TERMS & CONDITIONS
Course Booking Terms and Conditions and Cancellation Policy at SkinAstute Limited trading as SkinAstute Aesthetic & Beauty Training Academy.
Please read through the terms and conditions since by making a course booking online or via our invoicing system you are agreeing to the terms set out below.
Training Centres
We have two OFQUAL Centres approved by delivers NVQ / VRQ / RQF qualifications in Bedfordshire & Midlands. All our NVQ / VRQ / RQF courses are delivered from these centres. Our main centre is located in Birmingham and we have a smaller centre in Luton. For all other courses the venue is subject to the number of students; details are confirmed via course joining instructions sent by email approximately 7-14 days before course delivery or 2-7 working days post payment.
We do provide training courses nationwide including onsite training (travel charges may apply). Please contact us for more information about onsite training.
Enrolment
Students can enrol on most of our courses online, however before enrolment please ensure that you meet the entry requirements. Proof of relevant qualifications and pre-requisites is required before access is provided to the course learning materials. Please email all certificates to info@skinastute.com
We offer interest free instalment plans for most of our courses; should you wish to pay in instalments please email us at info@skinastute.com with the following information once you have paid the booking fee online:
- Full name
- Contact number
- Billing address
- Proof of qualifications
If you are not sure whether you meet the entry requirements, please email us at info@skinastute.com or call us on 0330 1333221 to discuss.
Minimum Age for Enrolment
Please note the minimum age for enrolment for most OFQUAL Courses at SkinAstute Aesthetic & Beauty Training Academy is 18 years of age.
Please note the minimum age for enrolment for Advanced OFQUAL and Aesthetic Courses at SkinAstute Aesthetic & Beauty Training Academy is 18 years of age at commencement of the course.
Accreditation
All our courses are accredited or recognised by a range of accreditation and approval bodies.
All VTCT & ITEC courses are regulated qualifications; students will receive a certificate issued by ITEC &/or VTCT.
RQF course certificates are issued via Focus Awards or VTCT/ITEC.
Aesthetic & beauty courses are accredited/recognised by one or more of the following: ABT, Professional Beauty Direct, Towergate or CPD Accreditation Group.
Online courses are accredited by the CPD Accreditation Group. Before booking an online course, we advise students to check insurance cover.
Theory Access
OFQUAL Courses
The theory element for most of our courses is accessible via our online learning platform which allows students to access presentations, audio, videos, works books and assignments in their own time. To access the theory, a Laptop of PC is required. Access to the portal is provided following receipt of payment within 7 working days, instructions will be sent via email. Please ensure all relevant theory is completed prior to the attendance day. For OFQUAL qualifications, the theory refers to the online units including presentations, videos, and audio; it does not refer to assignments. Completion date for assignments will be agreed on the attendance day and form part of the assessment plan. Please note: there may be some OFQUAL and accredited course workbooks or assignments. These must be completed prior to the attendance day. Students who attend OFQUAL course practical, learning or assessment days without having accessed the theory at 100% as advised in the course joining instructions email and require the tutor to go through the theory, or do not pass their practical assessment or exam will incur a charge for any second attempts of the practical assessment and theory exams. The second attempt at the exam will only be free of charge where our e-learning platform shows the content has been accessed at 100%. Tutors will recap theory on the attendance days and answer any questions or queries the students have but the presentations and videos on the portal will not be discussed in full.
Accredited Courses
For accredited courses, students who do not complete the relevant workbooks or assignments and attend the practical day, will not be issued the certificate. Although extensions can be granted for the submission of the work post course attendance, the deadline for the submission is 28 days post the attendance day. Any workbooks or assignments submitted after this date will incur a £295 charge for a two hour refresher session for injectable treatments which will be conducted remotely to ensure the student is fully competent in delivering the treatment to the paying client. Where the student does not meet our accreditation requirements in performing treatment, they must attend a face to face session charged at £500. Students can opt to proceed to the face to face session should they wish to do so. The certificate will be dated on the date of submission or work, the practical training date or the refresher session, whichever falls later.
