Education & Training Provider FAQs

Detailed research on the provision of education and training programmes in the aesthetics sector has identified the existence of a wide range of education/training providers.

Many of these providers go through appropriate accreditation processes, whether they be a University, College of Further Education or a private training provider recognised by an approved OFQUAL, SQA or equivalent awarding body in Wales and Northern Ireland. Many other companies operate independently with no externally approved quality assurance processes. In these cases it has been difficult to evaluate the value of any particular course or the extent to which they accord with public safety and protection requirements. The JCCP Approved Education & Training Provider Register will enable practitioners to know which courses and programmes meet the required JCCP/CPSA standards and prepare them to enter the JCCP practitioner register.

The JCCP believes that it is important for practitioners to know when deciding on which education/training programme to choose, the status of that provider, the level and nature of the qualifications on offer, and whether they meet and reflect the JCCP/CPSA standards. To do this the JCCP has established a ‘Register of Approved Education and Training Providers’.

The JCCP Education and Training Register is accredited by the JCCP. It should be noted that this register is not accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (the PSA).

The JCCP Education and Training Register is accredited by the JCCP. It should be noted that this register is not accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (the PSA).

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.

The entry requirements and processes for joining the JCCP Education and Training Provider Register are the same for all Education and Training Providers. Registrants will need to complete a detailed application and provide relevant evidence. JCCP Assessors will review each application and will give feedback to the applicant prior to an ‘Assessment Visit’.

See Entry Standards for Education and Training Providers.

Procedures exist to join and renew your Approved Education and Training Membership with the JCCP. For guidance, see ‘The JCCP Education and Training Providers Register Governance Procedural Paper’.

The alternative routes the JCCP has authorised for Practitioners to demonstrate their compliance with JCCP approved entry requirements to its practitioner register are set out in ‘Approved Routes to Achieving Equivalence to JCCP Approved Standards for Entry to Part A - Category 1 of the Practitioner Register’.

• Approved Universities and Colleges of Further Education via their own agreed processes.

• Training providers recognised by Ofqual (or other approved Government Regulators in other parts of the UK) approved ‘Awarding Organisations’.

• Organisations approved by the United Kingdom Accreditations Service to ISO17024 to offer assessment and certification of competent persons schemes.

The JCCP recognises qualifications offered at L7 that have been provided and endorsed:

• Through a University;

• A college or training provider approved by an Awarding Organisation accredited by Ofqual (or by equivalent devolved administrations in Scotland, 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 Organisations, 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 aesthetics 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’ to demonstrate competence and proficiency. This in particular applies to experienced aesthetic practitioners who have operated for many years but without the context of a recognised set of standards or qualifications. The JCCP will be seeking to establish a list of Approved Fast Track Assessment Centres in June 2019 who can carry out this process for existing practitioners.

The JCCP is working with manufacturers and product companies who provide extensive training to practitioners to consider how their training offer can be incorporated into recognised programmes, qualifications and for CPPD programmes. The case for accreditation of the same is also being considered by the JCCP.

Please see the guidance document ‘Guidance for Reporting Adverse Incidents’.

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.

The JCCP’s FAQ guide also covers the scope of the proposed licence, 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.

The JCCP has produced a Policy Statement on ‘Unconscious Bias’.

Yes, you can access our easy-to-read guide.

Please see ‘JCCP Safeguarding Guidelines’.

You can find the JCCP Anti Bullying Guidelines (Bullying and Harassment Policy).