Education & Assessment Blog

By Molly Kelly 

We are pleased to announce that from the beginning of 2022 we are able to offer our students an affordable pay plan option which will allow them to start learning immediately and pay for their courses and qualifications over a period of 3 to 12 months so the can be learning and earning earlier than they thought was possible. We require proof of ID for qualifications in any case, we will simply ask for proof of address, and we will not do any credit checks. We will agree a deposit and split remaining payments over an agreed period to suit your budget and collect payments by direct debit.

First Who is Who, What are Their Regulatory Powers, if Any? And My Take on Registration Open To ALL Aesthetic Practitioners! Who Would Welcome this? A Bit of Myth Busting and Our Reason for 'POTENTIALLY' Setting up The Institute of Aesthetics Practitioner & Training Provider Register. In my earlier post we examined the requirements set out by HEE in 2016.... Very short courses, e.g. 1-2 days in duration, will not meet the requirements for Recognition of Prior Learning. • A joint council is to be formed , which will take ownership of cosmetic industry standards for education and training. • HEE do not expect practitioners to stop practicing whilst new qualification frameworks are in development. ‘Although adoption of the new requirements will be voluntary at this stage, it is recommended that the qualification requirements be adopted as best practice and accepted as the standard that the industry should adopt improve public safety and raise standards of practice and professionalism’ The JCCP are a charity who formed a voluntary register to meet standards set down by the CPSA (another charity) All with panels of experts who have laid down 3 sets of standards covering:- Prescribing Medical Practitioners Non Prescribing Medical Practitioners Non Medical Aesthetic Practitioners This is fine in principle as there are distinct differences in the requirements for education and there are distinct differences currently from Regulated i.e. mandatory registration with RCN, GPHC, GMC etc who have powers to de-register an individual who do not follow codes of practice, conduct, professionalism and so on. My Question is " Do These Individuals need a voluntary but medic only exclusive register which seems to be more for marketing purposes than the up holding of standards. Why Would JCCP Exclude Non Medical Aesthetic Practitioners? The reason being in 2016 there was no Ofqual Regulated Qualifications at Post-Graduate Certificate Level which was deemed to be Necessary - It is now 2021 and That is no longer the case! Covid has more than likely put paid to any reviews at the current time, and I know individual practitioners are not chasing for this to happen and are not scrambling to join what seems to be a bias register. JCCP has no regulatory powers although great influence, I was disappointed to see that some Awarding Organisations have developed post graduate certificates and made them only available to medics, the reason I was given that they were working closely with JCCP. As a professional educator I just disagree with this, it goes against Awarding Organisations Access to education policies and I fear is a little to political and helps fuel the divide. JCCP Lay down a requirement for Post Graduate certification in 2018, so I wonder what the agenda now is? It Costs £450 to register and in excess of £5000 for a training provider to register - there is no wonder that with the expense and exclusivity of medic only, I for one have little confidence in the true motivation of The JCCP. The L7 Post graduate certificate in Aesthetic Practice does exist now and i strongly recommend professional practitioners from all backgrounds to get qualified and get them selves on a professional register. Save Face is another register for medics, their requirements being * Professional Registration number * Training certificates for each treatment provided * Insurance Certificate * BLS certificate last 18 months CPD activity log of CPD undertaken in the last 12 months * If you are not a registered prescriber: Your prescriber’s NMC, GDC or GMC registration number * Their contact details, A signed statement from them Registration is cheaper than JCCP and they are accredited by The Professional Standards Authority who actually are a government regulatory body for Health & Social Care Regulatory Bodies and Voluntary Registration Schemes like JCCP & Save Face https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/what-we-do/accredited-registers/find-a-register/-in-category/categories/professions/dermal-fillers Nothing wrong with this organisation, some great downloads and resources! How ever again ignoring Aesthetic Practitioners from a non medic Back ground! Which I feel was the whole point of the Keogh Report. So My thoughts to resolve is to start a Professional Standards Authority accredited register open to medics and non medics, with an inspection regime and a minimum requirement of L7 Post graduate Certification which we feel will Future Proof The Business of so many individuals, some of whom have spent several thousand pounds on what they thought was Qualifications but were actually CPD Accredited Courses. Please like comment and share if you think this is something your would like to be a part of....

