Detailed research on the provision of education and training programmes has identified the existence of a wide range of education/training providers:
Universities
Colleges of Further Education
Private Training Providers
Individual Training Companies
Many of these providers are formally recognised and have been through appropriate assessment processes whether they be a University, College of Further Education or a private training provider recognised by an approved OFQUAL or SQA awarding body. Many others operate independently. There are major issues involving the misrepresentation of qualifications and in the entry requirements and processes for joining courses/programmes at all levels. Providers offer recognised university and vocational qualifications but there is also a large and significant market for short practice-based courses and CPD programmes.
The JCCP believes that it is important for practitioners to be aware when deciding on which education/training programme to enrol the status of that provider, the nature and level of the qualifications on offer and how they meet and reflect the JCCP/CPSA standards. To do this the JCCP has established a ‘Register of Approved Education and Training Providers’.
ENTRY STANDARDS FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROVIDERS
Providers who are not Universities or Colleges of Further Education will be required to be approved by :
A Regulated Awarding Organisation and offer a regulated qualification to the standards required of the JCCP for the modality concerned.
Approved Qualifications:
Those offered by a UK University or College of Further Education.
Ofqual approved qualifications in England.
Ofqual equivalents in Scotland (SQA), Wales and NI.
If an Approved JCCP Education and Training Provider submits an approved University or College of Further Education qualification or an Ofqual/SQA approved qualification from a JCCP recognised Awarding Organization the JCCP will then evaluate the specification of this qualification against the JCCP Standards and Competency Framework:
JCCP Competency Framework
JCCP CPSA Standards
JCCP Approved Education and Training Providers/Courses and programmes
You can check to see if a Practitioner is a member of the JCCP by checking their contact details against the register.
Ask them for their Certificate of JCCP Membership and look for the JCCP Charter Mark.
When you first visit your practitioner you should expect to be asked questions on your medical history and any previous aesthetic treatments you have had, as well as be able to have an open and honest conversation with them about your concerns, and the results you desire. Your practitioner should put you at ease and reassure you when you are formulating your treatment plan together.
Hear from Dr Tracey Mountford on what you can expect at your consultation.
Video:
https://www.teoxanetreatments.co.uk/faqs/what-will-happen-at-my-consultation
The questions you ask at your consultations are important in making sure you are comfortable with the decisions you want to make for the future. The key question to ask is on the experience of the practitioner. You can find a registered practitioner using the JCCP registry.
Hear from other people on what they asked at their consultations.
Video:
https://www.teoxanetreatments.co.uk/faqs/what-questions-did-you-ask-your-practitioner
You should always research into your practitioner and check that they are a registered practitioner, with experience in the treatment you are looking to have, as well as checking online reviews, treatment portfolios (which you can request from the practitioner) and the products that they use within their clinic.
You can find a registered practitioner using the JCCP registry.
For further information on the JCCP and the register, visit the organisations FAQs: https://www.jccp.org.uk/Home/FAQs
We at JCCP assess and monitor people who offer aesthetic treatments (aesthetic practitioners) to ensure they are appropriately qualified, experienced and trained to practice safely. Aesthetic practitioners who are accepted on the JCCP Register (called Registrants) agree to respect and to practice in accordance with the JCCP/CPSA Code of Practice that focuses on patient safety and public protection as a priority and which places the needs of patients/clients first.
Both the JCCP and our Registrants are frank and open about what they do and have a duty of candour to respect and to respond to your concerns. If you or any patient/client believe you have not been well treated, it is best that you say so. That way the problem can be reviewed and considered with the aim of resolving the issues raised for you (and with you) and in the process we will all learn how to improve our services in order to do better in the future.
Please see the attached guidance document – view here.
Please see the attached guidance document – view here.
Please see the attached guidance document – view here.
Please see the attached guidance document – view here.
Please see the attached guidance document – view here.
Please see the attached guidance document – view here.
The Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP), was formally launched in February 2018 as a ‘self-regulating’ body for the non-surgical aesthetics and hair restoration sector in the United Kingdom and is a registered UK Charity. The concept of the JCCP was envisioned and inspired by work commissioned by Health Education England on behalf of NHS England and the Department of Health (2016). The Council’s charitable status reflects the overarching not-for-profit mission of the JCCP which is to improve patient safety and public protection within the non-surgical cosmetic sector.
The JCCP operates a practitioner register which is formally accredited by the Professional Standards Authority as part of its Accredited Register Programme. The JCCP works in close alignment with a range of healthcare professional regulators, such as the General Medical Council, the General Dental Council, the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the General Pharmaceutical Council and with other Professional Standards Authority accredited registers to participate in an alerts system to share information relating to the outcome of any fitness to practice proceeding in the interests of public protection.
The JCCP also operates a non-PSA accredited register for Approved Education and Training Providers and Qualifications.
