Bridging qualification developed to allow therapists to train to Level 7

Awarding organisation Industry Qualifications (IQ) is developing a Level 5 bridging qualification to allow Level 4-qualified beauty therapists to progress onto its recently completed Level 7 Certificate in Injectables for Aesthetic Medicine, developed in accordance with GMC and Health Education England (HEE) guidelines.

In a bid to standardise the issue of whether or not non-medics should carry out injectable treatments, the qualification will focus on teaching the general knowledge, competence and skills that were identified as vital to safe and effective injectable treatments in the HEE qualification standards published in January last year, but may not have been obtained by a therapist up to Level 4.

“The intention is to impart the knowledge and skills relevant to cosmetic injectables, such as health and safety and clientcentred practice,” said Laurence Clarke, qualifications development officer at IQ. The awarding body is working with The Association of Aesthetics, Injectables and Cosmetics to develop the qualification by mid-2017. Clarke said it would comprise e-learning elements alongside practical oversight and is likely to run at under 300 hours. Upon completion, students will be able to progress onto IQ’s Ofqual-approved Level 7 Certificate in Injectables for Aesthetic Medicine.

“We recognise there’s a difference between beauty therapists and healthcare professionals in terms of breadth of healthcare knowledge, but it’s really only the competence relating to delivery of cosmetic injectables that impacts patient safety,” said Clarke. “We are strong believers that both beauty therapists and doctors have equal right to perform aesthetic treatments, providing they are equally occupationally competent.”