Lets set the facts straight of all the drama in the industry over the last few weeks.
Accreditation
Firstly let's look at accreditation, the place where all this started.
What is Accreditation?
Accreditation is an independent review service of an academies trainers and lessons. This is usually a review of the trainers certification, manuals and lesson plans amongst other things. This can vary from place to place, with the end goal of ensuring that the course meets a minimum set of standards. This does not always mean a trainer can teach well. There are many bad trainers with accreditation, and many excellent ones without it.
Does training have to be Accredited?
No, accreditation is completely voluntarily and is not a legal requirement, it is also not a requirement of all insurance providers. Those of us long in the industry have many certificates that do not have any accreditation at all but we are able to trade.
Will I only get Insurance if my course is Accredited?
Some providers may value accredited courses, however it is not a requirement of cover and your insurance will not be invalid without it. Insurance companies have underwriters that assess risk based on the treatments risks and your own base qualifications and experience. If you have recently found out that your course is not accredited then it is not likely to affect your insurance.
I have just found out my Training Course wasn't accredited what next?
There has been a lot of noise in the industry the last few weeks over many well known academies finding out that their courses were not accredited. Regardless of some of them quickly rectifying this issue, certificates prior to this date will be unaccredited. Some courses are not accredited but backed by insurance companies. It is very likely that you are still insured. Despite the quick reactions of many claiming their insurance is invalid now, Insync particularly are confirming that they have not, to date cancelled any policies.
Remember, Insync are not the only insurer, so if you find difficulty in obtaining insurance from one provider it does not mean you cannot gain insurance elsewhere. It s worth contacting many providers for a quote.
Those of you that drive all know that insurers have different prices and criteria for their underwriters, so to do business insurers. Being denied insurance by one provider is not indicative that your certificates are invalid.
If having accreditation is a big issue for you, many providers are offering refresher days for those that need additional support.
Please see below a message from Insync from CTIA Facebook page:
For all of those effected, by this weeks fiasco and the so called CPD 'accreditation', please see Insync's recent stance below on this situation. A thank you to Brian too, who's week has been consumed by this.
For all of those that have been effected, have a lovely weekend. 💋
regards, Molly (please read on)...
~~~~~~
Misleading Online information & Insync Position -
Perhaps I can deal with the core areas we have been alerted to as follows:
1: “Insync is removing cover for my treatments”
Absolutely not, in fact we are currently extending our offering with another new exclusive insurer product which further widens our appetite and cover still further.
2: “Insync has changed their acceptance criteria and your insurance might not be valid”
Completely incorrect, we work with a panel of highly rated Insurers and their scheme acceptance is as flexible as ever. Each of these insurers has a different acceptance criteria dependant on treatment, an individual’s experience, claims history and their qualifications. This allows us to provide very wide range of treatment covers, at different levels and different prices.
Every new application (client) is dealt with on its own merits and can be referred to insurers if bespoke cover is required or if the circumstances around the insurance requirements are not standard.
Existing clients continue to enjoy the protection of the policy purchased and no client has had cover withdrawn or cancelled.
3: “If you trained with X Provider, your Insurance is not valid”
We have NOT stated that any specific course provider or school is unacceptable. If a client comes to us with concerns in respect of the information provided when the insurance was arranged (for example, if certification was found to be invalid), we would deal with this on a case-by-case basis with the client and their insurer. To date, not a single policy has been cancelled nor had cover withdrawn.
4: “Insync won’t accept non-accredited courses”
Again, completely untrue, the word “accredited” is relatively meaningless without a single regulator.
Each application to insurers allows the client to confirm their individual experience and professional qualifications. This is not solely based on a single completed course; our insurers are looking for evidence of professional competency in the treatment to be practiced.
As the Beauty industry doesn’t have an official regulator (such as the GMC for medical professionals), there is no single standard which providers can adopt. However, generally, an insurer is looking for a completed course to be undertaken via a “recognised” provider & certification issued. Third party certification, such as CPD, is the most common way of recognition, but this is not the only method.
I hope this clarifies the key points, but if you have any specific queries, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Insync is committed to supporting the beauty industry and developing further new and exciting products to help our clients grow & support their businesses.
I wasn't happy with the quality of my Training, what should I do?
We all have experienced subpar training at some point in life. For many we have to bounce back and take the responsibility to educate ourselves.
If your theory was below standard then there are many books available, as well as online resources that will allow you to get a thorough understanding of the anatomy, risks, protocols and other treatment related theory. This should be standard even if you receive good theory as we can always learn more.
If it was the practical you lack then there are plenty of masterclasses that you can look at attending and even watching YouTube videos can help refresh your memory and remember to practice, practice, practice. If you feel really unconfident then you may want to shadow a trainer for a day or pay for refresher training to plug any gaps in your course. For some of us, retraining in full may be the only option and in the respect of aesthetics may be the safest route.
Getting money back for bad training is sometimes possible. Although those that pay by bank transfer or cash will find it difficult to get a refund. Some people resort to court action, however bad academies are aware of this sort of action and will often be able to evade bailiffs. Therefore it can be a case of throwing more money after bad.
