Check Your Therapist!

I was inspired to write this blog after some complaints made to the BBC about one of the episodes from the recent series of The Apprentice.
I don't watch The Apprentice so I am a bit behind on writing about the issue as I know it has just finished, but it got me thinking a lot about how much we trust professional to have the relevant qualifications, training and insurance. The episode I am referring to is number 4 from series 7 which saw contestants providing beauty treatments to members of the public in order to make the most profit and win the task. It showed them receiving 'some'  degree of training by representatives of various companies but were not supervised when performing the treatments on the public. It did not show the contestants washing their hands or making any effort to prevent cross contamination between clients. The Federation of Holistic Therapists (FHT) were contacted by concerned members of the public who realised that these treatments were being performed by inexperienced and uninsured people. A letter from the FHT has now been sent to The BBC to raise these concerns.
If you missed the episode or just want to see it again, follow the link bellow to BBC iPlayer.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/search?q=apprentice+series+7&page=2

This issue raises many questions about how customers book in with therapists for treatments without thinking about whether they are qualified or insured to perform them.
The best way to find out this information is to ask, any therapists will be happy to show you copies of their qualifications and provide you with information about their insurers. If they are members of a specific guild or federation then the therapist will be listed on their website and you can check through them directly.

Stay safe!