to £5,000 welcome bonus
About the Practice
Summerwood Vets is part of the Summerhill Group, established in the 1960s as a family-run practice committed to providing affordable, high-quality veterinary care to South Wales. The group now operates ten practices across the region. The Blackwood surgery has been extended multiple times and features state-of-the-art facilities including digital imaging, ultrasound, endoscopy equipment, air-conditioned recovery rooms, and an in-house laboratory for tissue and blood analysis.
The practice is part of IVC Evidensia, a global network of over 2,500 clinics and hospitals across 20 countries, employing around 41,000 people and caring for approximately 25,000 animals daily. Guided by the shared purpose of 'Healthy Animals, Happy Owners', the group is dedicated to long-term animal health and welfare.