Could mandatory registration for hairdressers and barbers finally be on the horizon?
After years of campaigning, petitioning and conversations across the industry, Mike Taylor of Mike Taylor Education tells us the sector is closer than ever to compulsory registration.
What’s happening and when?
On Monday 14th September Vikki Slade MP is scheduled to present the Barbers and Hairdressers (Registration) Bill calling for the compulsory registration of barbers and hairdressings in England, Scotland and Wales. While it’s a significant start there is no confirmation yet, that licensing will become law and progress will depend heavily on parliamentary time, cross-party backing and ultimately government support. As a Private Member’s Bill, the presentation is a formal First Reading without a debate or vote on the policy. The Bill’s wording and Second Reading date should follow.
How can barbers and hairdressers support this bill?
- BEFORE 14th SEPTEMBER – Ask supporting MPs to contact Vikki’s office (vikki.slade.mp@parliament.uk) and publicly endorse the Bill.
- Attend and support its Second Reading once scheduled.
- Prepare to be compliant with records of qualifications OR verified competence of all staff, insurance status, hygiene standards evidence, evidence of legal employment for staff.
Why is Compulsory Registration important?
While no Bill can ensure that every business will be happy about the terms of registration, it will ensure that a minimum standard will be adhered to. Adding professional registration to the hairdressing and barbering industry will ultimately elevate the sector, protect the public from poor standards and enable business owners to achieve a fair living, earned against a more level playing field. Registration will also help to eliminate rogue traders and make illegal businesses even more visible and exposed to prosecution.
As the original founder of The Barber Council and a barber and business owner of 12 barbershops, 1 salon and 2 Academies, Mike Taylor has been a vocal advocate for mandatory registration.
Mike says “It’s been a long campaign to get this far and this breakthrough has largely been due to building a relationship with our awesome local MP Vikki Slade. I shared the challenges and risks that both hair professionals and the public face due to a lack of any real scrutiny and Vikki gave me the opportunity to speak with MP’s at the Houses of Parliament. I invited Gareth Penn who is the current Registrar of the Hair and Barber Council to join me. The Hair and Barber Council is the only statutory authority recognised by Parliament and they too have lobbied for many years for mandatory registration, so Gareth’s involvement has been pivotal.”
There is still a long parliamentary road ahead, but for an industry that has discussed regulation for years, this sounds like a very positive move!
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