The care, protection and safety of the service user/client should guide the design of all courses. The methods of learning must be central to the preparation of any cosmetic practitioner and the clinical knowledge and skills of student practitioners should be clearly stated. e.g., its intended purpose as an adjunct course or that of a practical assessment, alongside any theoretical course component. This is necessary in order to affirm a practitioner's indemnity insurance, clinical limitation, proficiency and safety to practise any specific aesthetic modality.
Architects of the proposed Government licence for non-surgical cosmetic practice in England and the Health and Social Care Committee report on the ‘Impact of Body Image on Mental and Physical Health’ (2) (2022) recommend the need for a minimum standard to be met in regard to the education and training of practitioners who perform more invasive non-surgical cosmetic procedures. The JCCP supports this assertion as being essential to ensure patient safety and public protection as a central pillar of a future licensing regime for the aesthetic sector.
Furthermore, the assessment of practice knowledge and skills should be inclusive of patient mental and emotional health and wellbeing, socio-emotional influences, psychological risk, complication management, marketing and informed consent and should not be exclusively restricted to the anatomy, physical health and methodology of treatment.
(2) House of Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee (2022) ‘The Impact of Body Image on Mental and Physical Health, Parliament, London.
