• Minimum Welfare and Operational Standards Assessment Form

    This form is the property of ADCH. It may only be used by members or prospective members and must not be copied or forwarded to other individuals or organisations

  • About the Assessment

  • Dear Assessors

    Thank you for carrying out an assessment on behalf of ADCH.

    Please ensure you have provided information on any areas of scoring less than full compliance in the comments boxes which appear below, include your reason for scoring and what actions the rescue should take to remedy (where known).

    Pictures are always welcome and there is space to upload these at the end of the form (or can be separately emailed to the staff team). These are particularly useful in areas that are not yet fully compliant

    Once you have submitted this form, you will be directed to fill in your assessment report and recommendations. Please complete this as soon as possible so that your feedback can be incorporated to the reporting to ADCH's Standards and Animal Welfare Committee. 

    Thank you once again

  • How to complete this form

    1. Start by completing details of the assessment below, in section 1 including how the rescue operates. This will ensure you are only given relevant standards to score.

    2. The assessment form is divided into topics. Each topic includes a series of requirements. Assess the rescue against each requirement. For more information or guidance on individual standards, please see the full Minimum Welfare and Operational Standards document. 

    3. If you score a standard as partially compliant, or non-compliant, you will be given a comments box to give more details. Please use this to tell us the reason for this score, and plans to develop or improve the level of compliance.  

    4. Members carrying out self-assessments can enter any general commments in section 3.

    5. When you complete your submission, you will not be able to submit it until you have entered all of your scores and made any comments on areas of less than full compliance. There is no option to score a standard as 'not applicable', however you are able to mark where your rescue does not care for animals in certain circumstances and remove the scoring requirement from your total. This ensures that organisations that carry out the same work are assessed equally.

     

    Not ready to fill out your whole assessment form right now?

    If you would like a printed copy to physically walk round your premises or discuss with colleagues, please follow this link to use our planning tool to create a custom document for use, before filling out your submission on this form.

     

    A note on scoring

    A score of 2 points will be given when the rescue always and fully meets the requirement. A score of 1 point will be given when the rescue partially meets or is progressing towards full compliance with the requirement. No points are awarded when the requirement is not currently met at all. No points are marked or deducted when selecting instances where a standard cannot apply (e.g. a cat rescue who does not care for feral cats).

    A target, maximum, score for the rescue will be generated at the bottom of the form once all the standards have been scored. This maximum score is calculated based on scoring 2 points for all standards which apply. When completing the rescue information this form will adapt to only require you to score on standards which apply to your circumstances. Your actual score will be calculated and shown next to the maximum target score.

    Standards relating to importation are currently scored separately if they apply. If the rescue does not have any importation activity you will not see this section.

  • Assessment date:*
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  • About the Rescue

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  • There is now a glossary available to help explain and expand on some of the common terms in ADCH's Minimum Welfare and Operational Standards. Where this is relevant you'll see a reference in the standard or guidance wording. You can find the full glossary in our Minimum Welfare and Operational Standards booklet, or by clicking on the dropdown below:

    • Glossary 

    • 1) ‘Sufficient number of people’ – Numeric ratios are not prescribed in these standards, as the individual animals being cared for can require different levels of care depending on their state of physical health, mental health, history and breeding. In calculating the people to animal ratio at any given time, consideration must be foremost given to ensuring that there is enough capacity between all people to be able to provide the five welfare needs (glossary 4) for every individual animal onsite, and any associated required activities such as cleaning and providing emergency and preventative healthcare within prescribed timescales. In addition to pet care on site there should be enough resource left to adequately support foster carers and the pets in their care as well as any assurance and assessing of pets being directly homed from one home to another. As the animal throughput changes, the organisation must reassess their supervision levels accordingly.

      Sufficient people will take account of all the animals and activities undertaken on the entire site, including the supervision of staff involved with other species owned or kept, boarding, and any other activities on the site.

