Standard Terms & Conditions policies

Course Terms and Conditions

It is important that you read these Terms and Conditions before making any booking with us. Once a booking has been made and accepted by us, you will enter into a legally binding contract with us on the terms below.

Changes to these terms

We may revise these terms of use at any time by amending this page.

Please check this page from time to time to take notice of any changes we made, as they are binding on you.

Standard Terms & Conditions policies

Payments

Payment is required in full at the time of booking.

Please call 01803 363290 to speak with one of our Course Advisors for more advice on our courses.

Should you have a discount code, gift voucher, offer or other credit on file applicable, please ensure you apply this at the time of making payment as these cannot be applied retrospectively once payment has been made. Please note we reserve the right to amend course prices or run promotions at any time, without prior notice. Once a booking is made, the price paid is final and no price difference can be refunded in the event of a later course price reduction.

Refunds

All course fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.

Cancellation or Transfer of Training Dates

Rescheduling Requests & Fees

In the event of a genuine reason for cancellation (proof of which may be required); of a confirmed training date notified prior to the booked training date, a request for a transfer will be considered at the discretion of The Academy (subject to availability). If successful, an administration fee of £50.00 per course date will be charged. Non-attendance where no prior notice is given will be handled at the discretion of The Academy and may result in loss of course fees. This is applicable only to courses booked at full price only.

Should you be unable to attend a confirmed training date for medical reasons, a valid medical certificate covering the named student and day of the booked training will be required to waiver the fee to reschedule. Under medical or compassionate circumstances (proof of which may be required) and where immediate reschedule might not be possible; a credit for all or part of the course fee may be placed on file as a gesture of goodwill. Credits will be valid towards training courses only and run for a period of up to 6 months from the date of issue at which time the course fees would be forfeited. No refund of course fees can be issued.

In the first instance, please contact our team at headoffice@vspa.uk.com regarding your reschedule request (or non-attendance), who will respond within 24 working hours.

Last Minute Offer Bookings

Courses booked as part of Last Minute Offers either online or by telephone, are by their definition intended to be attended on the specific course date/course/venue booked. In the event of a genuine reason for non-attendance of any Last Minute Offer course, (at the discretion of The Academy) we may agree to allow the course fees paid to be placed on file as a credit towards a further training course, however this credit would be minus the standard £50 rescheduling fee per training day booked regardless of the reason for non-attendance e.g. a cancelled last minute offer course booked at £150 would result in a £100 credit being placed on file. Credits will be valid towards training courses only and run for a period of up to 6 months from the date of issue at which time the course fees would be forfeited. No refund of course fees can be issued.

Named Student

Booked training is non-transferable to an alternative student. Please ensure the booking is made giving the correct name of the person attending the course at the time of making payment. Amendments to this will be chargeable at £50 per course date/person, where possible for a change to be accommodated and a minimum of 48 hours’ notice prior to the course date is required, in writing.

In the event that the Academy should have to cancel your course for reasons outside of our control; The Academy will endeavour to give students at least 24 hours’ notice of any cancellation by telephone and/or email. The Academy is not responsible for any accommodation/travelling costs students may incur due to the cancellation of courses.

General

All practical training must be completed within 6 months of booking your course, unless otherwise agreed in writing at the time of booking. Should you fail to attend your original training dates for any reason and the course later be retired or amended in content, no refund or difference in courses fees will be offered. You may however, look to use the course fees on file as a credit towards payment for an alternative course of your choosing within 6 months of the original date of booking. Students who fail to book, attend or reschedule training within 6 months of enrolling upon their course (taken from date of making first payment) will forfeit any course fees paid. We cannot offer any refunds, credits or substitute training in such circumstances.

Minimum Student Age

We accept all students aged 16 years or over for our face to face training courses. With regret due to insurance reasons, we are unable to accept students aged under 16 years on the day of training for face to face courses, however online courses are open to those of any age as no attendance of our centres is required. Please note most insurers will only provide public liability (beauty therapist) insurance for working with the general public to those aged 18 or over, although some selected companies will accept those aged 16 or over.

Course Times

Please arrive at the training centre for 9.45am for a 10.00am start. Courses finish at approximately 4.00pm. A short break for lunch is provided during which we recommend students remain within the training centre or can go out for lunch (please bring cold food with you). If you arrive late in the morning or when returning from agreed breaks, you will be refused entry to the training. This is to avoid disruption for other students on the course.