You can leave bad reviews on places like Google, or contact the CPD provider to alert them of the poor training received.
Remember not all training is the same for everyone!
Being a trainer myself, I can hand on heart say I have had students struggle on courses. This is perfectly normal, but sometimes, some students go on courses with unrealistic expectations. It sometimes doesn't matter how good a course is, some will take to a treatment straight away, whilst others will struggle post training. Those that struggle often blame it on poor training and are unwilling to practice their skills once they get back home.
Students are often quick to name and shame an academy because of their own misgivings and inability to pick up a skill quicker than others. It is important you recognise the difference between poor training and poor learning:
Poor Training
Usually quick courses delivered in minimal time over other academies
Little theory or knowledge delivered on how the treatment works
Trainer has to read the manual word for word
Trainer is unable to answer questions when asked
A non-disclosure agreement is made to be signed before you start a course. This will include a clause that prevents you leaving any form of feedback
Trainer has little industry experience overall
Academy is dirty, unorganised or not set up professionally
Very few models or hands on experience or gives certificates without checking competency
Trainer offers little to no post training support
Good Training
Indepth manuals with plenty of knowledge for you to go home and reference
Experienced and confident trainer that uses manual as a reference only and can deliver theory and knowledge from experience and education
Trainer is able to give confident replies to any question asked, but also not afraid to honestly state that they do not know the answer to a question but willing to find out and come back to you
Trainer explains that students need to practice on models post training to strengthen their skills
Plenty of models or practical experience during the day
Will not accept you onto a course if you do not meet a set of certain criteria or pre-requisites
Trainer is happy to provide ongoing support and advice post training
How do you choose a good training provider?
As professionals we need to take responsibility for our choice of training provider. So many people have been stung, yet they do not take responsibility for the choice they made. The majority of those that have been stung by poor training are usually not therapists and have entered the industry from other careers.
The do's and don'ts of choosing a good training provider:
Do not be fooled by cheap courses, they are often quick courses with little knowledge and practical and often have many students on a course. However, expensive courses are also a risk so you need to check other things.
Do you meet the minimum NOS (national occupational standards) pre-requisites for the course you want to attend. Having an NVQ 2, 3 or above puts you in a stronger position for insurance and also performing treatments safely. A good training academy will demand a minimum level of training before accepting you on any course.
Is the course insurable post training? Ask the academy who the course can be insured by and check prior to paying any money that you can get insured!
Check the academies accreditation status if this is something that is important to you. Ask the academy who accredits the course and check the accreditation website to make sure they have an active listing for the course you are attending.
Ask on forums for advice on the academy you wish to attend. Just because nobody has heard of them is not a bad sign, the company may be new. This doesn't mean the training will be bad. Do not be taken in by the vulture approach of some academies begging for business as this is not a good indicator or an academies reputation if they are begging for work.
Ask on forums for suggestions of who to train with, but always check all the other credentials listed.
Ask the academy important questions such as:
How long is the course?
How many students attend the course?
How many models will you work on?
What are the course pre-requisites?
What action will be taken if you feel that you are not confident post training?
How do you get product/kit/equipment to perform the treatment post training?
How long has the trainer been in the industry? how long have they been doing the treatment you want to train in?
Is the academy happy to provide copies of their certificates to prove they have the experience claimed?
Are the trainers and the academy insured?
If an academy is reluctant to provide the information above then it should send a red flag as any decent trainer will be happy to provide this information.
Check any online reviews for the company, although do not always take this literally as reviews can be faked, removed or malicious.
Some other notes:
Reliable CPD Accreditors
There are a few trusted CPD accreditors in the UK, Sadly one well known one this month has been back dating training accreditation of which we have proof. They claimed one particular centre was not accredited and they now since have back dated this accreditation which has lowered their value within the industry. For this reason they are not listed below. If you are a training provider, may I suggest you look elsewhere for accreditation, whereas students I suggest you choose providers using any of the below accreditation providers:
Professional Beauty Direct
ABT Insurers
CPD UK (Purple Logo)
Centre of CPD Excellence (Silver/Gold Logo)
CPD Standards (Blue Logo)
FHT
BABTAC
Guild
The above are the accreditation providers that are either industry based and/or have strict entrance criteria, check all details and hold academies accountable.
Professional Ethics
Remember that at college we were taught that professional ethics are a vital part of our industry. This includes not calling other providers or sabotaging other peoples businesses. Busy training academies and salons do not need to spend their time getting involved with the affairs of other businesses. Another indication of good trainer and therapists are ones that do not get involved in naming and shaming other businesses.
Don't believe Gossip
Do your own research and make sure you check facts before passing on the information you discover. Sometimes the information may not be accurate so its best to ensure that this information is true before passing it off. Even if the source may seem reliable, sometimes the facts may still need to be checked.
Clean up our Industry!
Take time to educate yourselves and improve your knowledge
Do not engage in hate campaigns and witch hunts. The medic industry are starting enough campaigns - lets remain professional!
Let's work to improve our industry together.
Check everything! Even your insurance policy and terms and conditions of your policy to ensure that you have adequate cover!
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