      2) ‘People’ (associated with the organisation, does not include the public or adopters) – includes paid staff and volunteers

      3) ‘Competent’ – be able to demonstrate, through training records and work or volunteer experience, the ability to discern how to apply the five welfare needs (glossary 4) to all animals under their care

      4) ‘Welfare needs’ – each individual animal cared for by the organisation must have its five welfare needs met. They are:
      The need for a suitable environment
      The need for a suitable diet
      The need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns
      The need to be housed with, or apart, from other animals
      The need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.

      5) ‘Qualification’ – Organisations can check the legitimacy and qualification levels on the:
      OFQUAL website in England and Northern Ireland - https://register.ofqual.gov.uk/
      QW website for Wales - https://qualificationswales.org/
      SQCF website in Scotland - https://scqf.org.uk/
      Irish Register of Qualifications in the Republic of Ireland - https://irq.ie/

      6) ‘Veterinary advice’ – this can be over the telephone where appropriate, as well as appointments in a veterinary clinic or a ‘vet round’ in a centre

      7) ‘Virtual’ – the use of video conferencing/calling where the organisation can see in detail and on request, the information required. Examples would be to use Facetime, WhatsApp, Zoom, Skype etc, and supported by Google Earth for satellite imagery.

      8) ‘Routinely’ – as part of the organisation’s standard operating procedures. Excludes emergency, one off boarding, which could not have been planned for (up to 72 hours)

      9) ‘Feral’ – Feral cats are cats that originate from a free-living lifestyle and typically have no or limited interactions with or dependency on humans. Such cats usually present behaviourally as consistently fearful of humans and are unsociable (i.e. consistently avoid or do not seek out human interaction). Adult feral cats are not suitable to be kept as companion animals. In some cases, kittens born from feral adults may be suitable to be kept as companion animals, if they are socialised towards humans for the entirety of their socialisation period (i.e. 2-7/8 weeks of age). It may be possible to begin socialising feral kittens older than 2 weeks of age if they do not appear fearful or distressed in the presence of humans and they are still under the age of 8 weeks. The welfare of the individual cat (whether adult or kitten) should not be compromised by attempts to socialise them to humans. If socialisation is attempted in a cat that is already fearful of humans and distressed in their presence, this will compromise their welfare (see standards 59-60)

      International Cat Care have produced a guide to providing the right care to match the needs of an individual cat https://icatcare.org/unowned-cats/the-different-needs-of-domestic-cats and the identification of feral cats.

    • END 

    • The Standards

    • Admissions and Veterinary Checks

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    • 1B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*
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    • Food and water

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    • Disease Control and Vaccination

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    • 14B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*

    • Cleansing and Disinfecting

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    • Cat Litter Trays

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    • 24B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*

    • Environment and Companionship

      Animals need to be able to exhibit normal behavioural patterns and consideration shall be given as to whether it is appropriate to house with or apart from other animals. This applies whether they are in a kennel environment or fostered
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    • 25B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*
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    • 42B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*
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    • 44B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*

    • Grooming

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    • Supervision, Including Staff and Volunteer Training

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    • 48B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*

    • Feral Cats

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    • 49B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*
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    • Veterinary Care

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    • 52B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*

    • Transportation of Animals

      Vehicles used to transport animals shall be roadworthy and regularly serviced. The organisation transporting shall ensure compliance with relevant legislation pertaining to the transport of animals. A satisfactory method of ventilation is required, adequate for the size of the vehicle and the number of animals being transported
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    • 53B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*
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    • Training and Behaviour Modification

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    • 55B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*
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    • Animal Assessment

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    • 58B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*

    • Home Fostering

      A number of dog and cat rescue and rehoming organisations use “foster” homes to care for animals on a temporary basis until a  permanent new home can be found. This can be in addition to traditional kennel and cattery units or can be the only way the organisation arranges to home and care for the animals. These foster homes are normally provided by volunteers where rescue animals are cared for in the volunteers’ own homes or in small animal housing units.
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    • 59B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*
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    • 60B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*
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    • 64B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*