Attendance
OFQUAL Courses
Students will receive the dates of attendance days required as part of the course. The attendance days consist of theory, practical, practice and assessment days. We aim to provide quality assurance visit dates 14 days before the QA date; students must arrange their models for all quality assurance visits and exam dates. Students will be provided with the approximate number of attendance days and must attend all dates arranged. Additional dates will be arranged if students do not attend their theory, practical, practice days or do not pass their written or practical assessments. These dates will be with the next cohort of students subject to space availability and may be subject to an additional charge. Where students wish to attend the dates sooner there is a charge of £250 per attendance day.
Although the number of attendance days are provided when registering for the course, additional attendance may be required where students do not pass their practical assessments or theory / practical exams. Where students attend the course as agreed and have not prepared for practical or written assessments a charge of £175 will be applied to cover the cost of the additional assessment day arranged.
Absences
Students must notify their tutor, not a fellow student of any absences. If the student does not contact SAABTA on Tel: 0330 1333221 or their tutor directly via telephone by 8 am to notify of an absence, this will be noted as a failure to attend and a £175 charge will be applied for arranging an alternative day. Tutors may or may not provide their contact number; where the student does not have access to the Tutor’s contact number, they must notify SAABTA on Tel: 0330 1333221 via a phone call. All absences must be notified via phone call and not via SMS, WhatsApp or any other messaging service.
Beauty & Aesthetic Courses
Payments for any outstanding balance for the course must be made in full prior to the course date. Where a date is booked and students fail to attend, all monies paid are non-refundable to cover loss of earnings. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that they have the necessary pre-requisites for the course and that they have sought advice regarding changes in regulations and appropriate insurance cover by independent means before enrolling on a course. Access to a prescriber is required when administering anti-wrinkle injection treatments and for emergency kits for Dermal Fillers. Although we do have links with prescribers, we cannot guarantee a long term working relationship with the prescriber.
Models must be arranged by students unless agreed in writing before course booking. We do not accept liability for model cancellations. Model charges are payable (please see below).
Online Courses
We have added CPD accredited online courses to the wide range of courses we offer. When completing our online courses, it is the responsibility of the student to ensure that they have sought insurance advice before enrolling and that they have the necessary prerequisites. We do not accept any liability for students who cannot obtain insurance following the completion of the course. Some courses can be completed solely online such as the LED Light Therapy Course. The certificate for these is issued online once you have completed the course. If you do not receive a certificate within 7 working days, please contact us.
Advanced conversion courses such as AHA Chemical Peels and MST Micro-needling can be assessed online via Skype or Zoom, only where the student provides proof of previous qualifications held in the relevant treatment.
The remaining courses which require students to perform practical treatments are assessed face to face. Please check the availability of the dates before enrolling on the course. Where we have a significantly low number of students we may cancel the session by providing a 5-day notice or offer an alternative date at one of our other centres.
Certificates for courses that require face to face attendance will be issued once the practical assessment has taken place.
Tutor / Academy Contact
Students can contact SAABTA via email. SAABTA aims to respond within 7 days of receiving an email. SAABTA accepts no responsibility for last-minute emails, regardless of whether or not these are about assessments. Once you have emailed your query, please wait 7 days for a response (please allow 14 days for marking of assignments). Please do not follow emails with SMS, WhatsApp or any other messaging service as this is unnecessary. All emails are dealt with in date order.
Where students have been provided contact number by their tutor, they must not send last minute queries in the form of SMS, WhatsApp or other messaging services to their tutor is under no obligation to respond. Students can contact their tutor Monday-Friday (excluding bank holidays and weekends) between 9am-4.30pm.
Tutorials – OFQUAL Courses
Students have the right to request tutorials as part of their course support. Tutorials can be booked with tutors face-to-face on any of the attendance days at the end of the day. These tutorials must be booked in advance and requested via email. It is the responsibility of the student to book the tutorial in advance based on their assessment plan.
