Rank: Super forum user 
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I work for a charity that homes people with drink and drug issues. Several of our clients have dogs, which we are fine with. Every now and again we engage with a local vets practice to come and give the dogs a health check.
I asked for the vets to provide us with a copy of their insurance cert to prove they were covered incase any of the dogs bit them etc. So that they knew that we weren't liable for any injurys as we were just the facilitator in this. The interaction was between the client and the vet.
I was told to wind my neck by the ops director (we don't get on, and |I'll leave it at that) that there was no need for insurances as they had all signed on as volunteers for the charity and they were covered under our insurance.
When I asked about what our insurance covered, I received no answer from the management team. I don't think vets coming in and treating dogs would be covered as a normal activity conducted by our charity.
What is everyones thoughts? Am I being over the top with my request for the vet to provide their own insurance?
Edited by user 20 June 2018 11:40:12(UTC)
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Rank: Super forum user 
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I think you will find that vets carry pretty comprehensive insurance - they tend to be self employed so if they can't work they can't earn. Asking them to show you their certificates is something that I think the vet would probably expect in this situation and I can't understand why your Ops Director would see anything wrong in that.
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Rank: Super forum user
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The charity seems to have a policy of bending over backwards to be overly helpful to everyone. Which grips my S*** sometimes.
I have no idea why she thought it would cost us to have the vets in. I'm sure she thought that they'd have to purchase extra insurance for operating outside of the surgery.
I've asked for clarification about what is covered by our insurance policy but the finance director just says if they (almost anyone doing anything for the charity, apart from tradesmen) registers as a volunteer then we are golden. I'm not so sure.
The problem lies in the fact that I think I'm the first properly qualified H&S bod they've had. My predescessor used to conduct H&S by spreadsheet and be 100% office bound apart from the annual audit where she accompanied the external contractor.
I spend as little time as possible in the offfice and roam the various projects. We have over 40 propertys of various uses from retail to residential.
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Rank: Super forum user
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As said, vets have their own insurance which would probably cover this eventuality (very few are purely surgery based). The charity’s statutory employer’s liability insurance only covers employees, not visitors.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Vets do go out to animals outside their own premises, for example I have seen a vet being called out for a wild bird injured in a public place and vets will go out to farm animals and horses. I would be very surprised if typical vet's insurance didn't cover this.
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Rank: New forum user
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Your Ops Director's view of what is covered by your insurance and your insurer's view may be quite different. Might be a good idea to raise this issue with your insurance brokers and have a good chat as to who is covered for what.
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Rank: Super forum user
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We have our 3 monthly H&S committee meeting next month so will raise the issue then
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Rank: Super forum user
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The answer to this question lies with your responsibility or
contract with the client. For example, who pays you (your company) for your
care and support that you provide to your client? Are you commissioned to arrange
and control the vet’s visit, is this part of the care plan for the client? If so,
then the vet is under your control and you should check their insurance. However,
the reason for checking their insurance is not if they get bit, it’s if they
make an error or mistake, for example mis-diagnose a condition or over medicate
the pet and it becomes ill. They would need indemnity insurance against such event.
So… if you are commissioned to provide care and support and
part of that support entails you to arrange the vets visit then the contract is
between you and the vet. If the vet gets bitten because of your negligence, for
example not alerting them to a vicious pet or not keeping the dog on a leash,
the vet may initiate a claim against you (your company). You would need to be
insured against such events.
Note for readers: The client may not pose capacity to
arrange the vets visit themselves and the care provider/charity may be commissioned
to arrange such visits.
If… You are just assisting or facilitating your client to
arrange the vets visit (I think this may be the case) then no insurance checks
are needed. If the vet gets bitten = occupational hazard.
With regards you comment “The charity seems to have a policy
of bending over backwards to be overly helpful to everyone”. I share your pain.
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