Hi All,
We have only just spotted this thread, but wanted to clarify the situation as there is a lot of conflicting information. As a number of people have said, it is always worth checking with your insurance company individually, as the information provided to one person does not necessarily apply to another; not all the statements on this thread are correct, so please let us clarify.
First, to address the original question about waxing from you
@HazelEyes; we cannot speak for all insurers, however from our perspective, the issue of waxing is clear. If you would like to carry out standard or basic waxing techniques, you will need a
level 2 qualification or equivalent in order to obtain insurance from us. The same applies to intimate waxing as we require a separate qualification or approved CPD course in order to insure you. From a BABTAC perspective, in-house training will not count for insurance purposes. Under our guidelines, basic waxing includes using warm or hot wax for: Underarms, Full Leg, Eyebrows, Upper Lip and Bikini Line only. For anything beyond the bikini line, it is classed as intimate waxing and requires a second qualification.
Kim Lawless Speed Waxing and Intimate Waxing courses are both accredited by us; if you would like to get insurance with us for intimate waxing, we would recommend saving up for her course
Clarifying our position on other things:
The issue of our changing standards, regulation and insurance have all become muddled together on the thread, so for clarity here is our official statement:
At BABTAC, as a Professional Association, we are working to safeguard and improve the beauty industry, for the benefit of both our practitioners and the public. Advisory input with the BSI, submissions and debate with The Review on Cosmetic Interventions and BABTACs own Corporate Taskforces, have highlighted a need for change within the industry, and as a result we have taken an individual decision to update our policy for the benefit of our members and the wider industry.
There are currently three core needs for the industry: increased standards of training; increased recognition from the public; and a drive towards an accountable and independent method of regulation.
As a single body in a large industry, we do not presume to dictate to the industry as a whole; however we can and are working to support and promote our members. On the 1st January, we implemented policy updates in order to meet the three industry needs, which come at the end of a year when the industry has been thrust under greater Government and public scrutiny; we introduced the following:
In response to public concerns over specific treatments: increased minimum training standards have been implemented across the board which members must meet in order to gain insurance or extensions; this is not a new undertaking, but a
revised benchmark. New members will be expected to meet these standards from January 2014; existing members will also need to meet these standards, but will have 24 months to up-skill if they do not already meet them
In response to demands from members: we have introduced
a new tier of recognised training, enabling therapists to choose more effectively and spend time and money more wisely on reputable, high-quality training courses. This new categorisation will only affect courses taken from the 1st January 2014
In response to industry-wide insurance claims and feedback: additional checks for accredited training providers and introduction of some
new pre-requisites for therapists will help to ensure public safety is not compromised at any time
The key benefit of these changes is that it enables us to further promote our members to the public and be assured that our standards are the highest benchmark in the industry.
Considering regulation:
Our objective is for BABTAC to continue to lead the way in setting high standards for the industry, as well as supporting the move towards industry self-regulation. At this stage, many of our competitors have been reluctant to enter into dialogue about self-regulation due to fears that it will undermine their credibility; our argument is that without a drive for self-regulation, we potentially face the prospect of being centrally regulated by the Government, who have little in-depth understanding of the industry. Self-regulation enables us to take control of our own destiny and create an industry image which we can be proud of.
It is worth noting that these changes come at the end of much consultation with industry partners and providers; we have questioned and listened to numerous manufacturers, awarding bodies and employers on these issues and also ask them about their industry expectations and the assurances they need. In this way, our changes benefit the whole industry, not just our members.
At this stage, we do not believe that any of our competitors are raising their standards, and whilst we respect their decisions, we question its rationality given the recent public and government scrutiny of the industry. We are really proud of our move towards even higher standards and believe that it can only benefit the industry in the long-term.
A comment from our Chair Carolyne Cross, clarifies this statement; We have spent a lot of time considering the proposed changes making sure increased standards help improve the industry, without being unobtainable. BABTAC has always been at the top of the industry, providing the highest possible standards for 36years, but the time has come to push these higher again in response to feedback from the public, the Government and our members. We cannot and will not dictate industry wide standards, but we can set expectations for our members and help make sure they are the best in the industry; this is our objective and were delighted that feedback so far has been really positive!
Answering your specific comments:
@Decadence Lots of really great comments throughout, however there is a need for clarity on a couple of points:
We are working with a number of industry partners and actively campaigning for industry regulation, however at this stage, it is not mandatory. All our members are updated regularly on our progress in our magazine, Vitality, or you can email
[email protected] for specific updates
Yes, we are asking for minimum Level 2 qualifications, however it isnt as simple as that. The premise behind this is to ensure that standards are improving, but we do have a list of equivalent qualifications which will be accepted. Level 2 is the easiest way to describe it, but it will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, also taking into account past experience, CPD etc.
We advise anyone who is unsure to ring the membership team on 01452 623110 (Option 1) or email [email protected]
Looking at your specific response (#11), can you email us at
[email protected] with your membership number and query and we will review your membership specifically.
@Haylez250 as we have said earlier in our post, this is only our changes and not everyone elses. That said, we will take past experience into account, hence our or equivalent. The therapists most affected will be those just entering the industry, who will need to undertake high-quality training which meets
current guidelines
@Divine H & B in our case, this will apply to all courses, not just waxing. If you are worried about whether you will be eligible for insurance with us, then please call the membership team on 01452 623110 (Option 1)
@notsonewgeek we would like it to be legislative in the long-term to protect the reputations of all the wonderful therapists in the industry, however there is a long way to go until this will be possible. In the meantime, we are leading the way as a Professional Association and working to improve the expectations of the industry
We hope that clarifies things