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White Cross Vets Front Of House Team Are Going For Gold
1 year ago 
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A total of 80 members of the White Cross Vets team are working towards Accredited Veterinary Receptionist Awards, having become members of the scheme that helps them to develop a unique set of skills, whilst gaining accredited qualifications.
The Accredited Veterinary Receptionist Award (Companion Animal) has bronze, silver and gold levels, and is available to members of the British Veterinary Receptions Association (BVRA). White Cross Vets pays for membership of the BVRA for all its client care coordinators and veterinary care assistants.
Site operations support manager, Rachel Hill, from White Cross Vets, which has 21 UK practices, said: “Our front of house team are often the heroes of our practices and have lots to juggle from managing appointments to being the first point of contact in emergency situations. They also regularly deal with the emotion that’s involved when pets are ill. Any additional help and support is beneficial to them, and we’ve encouraged them all to participate in these accreditations.
“In total 56 members of our team have achieved their bronze level accreditation, and another 12 are working towards it. Of these, 28 are now working towards silver and four have already achieved it. We also have two team members that have passed the highest gold level accreditation. Any new members of our team have the option of becoming a member of the BVRA and can then access the organisation’s fabulous training programmes.
“Adding to this, BVRA members can complete the Competent Veterinary Dispenser Award, giving them the knowledge regarding how veterinary medicines are handled and dispensed according to the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2011. This is relevant as many veterinary surgeons who prescribe the veterinary medicines delegate the processes of acquiring, storing and dispensing them to non-clinical colleagues, which will improve efficiency within our practices.
“We understand the value of continued professional development and are always keen to work with our colleagues to maximise their potential by providing help and support through learning and development, which is why we set this up last year. This month the membership is providing access to even more new courses, so it’s a great time to join and we’re excited to see where it takes us.”
Nina Holbrook, who has achieved a gold level qualification, said: “I found the courses really informative and helpful. They made me even more aware of the importance of understanding and communicating with customers and I would definitely recommend them.”
Christina Ganley, who has also achieved a gold level qualification, said: “Having completed the bronze and silver award I was excited to start the gold award. It is a more in-depth course that allowed me to recognise and share my own in practice experiences. It covers all aspects of working in a veterinary practice and I have certainly learnt a lot from it.
“The course brings out your feelings, looks at different ways of dealing with challenging scenarios, and it ensures that you are capable of resolving any problems that might occur in the best possible way. The course is very beneficial and I have learnt lots of valuable lessons through all three awards. I know I will practise the new things I have learnt and I feel proud to be working towards gold and earning even more recognition for the years I have worked as a veterinary receptionist.”
The bronze programme includes five hours of webinars, which are based around the key 'contact times’ within the client journey, as well as covering the essential knowledge and skills veterinary receptionists need to know about working in veterinary practice.
The silver programme can only be completed once the bronze level has been achieved. Where the bronze level explores the scope of customer service areas that every practice should consider and master, the silver level helps receptionists and practice managers define their actual policies and protocols with respect to each area covered. The course is made up of 100 worksheets. The gold level then takes this to the next level and covers five areas, which are bereavement and condolences, information and communication technology, mental health and wellbeing, a guide to conduct and contribution as well as managing challenging situations.
White Cross Vets, which is part of IVC Evidensia, has been caring for pets for 80 years. Established in West Yorkshire in 1937 it now employs a 350 strong team across 21 practices in the UK. For more information about White Cross Vets, visitwww.whitecrossvets.co.uk.
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