Salon business expert and domestic abuse survivor, Liz McKeon, is asking salon owners, chains, and distributors and their teams to engage in anti-domestic violence salon training. It’s quick, free and available online. Liz joined Nicky Pope for the Respectfully podcast this Spring to share what she has learned from Shear Haven, and how hairdressers can help (listen HERE). We’re keen to amplify the message – it’s so important. Please read on:
A personal experience
As founder of The International Salon Business School, Liz McKeon helps salons and their teams learn the tools of business success through online and in-person mentoring, coaching and education. In 2021, she became the Irish and UK ambassador for Shear Haven, an anti-domestic violence salon training provider. As a survivor of domestic violence herself, Liz was prompted to join Shear Haven by concerns about a rise in reports of domestic abuse during Covid. Some 1 in 5 people will suffer.
Today, hairdressers can access a 20-minute online training to help you recognise the signs of domestic abuse in clients or your work mates. It is a problem that pervades all areas of society, and is growing. Sharing insights and ideas, you can learn how to start conversations with someone you suspect might be at risk. It could be a simple question, or signal that you’re listening. This might be all the prompt they need to ask for help. A simple and quick training can equip you with the tools to support someone in need to find safety. Liz explained to us the process of completing a 20-minute online session followed by a short quiz to ensure you’re taken on board the key messages. It’s so straightforward and a viable training option for busy stylists and the entire salon team.
After completion, participants in the training receive a personalised certification of achievement. Even placing this in your workplace can be used to “raise awareness”, says Liz. Posting it on social media or displaying it in your salon could mean at-risk clients can “feel more safe.”
Why hairdressers?
Shear Haven was founded in the US in 2017 by Nashville-based salon owner and another domestic abuse survivor, hairdresser Susanne Post. Since then, it has helped train salons and stylists globally to recognise the signs of abuse and understand and convey the resources available. To date, the training has been accessed by more than 120,000 salon professionals across 100 countries. That’s impressive.
But why are hairdressers in a position to help identify signs of domestic violence? Customers tend to visit hair salons regularly and stick with one hairdresser for a prolonged time. This means stylists play a unique role in the lives of their clients as unofficial therapists. While lending an empathetic ear on everyday topics, there is an opportunity for stylists (who are already experienced and skilled communicators), to make life-saving interventions with clients at risk of, or currently experiencing, domestic violence. Through a simple and time-efficient training programme offered by Shear Haven, stylists and their salons could save lives and create safe spaces for those at risk.
How big is the problem?
There could be more of your clients experiencing domestic abuse than you might think. It has been on the rise in recent years. In the UK during the height of Covid-19 between March and June 2020, there was a seven percent increase in domestic abuse incidents compared to the same period in 2019, according to the Office for National Statistics. During this time, which included during the first Lockdown and after, around one-fifth of criminal offences involved domestic abuse.
Statistics from The Crime Survey for England and Wales found that over two million people in England and Wales experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2023. This shows domestic abuse to be an ongoing post-pandemic requiring key intervention. This is where, thanks to training providers like Shear Haven, hair sector professionals can now make a positive impact.
To listen to the Respectfully podcast where Liz talks with Nicky Pope about Shear Haven HERE
To Access Shear Haven’s anti-domestic violence training, visit www.lizmckeon.com or www.shearhaventraining.org
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