Hi Ant and welcome!

The incident should go in the workplace accident book and be investigated. Sure the CQC would require this as well as of course HSE. You may fully recover and it goes no further but it safeguards you if there are any complications or repercussions. It all sounds to me like unsafe place of work but it’s maybe too trivial to be worth pursuing any personal injury claim. And of course doing that would not improve your apparent popularity rating with the management.

You have little or no protection against any unfair treatment: sounds as if you might be better seeking more suitable employers pronto.

In reply to David:

PS Ant

If the job is otherwise tolerable, it might be worth a ‘ full and frank’ conversation and your asking them directly if they really want you there: it may be that they only understand very blunt and direct communication and that their bark is far worse than their bite....ha ha - pun unintended- really!

In reply to David:

Thanks David.

Your advice is pretty much what I'm thinking. It's just such a bizarre situation

I can't add much to David's comments other than you have a bargaining chip at hand - which has been mentioned - The care quality commission or what ever it is now called. I don't think they'd be too happy if a dog was able to bite one of the residents!!!

You don't have to 'ask' for any 'informal review'. Although this is/was a requirement when I was the HR manager of registered care homes, all you really want is feedback/direction and so on. So I'd approach the most approachable open of the two and casually mention how you've been there for some weeks and could you have some feedback on how you've been doing and anything else they want from you. That is your informal review.

As for the dog? Two suggestions :-
a) bring a few dog treats in. The dog will eventually be won over.
b) What size boots do you wear? (Recommended in emergencies only or when the owner isn't looking)

Hi Ant,

Firstly, the owner is totally liable for any damage, to property or person, caused by their dog* - although they may have an argument should you have been deliberately goading it. You say that you’re in the care business; what if this had been a child or vulnerable adult? Also, if you are conducting care on the premises the CQC would have something to say. The owner cannot just shrug this off, it needs to be dealt with. As had already been said, it goes without saying this should be recorded in the organisation’ incident log. Has anyone else had a problem with it? Incidentally, the ‘it doesn’t like men’ argument doesn’t hold water as if I’ve read your post correctly its owner is a man.

The second is the manager’s attitude. To me it sounds like embarrassment - if she doesn’t acknowledge it, it didn’t happen. It also sounds like it’s a pretty toxic place to work. Are you sure you want to be there? Normally at the start of a role everybody’s on their best behaviour - if this is their best, what’s their worst like? Also, what’s your gut instinct over the ‘no-one wants you comment’? We know instinctively if we’re wanted or not, does your gut agree with her. This sounds like classic divide and conquer management - keep everyone twitchy and make them believe they’re your only friend.

The third is your performance review. This is a little more difficult but without one how can you, or they, prove that you were or were not up to your role. I would suggest you perform the review on yourself being as honest as you can, write it up, and email a copy to the BDD as your line manager with the owner cc’d in for information. Say that you realise how busy everyone is and that you thought it might help if you drew up something that they can comment on. Remember, you’re being really helpful to them... ;)

Good luck!

*

My feeling is that this isn't the long term employer for you.

But just for completeness....

Whilst generally an employee can not bring a claim for unfair dismissal with less than two years service (which you don't have), one of the exceptions is where an employee ….

"brought to his employer’s attention, by reasonable means, circumstances connected with his work which he reasonably believed were harmful or potentially harmful to health or safety, "

and he was subsequently dismissed for raising them. Whilst its entirely possible they ultimately they may dismiss you as failing probation if you could reasonably link it to the accident and the unsafe working practice then there is at least a case that "could" be argued.


Not sure its really worth it but worth thinking about.

In reply to Keith:

Indeed! - may well be prudent to create an evidence trail, kicking off with sending your employers a fully detailed written account of the dog bite incident and physical injury sustained and noting that when you raised this matter you were met with a dismissive and aggressive response. And could they ensure please that this workplace accident is properly and fully recorded and investigated.

That should provoke a reaction - possibly your dismissal, but then you'll have created pretty reliable evidence pointing to cause and effect.

In addition, it may be that you begin to feel generally unwell as a result of this bite, and need to take a few days off sick as a result.......in which case the more the better for the evidence trail........

Hi Ant

If you haven’t done so already, I think you should see your doctor as soon as possible even though you were bitten several days ago. I remember reading that bites rarely heal without becoming infected. This will also provide evidence, should you require it.

This might be going nuclear, but I think you could also report it to the police.

I find the idea of a dog that bites to draw blood in a care home quite upsetting.

This should definitely be reported to the CQC. You were bitten in front of the registered manager, you later went back to the registered manager and showed her your injuries but nothing has happened. You have brought a matter of fact that relates to a breach of health and safety to management, which makes you a whistleblower with the protection of the Public Interest Disclosure Act. As you have raised the matter internally and got nowhere you have every right to go to the correct external body. Your MP might also be interested in a dog that bites being brought into a care home.

While you should not suffer detriment for blowing the whistle, I can’t see much of a future for you afterwards, but I think you may have already passed the point of no return in your relationship with this organisation.

In reply to David Perry:

Hi David. thank you for taking the time to advise me.
Very helpful

In reply to Teresa:

Thank you Teresa, I like the bit about doing my own review.
I'm pretty certain that they will fast track it this week but I'll be prepared

In reply to Keith:

Great advice Keith. Thank you. I shall make notes of this and take them into the next meeting.

In reply to Elizabeth Divver:

Hi Elizabeth,

I like the whistleblower approach. I've not considered this. Within care, whistleblowing is, of course, big stuff and so I should get a fair bit of protection.

I shall use the term when I am in my next meeting with them. I shall mention the CQC. They might want to take my complaint a bit more seriously.

What is really frustrating, is that if she had come to see me within the hour to apologise and ask me how I was, I wouldn't be on here asking for advice. It's just so basic HR, basic people management, that it baffles me that she doesn't realise it

In reply to Ant:

Ant I am unclear what you are hoping to achieve from all this - have you thought through exactly what you want?

Unless you know the destination you are unlikely to get there.

CQC / Whistle blowing etc are all nuclear options. Is this really what you want? They are not terms that can be casually thrown into conversation

In reply to Keith:

Hi Keith,

Primarily, I just want the immediate situation resolving amicably. Today, I have handed a grievance in to start the ball rolling in a structured manner. I have made it quite clear what I want from this in my letter.

I have chosen to mention CQC/whistleblower within my grievance letter but intending to use this a s a last resort should a suitable conclusion not be achieved.



I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their valuable support. As I have now submitted my grievance I don't require any further advice.
The CIPD community have really helped me with this and I shall be discussing the worth of this forum with my HR associates.

Thanks to all.
Antony

In reply to Ant:

Come back and tell us how it goes. We’ll all be wondering.