Higher Education and Vocational qualifications in England are offered at Levels 1 – 7. These levels then equate to qualifications offered by Universities e.g. Level 5 equates to degree level; Level 7 equates to evidence of study at Master’s level. OFQUAL is the regulator of qualifications in England and receives proposals from Awarding Bodies such as City & Guilds and Industry Qualifications (IQ) to offer a qualification. Ofqual determines if the submission meets strict standards and reflects the level of the award. Equivalent regulators operate within the devolved administrations in Scotland (SQA), Wales and Northern Ireland, all of whom will be recognised by the JCCP as legitimate partners by way of Memorandum of Understanding.
Following the publication of the Health Education England (HEE) framework of educational qualifications and levels in 2015 for non-surgical treatments it has been possible to identify which treatments are offered at which levels and the competencies involved.
The HEE framework has now been updated and replaced by the JCCP Competency Framework (2018):
A number of Education and Training Providers adopted the competences contained within the HEE framework and developed a L7 qualification and a L7 programme. These include Universities and Colleges of Education who have their own powers to develop and award qualifications and then private Education and Training Providers and Awarding Bodies who have to apply to regulatory bodies to have a qualification approved. There are only a few providers who can offer the approved and recognized L7 qualifications that correlate with the standards set down within the HEE Framework. The JCCP has now taken over the ownership of the HEE Framework and has replaced it with the JCCP Competency Framework:
The JCCP has now developed a set of ‘Entry Requirements for its Education and Training Register’ which enables providers to be approved by the JCCP and to seek approval for any qualifications that it offers:
ENTRY STANDARDS FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROVIDERS
The L7 qualification in aesthetics or linked activities is a benchmark for practitioners to demonstrate competence and is equivalent to a ‘Master’s Degree’ level. It is therefore extremely important that practitioners research any L7 programme and qualification to see if it is recognised by the appropriate bodies. Unfortunately there are many L7 programmes on offer that are not recognised or accredited by the key bodies mentioned above and secondly have not been approved by the JCCP.
The list of regulated Awarding Organisations can be found at https://register.ofqual.gov.uk and a search on Aesthetic will show those qualifications at level 7, along with others at lower levels.
A list of education and training providers and qualifications approved by the JCCP can be found here
The JCCP recognises qualifications offered at L7 that have been provided and endorsed:
• Through a University, a college or Education/Training Provider approved by an Awarding Organisation accredited by Ofqual (or by equivalent devolved administrations in Scotland – SQA, Wales and Northern Ireland) to offer regulated qualification(s) that meet the requirements of the JCCP for the modality concerned
• However, the JCCP believes that many of these qualifications and programmes need to be amended to bring them into line with the approved JCCP/CPSA framework of education, clinical and practice standards. Although there are a limited number of L7 qualifications offered currently via Ofqual (or equivalent devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) approved Awarding Organizations, there are many which are not. If a candidate presents evidence in support of membership to the JCCP that relates to a non-recognised L7 qualification, then the JCCP will review the content and practice levels required to be met against the JCCP/CPSA education, clinical and standards framework. Presenting a non-recognised L7 qualification will not be sufficient to gain full membership of the Council.
The HEE report also adopted a number of other key principles with regard to education and training provision that will be embodied in the JCCP entry requirements for Education and Training providers and they are as follows:
• That persons seeking to gain qualifications in the aesthetic sector should follow clear rules about progression and that these should be embodied into entry requirements for those programmes. In particular, a candidate must be able to demonstrate competence and proficiency at one level before proceeding to the next level e.g. to enter a level 4 programme you must be able to show you have achieved L3, the same for a L7 programme you must show that you have already achieved or have the capacity to operate at L6.
• The concepts of the ‘Recognition of Prior Learning – RPL’ and the ‘Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning – APEL’ demonstrate competence and proficiency. This in particular applies to experienced aesthetic practitioners who have operated for many years but without the context of a recognized set of standards or qualifications. The JCCP has established a list of approved RPL/APEL providers who can carry out this process for existing practitioners here.
In the UK recognized qualifications can be developed, offered and awarded by the following bodies:
• Approved Universities and Colleges of Further Education via their own agreed processes
• Education and Training Providers recognised by Ofqual (or other approved Government Regulators in other parts of the UK, such as the SQA in Scotland) approved ‘Awarding Organisations’
• Organisations approved by the United Kingdom Accreditations Service to ISO17024 to offer assessment and certification of competent persons’ schemes.
The JCCP has agreed a number of Memorand of Understanding with the following bodies:
Memorandum of Understanding between the JCCP and the GMC – Click Here
Memorandum of Understanding between the JCCP and the NMC – Click Here
Memorandum of Understanding between the JCCP and the GDC – Click Here
Memorandum of Understanding between the JCCP and the GPHC – Click Here
Memorandum of Understanding between the JCCP and the RPS – Click Here
Memorandum of Understanding between the JCCP and the SQA – Click Here
Memorandum of Understanding between the JCCP and the HABIA – Click Here
The entry requirements and processes for joining the JCCP Education and Training Provider Register are set out in the JCCP Entry Standards for Education and Training Providers:
Entry Requirements
In summary:
• The process for joining the register is the same for all Education and Training Providers.