    • Neutering

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    • 66B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*

    • Euthanasia

      Every animal shall have a life worth living, not purely that its physical needs are met. Euthanasia can be a response to circumstances in which health and/or welfare are irreversibly and severely compromised and when it is not possible to meet an animal’s needs.Euthanasia is an extremely controversial topic and there are those who sincerely believe that no apparently healthy animal should ever be euthanised and, where rehoming is not an option, then the animal should be allowed to live its life in the animal welfare establishment. The ADCH fully accepts that there are circumstances where particular animals can enjoy a high standard of welfare and a good quality of life at an establishment over a long period. However, it is important to remember that animal welfare is more than just physical health and freedom from disease. Other factors, particularly the animal’s behavioural needs, which include the expression of social behaviour, have a profound effect on its welfare. The World Health Organisation defines “health” as: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”Organisations which intend to keep animals on a long term basis need to consider whether the environment is capable of meeting the behavioural and psychological needs of the animal. Animals should be regularly reviewed for signs of deterioration in physical and mental health. Long term confinement of cats, especially feral cats, is not appropriate.
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    • 69B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*
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    • 70B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*

    • Rehoming

      The organisation should be committed to a high standard of responsible rehoming practices. The following procedures should be followed to ensure the responsible rehoming of a rescue animal
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    • 72B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*
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    • 73B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*
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    • 74B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*
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    • 75B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*

    • Legal and Administrative

      Management of the Rescue
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    • 80B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*

    • Housing Conditions

      Under each jurisdiction’s relevant legislation, all premises (including domestic premises) where accommodation for other people’s dogs and cats is provided as a commercial activity, these need to be licensed by the local authority. Apart from Scotland these acts do not apply to animal rescue or rehoming centres unless they are carrying on a business of providing accommodation for other people's animals.In Scotland from 1 September 2021 it will be mandatory for any rescue or rehoming centre to be licensed or for anyone rehoming an animal to be licensed. In all other countries there is currently no statutory requirement for rescue or rehoming centres to be licensed by the local authority. In the Republic of Ireland any establishment, including welfare kennels, at which bitches are kept, not less than 6 of which are, a) more than 6 months old, and b) capable of being used for breeding purposes, must be registered with the local authority

    • Dogs

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    • A14B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*
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    • A15B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*
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    • A16B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*
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    • A17B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*

    • Cats

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    • B11B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*
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    • B12B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*
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    • B13B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*
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    • B16B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*
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    • B17B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*

    • Importation of dogs and cats

      The following standards relate to transfers outside of the UK, Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands and Isle of Man. You will see from the importation guidance that some of these standards are of a different nature from the existing standards. In particular the first standard asks Members (including applicants for membership) to alert the ADCH if they are involved in importation so that we can assign an appropriate assessor, and also manage the particular risks involved to assessors and to ADCH.International rehoming is seen as a temporary solution and organisations are working towards the day when moving dogs and cats across borders for rehoming is no longer necessary.The standards do not apply where dogs have been handed in by Members of the Public and not imported by the rescue. Assessors will need to exercise care when rescues do not import themselves but act in close contact with another party that does the import. Members considering importation should carefully consider the following: -• Long distance transportation is very stressful for the animal• Animals may not have been socialised/habituated to life in a UK home. They may not be used to being handled or confined if they were street animals.• Many exotic diseases may be imported including rabies and this increases the disease risks to the native UK populationCompliance with Regulation 576/2013 (non-commercial PETS scheme) is not sufficient when the organisations responsible for the movement are animal welfare organisations or rehoming charities.The EU CVBD website covers both cats and dogs.
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    • C1B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*
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    • C2B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*
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    • C9B) Does the rescue agree to add this action to their action plan?*

    • Final score and comments

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