HEE Guidelines 2016: A Brief Summary On 8th January 2016 Health Education England (HEE) published Part Two of their Qualification Requirements for Delivery of Cosmetic Procedures. Below is a summary of the background of and latest changes to these guidelines as far as they will affect those who train or deliver injectable treatments (e.g. Botulinum Toxins and dermal fillers). Part Two of the HEE Guidelines for Cosmetic Procedures builds on the 2015 requirements for cosmetic training. ‘Part One sets out the qualification requirements, which include guidance on the application of the requirements for different groups of practitioners working in the cosmetics or aesthetic field. Part Two describes the second and final phase of the project to produce the detailed qualification requirements for delivery of non-surgical cosmetic interventions and hair restoration surgery. Currently HEE requirements are best-practice guidelines and do not yet represent statute law. The current landscape the HEE guidelines are responding to, involves: – no legal restrictions on who may perform cosmetic procedures – no qualification requirements – an absence of accredited training courses in an increasingly lucrative industry (worth over £3.6 billion). Timeline of the evolution of Health Education England guidelines on qualification requirements for delivery of cosmetic procedures. Five main modalities covered by the HEE requirements 1. Botulinum Toxin 2. Dermal Fillers 3. Lasers, IPL and LED Treatments 4. Chemical Peel / Skin Rejuvenation 5. Hair Restoration Key points about the requirements The requirements apply to all practitioners, regardless of previous training and professional background. • All groups will be required to: undertake additional education and training to be able to deliver cosmetic interventions, or formally demonstrate that they already meet the qualification requirements. • Recognition of Prior Learning: Practitioners who have already completed training will be able to apply for formal recognition from an accredited cosmetic training provider. Very short courses, e.g. 1-2 days in duration, will not meet the requirements for Recognition of Prior Learning. • A joint council is to be formed, which will take ownership of cosmetic industry standards for education and training. • HEE do not expect practitioners to stop practicing whilst new qualification frameworks are in development. ‘Although adoption of the new requirements will be voluntary at this stage, it is recommended that the qualification requirements be adopted as best practice and accepted as the standard that the industry should adopt improve public safety and raise standards of practice and professionalism’ • Practitioners should take care to select courses which promote safe practice. How to meet education and training requirements (Figure 2, HEE requirements Part One, 2015) • For Practitioners What remains unchanged in the HEE Guidelines for Cosmetic Procedures • As in Part One, only GMC-registered practitioners may administer permanent fillers. • Dermal Fillers are still classed as a medical device and don’t require a prescription. • HEE agrees with GMC, GDC and NMC guidance on face-to-face consultations before prescribing. And, as in Part One, the following groups are able to prescribe botulinum toxins for cosmetic purposes: o Doctors and dentists o Pharmacist independent prescribers o Nurse and midwife independent prescribers • Dermatologists and plastic surgeons are exempt from some areas of additional theoretical learning. • Following completion of training, practitioners are encouraged to identify a professional colleague or mentor with whom they can discuss complex clinical or ethical developments. What has changed in The Guidelines Clinical oversight required for a practitioner Initially high for someone who has just completed their training (AKA oversight for botulinum toxin and dermal filler treatments will require oversight by an independent prescriber), but it will be a matter of clinical and professional judgement to determine the degree of oversight required. Education Practitioners do not require a clinically relevant qualification before they apply for training to deliver cosmetic procedures. In other words, you don’t necessarily need a medical degree. However, practitioners performing injectable treatments (botulinum toxins & dermal fillers) amongst others (below) will now be required to study to at least one postgraduate degree level (where previously this was specified as undergraduate level). The deadline is September 2018 for completion of this postgraduate training. (WE RECOGNISE THIS DEADLINE HAS PASSED) What kind of theoretical learning will be required? Below are example learning requirements for cosmetic knowledge from the HEE Requirements Part One. • Understanding of relevant dermatological conditions/diseases, e.g. cherry angioma, spider naevus, actinic lentigo, melasma, benign dyschromias related to sun damage, acne, hirsutism, rosacea • Understanding of common health conditions which may affect treatment, e.g. diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease/stroke, autoimmune disease, immunocompromised patients, those with transmissible infections, alcohol/drug abuse • Ability to take photographs both pre- and post-treatment photography and understand how they should be used. Example Learning Requirements for Botulinum Toxins (HEE Requirements Part One): • In depth understanding of facial and neck anatomy including relevant vessels, nerves and muscles • Identification of contraindications for use, e.g. pregnancy, breast feeding, history of neuromuscular disorder • Understanding of potential risks including facial asymmetry, ptosis, dry eyes, drooling, lip drooping, difficulty speaking or swallowing, dry mouth, respiratory distress. Example Learning Requirements for Dermal Fillers (HEE Requirements Part One): • In depth understanding of facial anatomy including relevant vessels, nerves, muscles and fat pads • Understanding of biochemistry, pharmacology of various types of dermal filler: permanent, semi-permanent and temporary; replacement vs stimulatory; with or without local anaesthetic • Understanding and recognition of specific adverse events including hypersensitivity, biofilm, granuloma, nodule formation with suppuration and abscess formation and treat or refer on appropriately. Cosmetic treatments to be studied up to the postgraduate level. For Training Courses What remains unchanged in the guidelines • Training courses must have their own degree awarding powers or be OfQual-regulated, or work in partnership with such organisations. • A minimum of 50% of the curriculum must be devoted to the development of practical skills: o Botulinum Toxin: students must observe 10 treatments, followed by 10 supervised treatments o Dermal Fillers: students must observe 10 treatments, followed by 10 supervised treatments o Delegates must subsequently pass a rigorous and standardised assessment. Supervisors must be able to provide clinical oversight and be be proficient with injectables (a minimum of 3 years experience). It is up to education providers to determine the detailed learning outcomes for individual courses or modules of study and the number and size of required modules. Qualifi - Level 7 Certificate in Aesthetic Practice Meets HEE Requirements for Education 2016 with a Rigorous requirement for 12 Observed Case Studies for each treatment. This is currently the only Post Graduate Certificate open to All who meet the prerequisites regardless of background. As a Training Provider Our Requirements are Ofqual Regulated L3 Award in First Aid at Work & L3 Award in Immediate Management of Anaphylaxis - We have Blended Learning Opportunities which will allow online study using video, ebooks and downloadable work sheets in preparation for Practical Demonstration, Instruction and Assessment together with a written exam.