Babtac is to increase its training and qualification standards from January 1, 2014.

Established in 1977, Babtac is the oldest membership organisation representing and insuring professional beauty therapists in the UK.

The move to increase standards even higher has been driven by a consultation between Babtac and the British Standards Institute (BSI) and submissions and debates with The Review on Cosmetic Interventions.

This highlighted 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.

From January 1 2014, Babtac will be introducing the following:

• In response to public concerns over specific treatments, increased minimum training standards will be implemented across the board in order for members 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; existing members will also need to meet these standards, but will have 24 months to up-skill

• In response to demands from members, introduction of 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

• In response to industry-wide insurance claims and feedback, additional checks for accredited training providers and introduction of some new pre-requisites for therapists to ensure public safety is not compromised at any time

• In response to demands from therapists, for the first time, recognition of some online training courses where appropriate, highlighting beneficial courses to undertake prior to practical learning; this should help give an introduction to treatments and prepare therapists more thoroughly, to help ensure they get the most out of training courses.

Carolyne Cross, chair at Babtac and Cibtac said: “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.

She added: “We cannot and will not dictate industry 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 we’re delighted that feedback so far has been really positive.”