In the event that you are late arriving in the morning and refused entry, please contact our Bookings Team to reschedule by emailing headoffice@vspa.uk.com – Please note a fee of £50 will apply to reschedule your training. If late returning from breaks you will be unable to complete your course and will forfeit course fees.

Please therefore ensure you allow sufficient time for travelling and returning from lunch. Make use of Google maps on smart phone or print map/directions from our website when planning your journey beforehand, to assist you to locate the centre on the training day.

All students must attend the full training day until 4pm. Should you choose or need to leave a course before the approximate end time of 4pm, you will forfeit any course fees and may not achieve you’re an accredited certificate.

Confirmation of Bookings

Once you have booked a training course you will receive an email within 48 hours to confirm the booking (for bookings made within office hours. Outside of these hours; confirmation will be sent on the next working day). Please note our offices are closed on Monday’s and weekends.

If booking a course online, please note that your booking is not confirmed until a Confirmation Email has been sent by our Booking Team to acknowledge your booking. The online payment receipt does not form a guaranteed or confirmed booking.

If booking last minute courses or courses scheduled for within less than 48 hours, please call to book so that we can confirm availability to you prior to payment. Where a course booked online outside office hours is unavailable or cancelled, an alternative date will be offered or a refund of the course fee paid will be given within 5 days.

No reimbursement will be made for travel/accommodation/childcare costs for cancelled/unavailable courses booked at last minute online. Where booking online less than 24 hours prior to a scheduled course date, please call us at 9.00am on the day of the training to confirm your booking has been received and chosen training is available.

Should a receipt for payment be required, please request this by emailing headoffice@vspa.uk.com at the time of booking or within 12 months of completing the training. Beyond this time, receipts cannot be issued and only VAT invoices will be issued on request to VAT registered business customers to meet legal requirements.

Accredited Certificates

Our Accredited certificates are issued to you at the end of your training course(s). Certificates are to meet the needs of insurance. If you misplace your certificate – fees for replacement certificates would apply. If you require your certificate to be reissued in a new name, we would require evidence for the reason for change of name plus the standard replacement certificate fees.

Students wishing to purchase a replacement certificate or hard copy of their diploma may do so by emailing headoffice@vspa.uk.com.

Hard copies by post are charged at £50 per certificate. For hard copies, please note the diploma will take the identical format as the PDF diploma provided to you by email and will be simply a printed copy on plain card for your convenience. For this reason many students will find it more economical & quicker to print their certificate at home where required for display purposes etc. Many beauty insurers prefer to receive the digital certificate supplied by email.
Replacement certificates (sent by email and hard copy by post) for training completed more than 30 days ago is £50 per certificate required

Once your payment is received, your request will be processed and your certificate(s) sent to you within 5 working days.

Online Courses / Student Portal

Students who book online beauty courses will receive a confirmation email within 24 hours of booking.

By accepting the terms presented to you, you confirm acceptance that this will expire your cooling off period immediately (if applicable). Once you have accessed the e-mail with manuals, no changes will be possible to make to your enrolment.

Please note it is important to make timely progress with your online course. If you encounter any difficulties, please contact our Support team without delay who will be happy to assist. Enrolment expires after 8 weeks from date of booking. Students who do not complete within this time, will not receive their certificate and would need to re-enrol at the standard fee if wishing to complete. A one-off extension of 30 days can only be provided in the case of medical or compassionate circumstances at the discretion of The Academy, for which suitable proof may be requested to validate your request. Request for such must be made before expiration of your enrolment period. In rare cases where a transfer from online to face to face training is preferred, or required at the discretion of the Support team, an additional fee of £100 per face to face training day required will apply and in some cases may be deemed necessary for a certificate to be issued.

Online courses require completion of theory tests and some case studies at home (for which you will need to work on friends/family and have access to basic products at home). Theory tests are completed through the online portal. A pass mark of 70% or above is required for each test but these can be retaken online for free and as many times as needed until you pass. Case studies can be submitted by email to headoffice@vspa.uk.com or sent by recorded post to The Vspa Spa and Beauty Academy, 25 ilsham Road. Torquay. TQ1 2JG.Once case studies are received, these will be evaluated by our Assessor. You will receive feedback and/or your certificate by email within 10 working days of submission. Our Support Team are on-hand by email to assist you throughout your studies and beyond.

During your training

During your training you will be required to give and receive treatments.

Please note courses may be mixed sex groups. Male students are required to provide a female model for waxing courses. If you have personal or religious reasons where you require training in a same sex environment only, please discuss this with our Course Advisors before booking.