Assessments – OFQUAL Course
Written Assignments
All written assignments must be the student’s own work. Plagiarism and collusion are not permitted. Plagiarism is the act of using someone else’s words or work and passing this as your own. This can include copying and pasting text from sources such as the internet, AI, Google, information websites and textbooks without citing them.
Collusion is the collaboration of two or more students to produce work that is submitted as an individual effort. It can occur when two friends are completing the same course and sharing their work. The use of AI is not permitted. We use plagiarism software and where students are found to plagiarise or collude, they will be disqualified from the course and all monies paid will be lost and non-refundable. The work you submit for your assessment must be your own. Should you copy from someone else, allow another learner to copy from you, or plagiarise in any other way, you may be disqualified for the unit / qualification concerned.
All written assignments and workbooks are to be completed electronically via laptop or desktop and sent to assignments@skinastute.com on dates agreed as part of the assessment plan. The students have the responsibility to adhere to the guidelines as set by SAABTA for assignment submissions including the layout of written work for ease of marking. Where assignments do not meet the criteria these will not be marked and resent to students for amendments.
SAABTA do not accept assignments via online sharing programmes including dropbox, google drive, etc. Assignments can be written on a word document and attached to an email as a file or sent as an email with all outcomes listed for the relevant unit. Amendments must be made in bold and comments from the tutor must not be deleted. Students must print their written assignments and bring these with them to be placed in their portfolios.
SAABTA do not allow the submission of assignments via USB drives. Students must adhere to emails sent upon enrolment outlining requirements for assignment submissions. Students are permitted a total of two submissions; any further submission will be charged at £30 per submission per assignment. This includes any submissions where the incorrect version of the file has been sent.
The assessment plan will provide deadlines for assignment submission, practical assessments and any exams. Assignments submitted to assignments@skinastute.com will be marked within approximately 14 days and returned to the student with feedback. During busy periods such as School Holidays, Christmas, Easter and other religious holidays plus bank holidays this timeframe can vary and it may take tutors approximately 28 days to mark assignments. However where the assessment plan has not adhered to, any submitted assignments may not be marked within 14 days, as all assignments submitted by students on time will be prioritised. It is the students responsibility to ensure that their folders must be up to date at all times.
Where an internal or external quality assurance visit is due to take place and there are missing assignments, the folder will not be quality assured. This will result in the folder being presented at the next quality assurance visit which may take place approximately in 6-12 months. This means that the claim for the certificate can be withheld by the awarding body. Please note that if the students registration with the awarding body expires, SABTA will not be held liable as the assessment plans are deigned to ensure students submit their work in good time to allow for certificate claims. Where assignments are submitted late and students begin work with a salon or spa, SABTA cannot fast track requests for certificates. In cases where all practical assessments and written exams are complete, following the date of the last completed assignment submission it will take approximately 4-6 weeks for SAABTA tutors to sign off the folder as complete. The internal quality assurance will takes approximately another 2-3 weeks after which a claim for the certificate is made to the awarding body. To process the certificate claim by the awarding body can take an additional 4-6 weeks. However if the external quality assurers identifies that further evidence is required, then this will increase the turnaround time for certification.
Written Exams
OFQUAL courses can consist of multiple-choice written exams, a mark of 70% or higher is required to pass the written exams. Students must bring proof of photographic ID with them on all attendance days including learning, practice and assessment days and present this to their invigilator at the start of the exam. The first two attempts of the written exam are included in the course fee only if the student has accessed the relevant content at 100% via our online e-learning platform. Where the online course access is less than 100%, the second attempt at the written exam is charged at £50. Third attempts will be charged at £50 always. Where a fourth attempt is required VTCT must be notified. The fourth attempt is charged at £115. Failure to do so will result in re-arranging the exam date for which there is a fee of £150. We can request for some written exams to take place remotely, however students must respond to any emails in relation to the exam within two working days since a minimum of 21 days notice is required to allow for us to schedule this exam and for the awarding body to grant approval. These exams will be invigilated remotely, students must have relevant measure in place including access to the internet, access to two devices (one for exam and one for invigilation) and a secure space (a room with a door, for sole use of the exam without any interruptions or distractions). Where there are any interruptions or distractions this will lead to disqualification and a fee will apply for rescheduling of the exam regardless of whether this is a first attempt of the exam.
