The JCCP and CIEH have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in order to work together to promote best practice and standards in the aesthetic and beauty industries linked to a joint commitment to public protection and patient safety.

The MOU comes after the two organisations working together in recent years to campaign for the new amendment to the Health and Care Act, which would allow the Secretary of State for Health to introduce a licensing scheme for cosmetic non-surgical procedures and thereby improve the safety and regulation of the sector.

The key objectives of the collaboration are to:

• Work actively as key partners, drawing upon the expertise of staff, expert members and Trustees of each organisation in order to maximise public protection and patient safety in the sector.
• Work closely and collaboratively in the development of new regulations and standards following the implementation of the Health and Care Act 2022 to ensure that all relevant cosmetic aesthetic procedures are well regulated and the new Regulations are designed to work effectively in practice.
• Support the implementation and alignment of the national aesthetic industry education and training standard (as endorsed by JCCP, Health Education England, the Cosmetic Practice Standards Authority and by United Kingdom Accreditation Service) within the context of the new proposed licensing standards.
• Raise and share issues of concern regarding activities of both commercial providers of aesthetic and beauty sector treatment services and education/training providers, where client, patient safety or public protection has been considered to have been compromised.
• Encourage aesthetic practitioners to engage in reflection and continuous professional development, with particular regard to patient safety, public protection and the promotion of positive health and wellbeing in order to further develop and improve their practice.
• Jointly publicise and promote the work and aims of both organisations in order to raise public and professional awareness of best practice within and across the sector.
• Work collaboratively at all times to establish, maintain and further the credibility and reputation of both organisations in accordance with their explicit aims and objectives.
• Collect and share information to inform best, safe and productive practice within the aesthetic beauty sector and seek to promote a culture of future innovation and development in association with relevant advice from members of the aesthetic beauty industry in the UK.
• Provide support to each other by sharing partners’ unique skills with each other to facilitate excellence in practice, education, training and with regard to the use of lawful and safe products within the context of safe premises.

“The JCCP and the CIEH have been working together over a number of years to influence policy and practice with regard to the regulation of non-surgical clinics and procedures. The recent enactment of the Health and Care Act 2022 includes provisions for the first time for a licensing system to be introduced in England for this sector. Agreeing this Memorandum of Understanding between the JCCP and CIEH formalises joint working and establishes a partnership to influence the developments associated with the new legislation and licensing with patient safety and protection at its heart.”

– Professor David Sines CBE, Executive Chair of the JCCP

“We were delighted that the amendment to better regulate the non-surgical cosmetic procedures has been included as part of the Health and Care Act 2022. However, there is still a long way to go to ensure that this important piece of legislation works well in practice and provides the level of protection that the public would expect. That’s why I am pleased to formalise our close working relationship with the JCCP. The two organisations have a lot to offer to one another and this collaboration should help us to align our expertise and work towards our common goal of making all cosmetics procedures safer for the public.”

– Dr Phil James, Chief Executive of the CIEH,