Photography / recording of training (both audio or video) is strictly prohibited while in attendance of the training centre. Comprehensive training notes are provided at the time of booking and our Support team are available to assist with any queries after training, therefore this should not be required. This is to protect the privacy of other students, meet Data Protection requirements and avoid disruption to training. Tutors may occasionally take photos of student work during training with express permission, for marketing/promotional purposes.

All courses are taught only in English. All students are therefore required to have a good command of the English language, both written and spoken. This is essential so that the tutor is able to assess a student’s competence of all required aspects to achieve The Academy Certificate. Students must advise of any language issues at the time of booking as we may recommend one to one training as a more suitable training option (for which additional cost applies, see below).

Should a student be unable to demonstrate the required level of English to participate fully within the course, they may be refused the certificate and would unfortunately forfeit any course fees paid. Therefore it is important to discuss this prior to booking if you feel this may be an issue affecting your learning and course participation.

Medical Conditions

Please make us aware of any health conditions and/or medications currently taken that may affect your practical training or assessment days. Due to health and safety reasons, we do not allow students who are under 12 weeks or over 32 weeks pregnant to partake in practical training or assessment days.

All students are required to disclose any medical conditions at the time of booking, which will be dealt in the strictest of confidence. Some conditions may impede ability to participate fully within a course. An important part of training is to deliver and receive treatments.

Adjustments will be made to accommodate medical conditions where possible and practical. A medical certificate may be required in line with our insurance obligations. Where students are unable to receive treatments for medical reasons, a female model may be requested to be provided by the student for each training day.

Failure to disclose known medical conditions at the time of booking or to provide a female model where requested, which later prevent participation in a particular course may result in forfeit of course fees.

Special Training Needs / Requirements

It is very important you make us aware of any special needs you may have in order to make your practical training or assessment days run smoothly. Where possible we seek to include students with special requirements within our main course delivery. However for some students this may not be possible. Many students with special training needs prefer and gain the most benefit from tailored training on a one to one basis. Feasibility depends upon the course you are wishing to study; however where possible adjustments or special arrangements will be considered. Please note an additional cost will apply for training on a one to one basis.

Waxing Courses

In consideration of other students participating in the course, you must be prepared to give AND RECEIVE the waxing treatment. If you attend the course with less than 5mm of hair growth or are unprepared to receive the treatment, you will not be allowed to take part, resulting in the loss of all course fees. Male students are required to provide a suitable female model upon which to practice due to the nature of these treatments. Due to the reasons of privacy bikini waxing is not performed during the course however a detailed explanation of it is explained.

Manicure & Pedicure, Luxury Manicure & Pedicure and Gel Polish Courses

Please ensure any nail extensions or enhancements such as gel polish are removed prior to attending the course, as you will give and receive treatments working on the natural nails. Failure to remove such before the training day may result in being unable to participate within the course and a rescheduling fee being applicable.

Lashes & Brows Courses

Prior to training for this course you will be required to complete a patch test for tinting products at least 24 hours before your course commences.

It is mandatory to purchase a patch test kit.These enable you to complete the patch test at home.

Please ensure that eyelash extensions have been removed prior to any training involving eyelash tinting or lash lift. Those who have undergone facial cosmetic procedures to include surgery, dermal fillers of any kind or semi-permanent make-up / facial tattooing or micro-blading within the last 12 weeks may be unable to participate within these courses. Failure to disclose these treatments prior to booking your course may result in loss of course fees.

Facial Massage & Skincare, Electrical Facials & Microdermabrasion Courses

Please ensure you have removed any eyelash extensions before attending these courses. You will be required to remove your make-up as part of giving/receiving treatments on these training courses. You must ensure you are able to receive treatments and have notified us of any medical conditions / medications which may prevent you receiving treatments. Those receiving certain treatments for acne (such as roaccutane) or who have undergone cosmetic procedures to include surgery, dermal fillers of any kind or semi-permanent make-up / facial tattooing or micro-blading within the last 12 weeks will be unable to participate within these courses. Failure to disclose these treatments prior to booking your course may result in loss of course fees. Students booking Electrical Facials &/or Microdermabrasion training courses will be sent a document outlining medical conditions that may affect your suitability to participate within training. Please read through this thoroughly and respond by return email to confirm yes (with specific details) or no as to if any conditions are applicable to you. This allows us to ensure you are able and safe to give/receive the treatments due to the Electrical aspects involved with these treatments. Once your response is received, we will then be able to confirm your training dates or will contact you to discuss further.

Starter Kits

Some equipment are provided for you to train with on the day however you will be using your own products from your kit on the day.

