Please help! Very upset/angry/disappointed!

[Ophala]

Ok I'll try and explain best I can without droning on!

About a year ago I did my OPI training in manicure and pedicure. After I completed that I completed the complete foundation course (all 3 enhancement systems). Since April I've been working a couple of days a week in a local hair and beauty salon - just doing manis and pedis, no enhancements. The owner offered to put me on her liscensing agreement when it was renewed.

Now the problem - I got a phonecall today from the salon owner telling me health and safety have been in and my OPI certificates are not recognised in my borough (Barnet) as proper qualifications and therefor I can't work in the salon in case something happens.

Now I'm not annoyed with the salon owner - it's not her fault, but surely OPI should have told me when I did my training that it might not be a recognised qualification in some areas? I don't know what to do. I can't work in the salon until I have my NVQ qualification but I can't afford/don't know where to do it.

Has anyone else been in this situation and can you offer me any advice??

Sorry for rambling on :cry: x

 

[bombini]

OMG Thats not good !

Have you called the council or OPI ? I would call both as surely if they are accepting NVQ's only then it would make no difference which company you trained with unless it was an NVQ ?

What exactly is the license ? I didn't even know salons had to have one.

I know diferrent councils have different rules but it sounds a bit odd to me.

 

[Lellipop]

I do know that London do operate a license and nvq's etc are the qualifications they need.

 

[Jaydee]

OMG Thats not good !

Have you called the council or OPI ? I would call both as surely if they are accepting NVQ's only then it would make no difference which company you trained with unless it was an NVQ ?

What exactly is the license ? I didn't even know salons had to have one.

I know diferrent councils have different rules but it sounds a bit odd to me.

It's not odd really....lol. Some boroughs in London do not allow you to work unless you have an NVQ.....they have regulations in place. Now I am not 100% sure but I think if someone in the salon has an NVQ then it is ok for you to work there under their supervision. I am sure this happened to me once where cos I had my NVQ, other techs were able to work. Before you give up hope, check with the council and check if anyone else in the salon has an NVQ. You can do your NVQ through assessement centres, someone on here will be able to help you further I'm sure as to where they are and what the procedures are. Good luck and let us know how you get on.
David.x

 

[bombini]

Thanks for clearing that up for me, I had never heard of that before !

So is it a similar thing to what they have in the US ?

 

[Jaydee]

Thanks for clearing that up for me, I had never heard of that before !

So is it a similar thing to what they have in the US ?

Sort of....lol. If you come into the centre of London you will never see any NSS Chop Shops, simply because of many of these technicians are trained within house so never recieve any formal qualification. I am in Westiminster where you have to have an NVQ to work in the borough and have to re-apply every year for my therapists license. Ruth (NailsinLondon) works in the City and she is the same.
David.x

 

[bombini]

Sort of....lol. If you come into the centre of London you will never see any NSS Chop Shops, simply because of many of these technicians are trained within house so never recieve any formal qualification. I am in Westiminster where you have to have an NVQ to work in the borough and have to re-apply every year for my therapists license. Ruth (NailsinLondon) works in the City and she is the same.
David.x

Well I think its a fab idea then, at least it gets rid of the NSS. Bet I sound like someone out of league of gentlemen thats never left the local village now ! :lol:

 

[Mrs.Clooney]

Okay, forgive me for perhaps appearing a bit dim, but if Ophala is being asked to leave her job (because of lack of NVQ or otherwise), then why are the chop shops in our outer London areas still open? Not one of them has NVQ or equivalent of reputable certificates or training and yet they remain in business. OPI plus foundation is far more reputable than the chop shops, so why is Ophala being asked to leave?

Do these Council inspectors actually visit the chop shops????? I just can't get my head around this and can understand the frustration here.

 

[Ophala]

Okay, forgive me for perhaps appearing a bit dim, but if Ophala is being asked to leave her job (because of lack of NVQ or otherwise), then why are the chop shops in our outer London areas still open? Not one of them has NVQ or equivalent of reputable certificates or training and yet they remain in business. OPI plus foundation is far more reputable than the chop shops, so why is Ophala being asked to leave?

Do these Council inspectors actually visit the chop shops????? I just can't get my head around this and can understand the frustration here.

this is what me and my parents were talking about before.

i can work there if under supervision apparently - but my parents seem to think that means someone else working there has to have an NVQ - not that they have to be watching me all the time.

i don't have to have the NVQ if i want to work from home apparently and if i wanted to work 3 mins up the road in cockfosters or potters bar it would be hertforshire so i could!

i think im going to have to make a few phonecalls tomorrow....

 

[Cathie!]

Okay, forgive me for perhaps appearing a bit dim, but if Ophala is being asked to leave her job (because of lack of NVQ or otherwise), then why are the chop shops in our outer London areas still open? Not one of them has NVQ or equivalent of reputable certificates or training and yet they remain in business. OPI plus foundation is far more reputable than the chop shops, so why is Ophala being asked to leave?

Do these Council inspectors actually visit the chop shops????? I just can't get my head around this and can understand the frustration here.

Probably because the local councils haven't enforced any licensing standards. H&S visited chop shops in Bristol (as they did every nail salon in the county of Bristol and South Glos) back along and they're all still operating.

The H&S people in this exercise seemed to operate in an advisory capacity rather than an enforcing one.

 

[JuicyLucy]

Sophie, I would ring the Council tomorrow, it is likely that their regulations state "NVQ or equivalent" so you would just have to prove that OPI provide recognised industry qualifications. Perhaps the Council official was being a little over zealous in his/her interpretation of the rules.

 

[Little Angel]

Hi

contact 'chocolate' (her name is Rachel ) on here she will be able to give you loads of info on achieving your NVQ, an absolute mine of info and really nice too. If you're already trained it will only be a matter of assessments and completing a folder, plus it only takes a few months then you have it and can work wherever you like.

HTH

 

[JuicyLucy]

Hi
If you're already trained it will only be a matter of assessments and completing a folder, plus it only takes a few months then you have it and can work wherever you like.HTH

That may be true, but I think the immediate problem of not being able to work (possibly because of the way a regulation has been interpreted) is the urgent matter here. I for one couldn't stop work for a "few months", could you?

 

[Purelynailz]

hi
Im not 100% sure but i think that if you register to do your nvq you can carry on working as a tech providing you complete your nvq within 2 years which im sure youll be able to do in alot less time than that. I know that the creative academy in loughton essex offers the nvq assessments which means you wouldnt have to re train just complete your portfolio and assessments . hth

 

[Ophala]

thanks for all your help. i'm going to look into it more tomorrow - maybe try and contact the educator i had at OPI as i'm in occasional contact with her if i need help.

will try and speak to council as well maybe........like someone said it's not easy just to stop working for a few months. i'm lucky in that at the mo nails are part time so i have another income but it's still not going to be easy

 

[becki x]

Hiya Sophie,also try pm'ing Judge Dread,he's the guy in the know when it comes to this.

Hth's x