Introducing minimum training standards for aesthetic practitioners
Hamilton Fraser champions suitably qualified practitioners and requires training by registered medical professionals for cosmetic insurance eligibility
Hamilton Fraser is at the forefront of championing suitably qualified and competent practitioners and in line with this, not only will we not insure non-medics for certain treatments such as injectables, but training for procedures such as dermal fillers and botulinum toxin also has to be taught by a registered medical professional to meet our eligibility criteria.
This applies regardless of whether the course is CPD-approved. For these treatments, practitioners must undertake both theoretical and face-to-face practical training, and they must be presented with a certificate of completion.
You can find out more about the training requirements for specific procedures on our treatments page.
When the new licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England comes into effect, practitioners will need to meet certain standards to qualify for a licence. We don’t yet know what these are. They will be determined following extensive consultation between the Government and stakeholders.
However, the 2022 Health and Social Care Committee report provides information on the direction of travel. You can also read more in our FAQs guide.
Read more about on ‘The Health and Care Act 2022: what practitioners need to know’.
In section five, ‘Education and training for practitioners’ of The 2022 Health and Social Care Committee report, ‘The impact of body image on mental and physical health’, the report highlights the current absence of mandatory education and training standards for those administering non-surgical cosmetic procedures, and how this can lead to a wide variety in the quality of interventions, resulting in potential patient issues.
“We are convinced that there is a need for a minimum standard to be met in regard to the education and training of practitioners who perform non-surgical cosmetic procedures. It is essential to ensure patient safety and thus should be a central pillar of a future licensing regime."
"The Professional Standards Authority should be given the power to oversee a register of approved training providers. All training providers should have to meet an Ofqual-regulated standard.”
The Government agrees that those who offer non-surgical cosmetic procedures to the public should be suitably trained and qualified and recognises there is a need for nationally recognised standards covering the education, training and qualifications required for the administration of non-surgical cosmetic procedures. In a statement, it said:
“The Joint Council of Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP) has already developed a competency framework covering high-risk non-surgical cosmetic procedures and there are a limited number of bodies currently able to offer training courses on non-surgical cosmetic procedures. This includes universities, colleges and private training companies."
“There are also a range of Ofqual-approved qualifications that are delivered by recognised Ofqual awarding bodies."
We will work with JCCP and other relevant stakeholders to consider whether further education and training requirements are necessary.
The report also mentions that training should include mental health and safeguarding training for practitioners. Professor David Sines CBE, Chair of the JCCP, supports the inclusion of mandatory mental health screening in any future education and training framework. He is quoted in the report:
“With education and training being set as a new standard, which of course is the spirit of the licence, within that, the curriculum would require that any person who demonstrates the proficiency to achieve that education and training standard should and will be trained in psychological and emotional screening, pre-consultation.”
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While we await further clarification on the detail of minimum training standards for aesthetic practitioners in England, it’s worth emphasising that both the JCCP and Health Education England (HEE) have for some time been encouraging practitioners to join the practitioner register operated by the JCCP, which is formally accredited by the Professional Standards Authority as part of its Accredited Register Programme.
The register was implemented by the JCCP to support the enactment of standards set originally by the HEE framework, so by joining the register, practitioners will be demonstrating that they are accredited and meet the highest standards of competence.
The public will also be able to access the JCCP Practitioner Register and see at what level and which areas of treatment a practitioner has been accredited by the JCCP. You can read more about joining the register and fees on the JCCP website.
The Level 7 Diploma in Clinical Aesthetic Injectable Treatments is the highest formal aesthetic medicine qualification available in the UK and is currently the recommended education standard for injectables in the UK.
The gold-standard training in the aesthetics sector is equivalent to a Master’s degree and is approved by the JCCP. The Level 7 Diploma is provided by a range of education and training centres in the UK, but the JCCP only recognises Level 7 qualifications that have been studied at a ‘JCCP Approved Education and Training Centre’.
The Level 7 Diploma is aimed at medical professionals who are registered with a national professional healthcare statutory regulatory body, considering a career in aesthetic medicine.
The Diploma is also a route to formal recognition for their knowledge and skills for medical professionals who are already practising.
The Level 7 Diploma accreditation is not currently essential but is the most highly regarded certification.
There is a wide range of courses to choose from in aesthetics, but the quality varies considerably. What factors should you consider when looking for an accredited aesthetics training course?