Selected starter kits are available for our students to purchase through our website. The starter kit contents also give you some idea of the minimum basic items you will require, however there may be additional items you will look to add beyond the starter kit(s) once you begin practising to enhance your treatments. Kit orders will only be processed where the student has already booked or attended to complete the relevant training course with The Academy, as we provide kits only for the purposes of training, practice and gaining qualifications to our own students. Orders from those who have not completed training with us may be refused and result in cancellation / refund of the kit fee paid.

Beauty Insurance (Public Liability Insurance)

Following your practical training, you will receive The Academy certificate on the day of the course upon successful completion of the course(as discussed above) which will allow you to apply for beauty insurance to allow you to begin working on members of the public. This will allow you to begin working on a self-employed basis (mobile) and to take payments should you wish. Our courses are covered by a number of insurance providers including Professional Beauty Direct, Guild, ABT and Hiscox. You must ensure you register with HMRC regarding any tax/national insurance applicable to any income earned on this basis.

Refresher Training

Following training, students should begin practising treatments as soon as possible while the knowledge and skills are freshly learnt. Students are recommended to ensure they put public liability insurance in place before taking on paying clients. Students are advised to refer to the Practical Training notes provided with the Booking Confirmation email following training to refresh your knowledge and assist you with the treatment routines etc. Students are welcome to contact the Support Team with any questions. Should you be unable to practice your skills and/or require additional training at a later stage, please note additional fees apply per training day required.

Qualifications

Once booked, you have 12 months to fully complete the qualification including training, coursework and assessments from the date of booking. You would be unable to complete or resume any studies, outside of this period. All course fees are non-refundable and remain applicable even in the event that you do not achieve the qualification.

It is important students keep their knowledge and practical skills up to date by refreshing their knowledge using their training notes and continuing to practice their treatments ready for assessment days. Additional fees will apply should you require further training at a later stage, beyond your initial training days. You should ensure you revise and prepare thoroughly ready for assessments.

Qualification Programme Structure

All training should be completed on the day.

Complaints

We are keen to ensure all students gain the most from their training experience. In the first instance, please raise any difficulties or concerns with the tutor on the training day(s) as most issues can quickly be rectified at the time. However, in the unlikely event your training course with us does not meet your expectations and you feel unable to raise this with the tutor on the training day, please email headoffice@vspa.uk.com with the details of your feedback or complaint. This email must be received in writing within 5 days of your training course. We take all feedback and complaints very seriously and this will be investigated as required. You will receive a response in writing within 5 working days.

For all other enquiries please contact:

For existing student support regarding coursework or assessment related issues/queries: headoffice@vspa.uk.com

For all queries relating to existing bookings, cancelling/rescheduling dates, diploma certificates or kits: headoffice@vspa.uk.com

Code of Conduct:

To ensure all learners are given the best opportunity to learn, we would ask the following code of conduct is adhered to at all times:-