• Registrants will need to complete a detailed application, provide evidence and sign a ‘Self Declaration’ statement.
• Independent JCCP Assessors will review each application and will give feedback to the applicant prior to an ‘Assessment Visit’.
• The final decision regarding the application will be made by the JCCP Education and Training Committee.
The JCCP has prepared a public guide to the Government consultation, with a clear explanation of what it means and how to respond to it. This can be found here.
The JCCP’s FAQ guide also covers the scope of the proposed license, and answers questions related to practitioner related issues, education and training, age restrictions and key stages of the consultation. You can read the full FAQ guide here.
Furthermore, The JCCP has worked in collaboration with ‘Aesthetics CPD’ to produce a user friendly video guide to licensing, which is viewable here.
The JCCP is working with manufacturers and product companies who provide extensive training to practitioners to consider how their training can be incorporated into recognized programmes, qualifications and for CPD programmes. The case for accreditation of the same is also being considered by the JCCP.
The JCCP has agreed very specific supervisory arrangements with its sister body the Cosmetic Practice Standards Authority (CPSA). The CPSA has set out who is able to do what type of treatment at what level with and without supervision.
CPSA SUPERVISION MATRIX
However despite setting out these standards the JCCP recognises that each practitioner is responsible for ensuring that they practise safely in order to protect the public.
Any breach of the JCCP and CPSA standards may lead to a JCCP Registrant being held to account for their practice to the Council's Fitness to Practise Committee.
The new Health and Care Act 2022 gives the Government powers to introduce a licensing scheme for practitioners who operate in England. Work is now underway to decide what the licensing scheme will look like. This will then be introduced via secondary legislation. The timescale for this is yet to be outlined.
The reason for the legislation is to reduce the risk of harm associated with ineffectively performed non-surgical cosmetic procedures, also known as aesthetic procedures, to the public. Once in force, this legislation will make it an offence to perform particular procedures without a license.
No. The law passed in April 2022 simply gives the UK Government powers to introduce a licensing scheme to regulate premises and practitioners who offer certain procedures. The details relating to this new licencing scheme have not been written or passed yet.
We don’t know yet is the simple answer. From recent statements that Ministers within the Department of Health and Social Care have given, we understand that the Government definitely intends to introduce legislation but the timeline for this has not yet been published. The specific regulations that will underpin the licensing scheme will be subject to extensive engagement with stakeholders and public consultation.
The wording of the Health and Care Act law passed in April defines a non-surgical cosmetic (aesthetic) procedure under the term “cosmetic procedure” as a procedure, other than a surgical or dental procedure, that is carried out for cosmetic purposes; and includes—
• the injection of a substance;
• the application of a substance that is capable of penetrating into or through the epidermis;
• the insertion of needles into the skin;
• the placing of threads under the skin;
• the application of light, electricity, cold or heat;
However, the exact procedures within this definition will be defined as the licensing law is drafted. The Government intends to consult on exactly which procedures will be included in the scope of the new licence.
We do not yet know what qualifications will be required. The Government intends to consult on a new enforceable education and training standard.
All practitioners will be legally required to hold indemnity insurance to protect members of the public if something goes wrong with their procedure. The level of insurance for practitioners is still to be decided.
If you have any concerns about a medical or aesthetic practice, salon, clinic or individual practitioner you should contact your Environmental Health Officer at your local Council. If your practitioner is a registered health care professional (such as a nurse, doctor or dentist) then you can also seek advice from their professional regulator (i.e., the General Medical Council etc).
Contact the practitioner who performed the procedure immediately and seek their advice. If this is unsatisfactory, contact your GP or in an emergency attend your Urgent Care Centre at your local hospital.
Yes. The intention is that all practitioners and the premises from which they work will have to be inspected and checked against certain standards prior to receiving a licence. The requirements for a practitioner and a premise licence will be set out in regulations.
Currently there is no central place to find qualified aesthetic practitioners because there are many different types of qualification and training available, which many argue vary in quality and competency.This is why a licensing scheme that ensures a minimum standard of practice to include premises and practitioner competence is needed.
You should always ask your practitioner about the products and equipment that they use as part of your procedure. If you are receiving an injectable product or medicine then you should ask to see the container in which the substance is sealed within and check that it has a UK quality ‘CE’ mark to check that it is safe and appropriately produced. If you have any queries regarding the product, device or substance that is intended for use as part of your procedure then you can seek advice from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
What will be included within the licence is still to be decided. However, it is intended that both practitioners and the premises from which they work will be expected to show proof of certain qualifications and insurance and provide evidence that the premises where procedures take place meet hygiene and safety standards