Practical Exams
Students who are completing assignments with end point practical or written exams including but not limited to VTCT and ITEC courses must submit their written assignments for any underpinning theory units prior to the practical attendance day. Requests to book an examiner will be made only when the assignments for all underpinning theory units have been submitted and marked as complete. The dates provided for the attendance day and examiner days may be subject to change based on the students commitment to completing these written assignments as well as the availability of the examiner. For any OFQUAL (VTCT, ITEC or any other awarding body) single qualification practical exams (not practical’s assessments), only one practical exam is included in the course fee. Any additional attempts are charged at £800 per qualification. For qualifications where a course is booked as a package there is an additonal £395 charge for the practical exam fee.
Contract
Upon registering for a course, students enter a contract with the academy to adhere to their assessment plans including dates for practical and written assessments and responding to all emails from SkinAstute relating to assessments within 2 weeks of receiving an email.
Students are required to maintain regular contact with their tutors and respond to all emails. Students who do not respond to emails are at risk of being automatically removed from enrolment of the course regardless of the amount of course completed and monies paid; no refund will be issued. Students who do not respond to their tutor within two weeks of receiving a second follow-up email will be served notice via email of removal from enrolment on the course and awarding body as a student.
Re-enrolment on the course will incur payment of the full course registration fee and an additional admin fee of up to £250.
Instalment Plans
We offer interest free payment plans for most of our courses. To pay in instalments please contact us to discuss. The booking fees for our courses can be paid online after which an instalment plan can be implemented. We provide access to our e-learning platform usually with 7 working days of receiving the booking fee payment. Payments for all accredited courses must be made in full 7 days prior to the attendance day. Where payment is outstanding, this must be made in full in cash or instant bank transfer upon arrival at the centre – this must be agreed via email. Where payment is outstanding and no correspondence is received from the student to make arrangements for the payment on the day of the course, the centre reserves the right to not hold the course without prior notification and will not be held liable for any charges incurred by the student. All monies paid by the student will become non-refundable
For our OFQUAL courses payments, instalment plans can be implemented for 3-6 months at 4 week intervals. However if the course is completed before the instalment plan ends, any outstanding payments must be made in full before the SABTA submits a claim for the certificate to the awarding body. For course which include an end point assessment/exam, the outstanding balance must be paid in full prior to the assessment/examination day. Where payments are outstanding and the registration with the awarding body expires SABTA will not be held liable. Where an instalment plan is place and the student expresses a wishes to defer the course, a deferment of a maximum of 3-6 months will be applied, only in circumstances where the registration with the awarding remains active following expiry of the deferment. It is the students responsibility to complete any outstanding course requirements to meet the assessment criteria set by the awarding body. In situations where more than one OFQUAL course is booked, and the student wishes to cancel one course a charge of £250 per practical session or the charge for the course based on the amount of e-learning accessed (whichever is greater) will be applied plus any registration fees paid. However the amount of theory accessed but be below 50%. For example for a course charged at £1000, if one practical session is attended then the amount payable is £250; however if one session is attended but 50% of theory is accessed via our e-learning portal then the amount payable will be £500 as 50% of £1000 and not the £250 for one practical session. This amount will be invoiced. Where a student has accessed 50%+ of the course theory online then all payments made become non-refundable and charges for any additional attendance days will be applied and must be paid. Where course fees have been paid in full and no assignments are submitted for more that 12 weeks, SABTA reserves the right to deregister the student from the course.