Punctuality is essential with all learners to arrive for 9.45am for a 10.00am start and training to finish at approximately 4.00pm. Allow adequate time to travel to the training centre. Lateness is very disruptive for other students and may mean you miss fundamental aspects of the training. You will be refused entry if you arrive late for training. There is a transfer fee of £50 per training date to reschedule your training if you arrive late. Please do not break from the training unless instructed to do so by the tutor. A lunch break is provided along with short refreshment breaks throughout the day, timed as is appropriate for the course. Taking excessive or unauthorised breaks may mean you miss vital training that impedes your success on the course. Students are advised to remain in the centre during agreed breaks (please bring cold food). Should you leave the centre and return late from break(s), you may be refused entry and be unable to complete your course.
Attendance of training days is compulsory. Failure to attend scheduled training can result in removal from your programme. Genuine reasons will be subject to the discretion of The Academy and handled under our above policy on rescheduling of training. This may be subject to rescheduling fees.
Learners are required to purchase at their cost & wear a suitable beauty uniform (tunic) to training / assessment dates. Nails should be short, hair tied back. Eyelash and Nail extensions should be removed (where appropriate to the training course being attended). For health and safety, all jewellery should be removed except a plain wedding band and small stud earrings.
All learners are expected to fully participate including giving and receiving treatments. Any exceptions (e.g. medical reasons) to this must be agreed at the time of booking and a suitable female model may be required to be provided by the student in order to participate.
Please ensure an enrolment form is handed to the tutor. Please make the tutor aware of any medical conditions or learning difficulties which may impact your learning (these should previously have been discussed at the time of booking to ensure suitability for the training). This can be discussed with the tutor upon arrival at the centre, in confidence. This will allow the tutor to best support you throughout the training day and make any adjustments possible to assist you to gain the most from your training.
We can accept no responsibility for any loss, damage or theft of personal property; however rare. Therefore we encourage students to leave all unnecessary valuables at home, remain vigilant to their belongings during training and take all property with them when leaving the centre. Any property left behind will be held for 7 days, following which it will be disposed as appropriate. Students are responsible for collection of lost items from site, by appointment. We cannot post or deliver any lost property.
Products / tools provided at the training centre remain the property of The Academy and should not be taken from the training centre at any time. Such will be treated as theft and reported to the authorities. Please work with the tools / products and within the facilities provided taking care to avoid causing deliberate damage or loss. Students may be held responsible for the cost of such loss / damage. Please wait until items are provided to you and no time should students access any staff only store cupboards or storage areas without express permission of the tutor and/or without supervision. For reasons of health, safety and hygiene; please use products / tools / equipment only as directed and when prompted by the tutor. If asked to ‘down tools’, please ensure you comply with any instruction by ceasing immediately.
Use of mobile phones is prohibited during training and should be turned off outside of agreed breaks.
No smoking, use of e-cigarettes/vaporisers or chewing of gum within the training centre.
Students must not consume or be under the influence of alcohol or drugs at any time during attendance of the training or assessment day(s). You may be asked to leave the centre where we have reason to suspect such influence, and the police may be contacted if appropriate.
The training centres operate a mixed sex basis for training days and you must be prepared to give and receive treatments from students of the opposite sex. If there are any reasons of belief, faith or religion which prohibit this, please advise before booking. Male students will be required to provide a female model for the waxing courses and assessment days.
Be courteous and respectful to tutors and other learners. No use of foul language. Abuse of any kind including racism will not be tolerated. Please avoid discussion of any sensitive or unrelated topics during the training which may distract other students or at any time, which may cause offence to others. While we operate a welcoming, friendly atmosphere on training days, student conduct should reflect that which would be expected by a beauty professional working within a salon environment since you are undertaking a professional skills course. Please ensure you work cooperatively and respectfully with all and take feedback / guidance seriously to allow you to acquire and demonstrate the required level of competence upon the training course(s). We appreciate learning new skills can sometimes be challenging but outbursts or disruptive behaviour (which may affect other students) will not be tolerated. Tutors will support you as best possible so please work with our staff to assist you, trusting in their professional knowledge and experience.
Verbal, physical or written abuse will not be tolerated at any time and will result an immediate verbal warning from the tutor. Should the conduct continue, you will be asked to leave the training immediately. You will not receive your diploma and will forfeit all course fees paid.
Should an issue arise on your training day in relating to other learners on the course or if you are experiencing difficulties with the course, please immediately notify your tutor so action can be taken or advice given to support you as required as it is sometimes difficult to rectify issues later and this will allow you to gain the most from your training day experience. Any issues will be handled in the strictest confidence but will not be permitted as grounds for any refund of course fees or for additional training, where this is not raised on the training day to enable remedy.
Learner feedback forms are to be completed at every training session and are compulsory where requested.
Photographic ID must be shown to the tutor at every training day to gain admission to the centre, if requested. Entry may be refused without this.
Students must not take any photographs or make any recordings (audio or video) of any kind while in attendance of training and/or when within the training centre premises. This is to meet Data Protection legislation, to protect the privacy of our students and avoid disruption to training. Photos may occasionally be taken by tutors with the express permission of students, for the purposes of marketing/promotion.

QUICK START & DISCOUNT PACKAGE OFFERS

T&Cs:

Payment in full must be made at time of booking.
Discount is on selected packages only. Saving stated refers to the saving made against the full, standard individual course fees for the courses included within that package or the usual course package price itself.
Courses within the Quick Start/Discount Package Savers must be attended by the same person
Courses within the Quick Start/ Discount Package Savers cannot be changed or substituted with any other courses, only the specified courses will be provided.
Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount.
We reserve the right to amend course prices or run promotions at any time, without prior notice.
All courses booked as part of the Quick Start/ Discount Package Savers deals are non-refundable and non-transferable under any circumstances. Any reschedules of dates will be at the discretion of The Academy and subject to the rescheduling fee of £50 per training date, where deemed possible.
Dates must be selected at time of booking. Training dates are subject to availability at preferred training centre & places are not confirmed until your booking has been processed by our team. All training booked as part of a package must be taken within 6 months of date of booking the package.