The clinic directors, head veterinary nurses and senior management team from family-owned independent veterinary group, Harrison Family Vets, have all enjoyed a training trip to Virbac and Nice on the French Riviera.
Veterinary Team Continue Their Development On The French Riviera
6 months ago 
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As part of its commitment to both team building and continued professional development (CPD), the clinic directors, head veterinary nurses and senior management team from family-owned independent veterinary group, Harrison Family Vets, have all enjoyed a training trip to Nice on the French Riviera.
Harrison Family Vets launched in 2021 and now has five practices in Woodley near Reading, Kingswinford in the West Midlands, Didsbury in South Manchester, Stockton-on-Tees near Middlesborough and Armthorpe in Doncaster.
During the three-day trip, the teams attended training sessions led by Harrison Family Vets’ directors Kristie Faulkner and James Harris, as well as experiencing a fascinating tour of Virbac’s headquarters and vaccine manufacturing facility, located outside Nice at Carros.
Virbac is now one of the world’s largest veterinary pharmaceutical groups, and hosted a presentation highlighting its principles around quality and family values, which also form the foundations of Harrison Family Vets.
In addition, the team enjoyed a guided tour of Monaco and a trip to Monte Carlo for a beautiful dinner at the Fairmont Hotel’s rooftop Horizon restaurant.
Kristie Faulkner, operations director at Harrison Family Vets, said: “This trip was hugely beneficial in terms of team building, strengthening bonds, CPD and cementing our culture and values amongst our vitally important leadership teams in each of our clinics.
“Crucially, it also sets the scene for the type of experiences we want to offer all our team members in the future, as we establish a reputation for being a great place to work and a leading employer in the veterinary industry.”
Laura Roberts, head veterinary nurse from Harrison Family Vets in Kingswinford, said: “I never could have imagined going to Monaco for CPD – what an amazing experience! It was a great chance to spend time with our directors and colleagues from other practices and getting to know them in a more relaxed setting and following the trip, it genuinely feels like I work with our directors, not for them.
“The CPD events were also excellent, offering a great insight into the workings of a successful practice and an opportunity for us to all share our visions for Harrison Family Vets. The Virbac team were great hosts, and seeing the workings of the vaccination production lines, as well as all the work that goes on into creating these drugs, was a unique opportunity and there’s no doubt everyone learnt a lot from it.”
Since its launch just over two years ago, Harrison Family Vets has had a big impact in the veterinary industry. The company’s Reading practice recently became the first outside North America to achieve the coveted ‘Fear Free Veterinary Practice Certification’ following a rigorous assessment and inspection process. The company’s other practices are now working towards the accreditation.
Four of the five practices have been named as Dog Friendly Clinics, which is a new scheme that was launched earlier this year by Dogs Trust and the British Veterinary Behaviour Association (BVBA). The Doncaster clinic will also soon secure this certification.
In another coup, Harrison Family Vets is a finalist in the Growing Business Awards in the Best Newcomer Medium Sized Business category. The awards are one of the most established and recognised of their kind, after honouring many of the UK’s most outstanding entrepreneurs and high-growth businesses since 1998. The winners will be announced at the end of this month at the Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square in London.
For further information about Harrison Family Vets visit https://www.harrisonfamilyvets.co.uk
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