Extension of Course Registration
All single-unit courses with an OFQUAL awarding body and independently accredited courses must be completed within 6 months from the date of enrolment; after which period an additional fee of £150 is required to extend the completion date by 2 weeks.
All full qualifications i.e. NVQ Level 3 Beauty Therapy courses must be completed in line with the assessment plan or within a maximum of 12 months from the date of enrolment; after which period an additional fee of £250 is required to extend the completion date by 4 weeks, only if the awarding body registration allows.
Models
We require students to arrange models for training and assessment purposes as part of their training unless agreed upon enrolment. However there are some courses where students are required to arrange own models. Due to the short notice SAABTA are unable to arrange models for courses which are booked within 21 days of the course date.
SAABTA do not accept the responsibility for providing models for onsite training or for training arranged at any other location unless it is at our Luton or Birmingham training centre and has been previously agreed in writing.
Male students – where previously agreed and at the discretion of SAABTA models may be arranged for some treatments. However, due to the nature of treatments and client preferences we do require male students to organise models body related treatments including but not limited to body massage, body electrical treatments, ultrasound cavitation and so on.
For our advanced courses we require students to perform treatment on each other; therefore please arrive prepared to perform and receive treatment. Students attending advanced courses which require performing more than one treatment will be required to provide their models. SAABTA accepts no liability for models not arriving on the day of the training even where this has been agreed upon before the course delivery.
Students must arrange their models for all quality assurance visits.
Model Fees
For VTCT courses the cost is £10 per treatment for models; or £20 per day for an assessment day where more than one treatment is performed on the model.
Advanced & Online Courses
Botulinum Toxin – Foundation: £120 for three areas; Advanced: £120 for three small areas & £190 for neck or underarms
Dermal Filler – Revolax (or equivalent) – £70 per ml; Juvederm (or equivalent) from £110 per ml.
Skin Boosters – Profhilo – £120 per area; Sunekos £90 per area.
Aesthetics – Micro-needling (£30); Chemical Peeling (£15); Advanced Electrolysis & Dermaplaning (£15); Mesotherapy, Ultrasound & Radio Frequency (£20); Fat Dissolving (Face £30, Body £50 per area), PRP (£65 per area), B12 Injections (£10), Skin Booster (£90-£120), MesoTox (£120), Facials (Level 2 & Level 3 – £10), Body / Indian Head Massage (£10).
All model fees apply for advanced injectable courses must be paid a minimum of 7 working days before the course date to allow us to ensure we have a sufficient amount of product available for the training day. Where payment has not been received we accept no liability for product availability – the full course fee is still applicable. An additional fee of £250 will apply where practical is rescheduled. Students are responsible for securing payment from their models; the payment must then be made to SkinAstute Limited in one lump sum per course a minimum of 7 working days before the course date. All injectable courses are performed with needles unless stated cannula on course bookings. Students who are participating in advanced courses are required liable for model fees. In our advanced course where more than one area is being covered in the training course, one model can be used for one or more areas. This means the model slots in course joining instructions slots are used to book per area. For example in skin boosters where Seventy Hyal and Lumi eyes is covered, Model A would attend model slot 1 and model slot 2. The same applied to all our advanced courses including dermal filler, botulinum toxin, advanced electrolysis, etc.
Models pay a heavily subsidised cost for treatments to be performed by students as part of their learning, therefore this does not include any top-up treatments. Students are required to arrange their own models for MesoTox treatments with botulinum toxin prescribed for their model which 50 units of bocouture and 0.9% bacteriostatic saline – please contact us to discuss if you have any questions prior to course booking.
Models Arranged by SAABTA
Models receive treatments at heavily subsidised cost. As our students rely heavily on models to be able to pass their course, when booking as a model with SAABTA, we require a minimum of 50% of the cost of treatment for treatments to be paid in advance. The remaining 50% is payable on the day prior to the treatment being performed. A payment link allowing for payments to be made using a credit or debit card will be sent via email. Once the payment, this is non-refundable.
