Having listened to your feedback we have recently spoke with Patrick Carey of FBD and clarified the below information raised by a number of Groomers
 
For the purpose of Insurance claims and Declarations, what is an employee?
 
Employees can be deemed as the following:- Work experience students, interns, Groomers, and bathers would be all considered employees of the company.
 
An employee is any person engaged in a contract of service or apprenticeship to the insured. This definition can be interpreted very widely by the courts.  Even a voluntary helper could be deemed to be an employee and should be included as an employee under the Employers Liability section of the Insurance policy.
 
Should I declare Help, Bathers etc on my Insurance Application?
 
Yes, they should be declared on the insurance policy. There is a possibility that in a situation where a groomer is taking on work experience students from a school for example, that those students will be covered for the activities under the school’s insurance policy. But in this situation, the groomer should look for confirmation of the policy from the school and also look to be indemnified under the policy to protect him/ herself further. However, even in this case, it is important that there is protection under the Employers Liability section as the groomer could be brought into a claim as a co-defendant.
 
Am I required to keep records of training my employees?
 
As regards training & assessment, strictly speaking, negligence on the part of the employer must be proven by an employee if they are to take a case against an employer.  It is incumbent upon employers to ensure that all training & risk assessments have been carried out as it is their responsibility to ensure that their staff members are trained and informed. This can be used as evidence so that the employer will have a stronger defence in the event of a claim.  therefore the employer should hold & stored evidence of the training. 
 
Shared Access
Where a groomer should have the same access to the property that houses both their salon & residence, and both are insured with separate companies, there may be a conflict of interest as to which insurance company is liable as a result of a claim. (In some cases Home insurance providers will not insure the family home where a business is sharing the same access/driveway). In this case the groomer ideally should seek a provider that will cover both the business and the family home, thus removing the conflict of interest.  Where a home insurance provider will accept there is a business on site (insured elsewhere) and sharing the access it should be noted on the home insurance policy.