Blank Employer Questionnaire
- Have there been any changes that have occurred to the business and the industry over the last five years?
- What changes are foreseen for the next five years?
- Discuss why the business/industry is changing.
- Are you pleased with the progress of the business since opening?
- If you could have done anything differently to the business, what would you have done?
- What made you interested in working with dogs?
- What made you interested in working with hydrotherapy?
- How did you get into the industry? (E.g. what qualifications, experiences and courses).
- If you or the company were to employ new staff, what qualities would you look for?
- What qualifications or experience would you expect a new employee to have?
Transcript of Employer Questionnaire
1. Have there been any changes that have occurred to the business and the industry over the last five years?
We have been open for eight years now and not a lot has changed within our business. Mainly different staff joining and leaving. The biggest change was when we had to replace our underwater treadmill. Our old one was getting outdated and we kept getting a lot of problems with it. We now have one that’s more modern and easier to use. As regards to the industry, hydrotherapy has and is becoming a growing business.
2. What changes are foreseen for the next five years?
We want to continue to expand our client base as much as we possibly can. I am also planning to retire within the next few years. I will still look in on the business but will obviously employ another full time employee to help Zara run the business.
3. Discuss why the business/industry is changing.
Where animals are getting more popular as pets such as dogs, more problems are becoming known to humans. We have experimented with many ways to help these health conditions and hydrotherapy is a fairly new concept. But more and more people are becoming familiar with it now in this modern day.
4. Are you pleased with the progress of the business since opening?
Very pleased. Our client base seems to be growing every year since opening and we hope this continues further into the future.
5. If you could have done anything differently to the business, what would you have done?
If anything I may have made my establishment bigger at the time of construction so we could have more than one session happening at one time. This may have helped with expanding the client base.
6. What made you interested in working with dogs?
A lifetime interest in dogs and breeding Labradors. Also the concept of an exciting retirement project.
7. What made you interested in working with hydrotherapy?
A big interest in the value of swimming for humans which I thought could be transferrable to dogs. After never breeding dogs with genetic joint or health problems myself, I developed a keen interest in the rehabilitation of dogs through hydrotherapy rather than using medication.
8. How did you get into the industry? (E.g. what qualifications, experiences and courses).
I shadowed many centres to gain experience and to witness good and bad practice. I then did the original qualifications at West Coast and obtained the top qualification of its kind. I complete annual CPD and canine first aid to ensure my patients receive the top care.
9. If you or the company were to employ new staff, what qualities would you look for?
Someone with a close infinity with dogs and a good understanding of their needs. Initially experience is not necessary but enthusiasm for helping and caring for dogs is vital.
10. What qualifications or experience would you expect a new employee to have?
We can provide important hands on experience in hydrotherapy but would expect the student to obtain a level 3 qualification in hydrotherapy. Experience within hydrotherapy is not necessary but it is hugely beneficial for students to be able to relate to dogs.
Reflective Overview
Hydrotherapy for small animals is something that has never been considered by myself as a career that I would like to experience. Previous choices of placements have varied including veterinary practices, kennel work, wildlife rehabilitation and stable work. All these different placements have benefited me however; again I wanted to try something different to further widen my experience and knowledge. Top dog canine hydrotherapy has given me that different experience during my work placement and has benefited me in several ways.
Was the placement beneficial?
I am still un-decided on what career I want to pursue once I finish the degree. Trying a placement which I have never had an experience of benefited me as this gave me an idea whether or not this would be an option. After completing my time at top dog hydrotherapy, it has shown me that if the opportunity came up to train as a hydrotherapist or a different role within the same industry, I would be interested to pursue it and see where it takes me.
Due to the nature of the industry, particularly at top dog, the sessions for the clients are very one to one with their owners. This benefited me hugely as I am not the most confident person when it comes to talking to new people every day. I was given the opportunity to discuss the client’s problems with their owners and ask them questions about their dog’s lifestyle which boosted my confidence dramatically very quickly while on placement. This was good practice for me as if I want to go into an animal career public speaking is usually included within the job role.
Where this was a job role that was new to me, this placement benefited me because I was able to learn new skills on the job and experience new roles and equipment that I had never used before. The experience is always beneficial as mentioned previously this would be an added bonus if I wanted to pursue a career in canine hydrotherapy. However, building on and learning new skills is also beneficial to me as this looks good on my CV and I can apply these new learned skills to over animal related roles.
What skills were developed?
A skill which was completely new to me that I learned while on my placement was how to use hydrotherapy equipment. The equipment used in hydrotherapy is very specialised and is changing all the time in the modern day. At top dog hydrotherapy they have an underwater treadmill which is controlled by a panel. The information needs to be typed in manually for each individual. Once completed a few times, handling the client while controlling the treadmill at the same time was also accomplished. This skill improves my employment prospects mainly within the small animal hydrotherapy industry as it shows I have experienced and gained the skill of learning and controlling this piece of equipment un-supervised. Not only in this particular industry, it shows I am able to learn and gain more experience on other similar equipment used in other animal related industries.
Next, a skill which I developed further while on my placement was my animal handling skills. After working with dogs before in various industries, handling these dogs in this different environment was not only a new experience for me but also helped develop my skill in restraining and handling this species. An example of this would be when we were preparing a client for their session. If we had a particularly over excited dog they would need more restraint to be showered safely. Applying the knowledge I already had of restraining dogs, this was developed as I was able to do this on various size dogs and various species. This skill is one that can always be developed while working with animals but already having the experience in which I have gained improves my employment prospects within the animal industry. This shows that I have handled various sized species within different working environments giving me an advantage in a job role that may include handling or restraint.
Lastly, a skill that I developed further while on my placement which I can also continue to develop in the future is my communication skills. As mentioned previously, within this particular industry there is a lot of one to one communication with the client’s owner. This is because the owner is always present during the client’s session. The employees at top dog like this one to one communication as it helps to make the client more comfortable and lets top dog get to know who they’re working with. In the future, if I do any more placements, volunteering roles or in a career there is a high chance there will be customers or clients that I will come into contact with. Further developing this skill improves my employment prospects as the more experience I have in handling varied situations with clients or customers the more I can apply this to my career.