To allow us to send a payment link please provide us with the following details:
- Full name
- Contact Number
- Email Address
These can be sent via email to info@skinastute.com or via our Instagram or Facebook page.
Due to insurance purposes we can only accept individuals aged over 18 years of age for treatment, therefore proof of photographic ID will be required on the day in the form of a passport or drivers license.
Unfortunately we are unable to accept models who are pregnant or breast feeding due to insurance purposes. Models with certain medical conditions may be contra-indicated to certain treatment. If you have a medical condition please contact us to discuss this prior to making payment, as failing to notify us of a medical condition may result in the treatment not being performed and any amounts paid will be non-refundable.
For Covid-19 vaccinations, we are unable to offer treatments 4 weeks post vaccination. Some advanced treatments such as chemical peels, dermal fillers, botulinum toxin injections, etc. can affect suitability for treatment. Please contact us if you have received any advanced facial or injectable treatment prior to making payment.
Cancellation of Courses and Changes to Courses, by SAABTA
We reserve the right to reschedule or cancel courses. Reasons for this may be but are not restricted to, low enrolment numbers, weather warnings, model availability (only applicable where models are provided by SAABTA), tutor illness or tutor availability (special circumstances). In the instance of a Tutor’s absence, a full refund will be given, or alternative dates will be provided.
Course tutors may be subject to change due to tutor unavailability. Where there is a change in tutor, SAABTA will endeavour to give as much notice as possible in advance of individual classes or course start dates.
Although we do offer one-to-one and onsite training, many of our courses require a minimum number of enrolments. Where the courses do not reach the minimum number required they will be cancelled no later than 7 days before they are due to start*
Students are required to perform practical treatments to pass the courses**
We may be required to cancel an individual class at short notice. Wherever possible we will endeavour to offer the course at a later date*. If it is not possible to rearrange this class or you cannot attend the new date, a partial refund will be given. Where the course is booked at an offer price and the alternative date is not suitable, the course fee will revert to the full amount and the discount price will be void on future bookings.
When students travel to us and book overnight accommodation, we advise that students purchase the flexible room rate which allows for last-minute cancellations. SAABTA accept no responsibility for charges relating to accommodation as a result of course cancellations.
Disclaimer SkinAstute Aesthetic & Beauty Training Academy is not responsible for any additional costs you may have incurred, including costs for travel or accommodation. Further information is detailed below.
Cancellation by You
Once you have paid your booking fee or received our invoice (whichever falls sooner) you are deemed to have entered a contract with SAABTA.
You have the right to cancel this contract with us. The cancellation period (excluding online courses) will expire at the end of 14 days after the invoice has been sent and the non-refundable booking fee must be paid within two working days. Please note that the 14-day cancellation period starts from the date of when the booking fee was paid or when the invoice was sent. Please familiarise yourself with the details in the Cancellation Policy below. This does not apply to discounted courses or courses starting within 14 days. Booking fees paid for discounted courses are non-refundable even if payment is made within the 14 days of the course date.
Online courses can only be cancelled if the course has not yet commenced. Students who start the online course will not qualify for the refund, regardless of whether the course has been fully completed or not.
Blended courses (accredited and OFQUAL courses) where theory is available online followed by practical at the centre become non-refundable once the manuals have been sent or where online learning code has been used, regardless of whether the course has been started, incomplete or complete.
Where students make a request for SABTA to arrange models for their courses, these courses are exempt from the refund policy as by way of making this request the course is deemed to have begun.
After the cancellation period has expired consideration may be given, on a case by case basis, to requests to cancel where exceptional circumstances exist. A refund may be given, or a credit note issued which can be used against future course fees. Students may be asked to provide supporting evidence, e.g. a medical certificate. Where refunds are issued, a 25% administration fee (of the total course fee at the time of booking excluding any fees paid) will be charged for any refunds made outside of the 14-day cancellation period. Regulated courses through an awarding body i.e. VTCT cannot be cancelled once the student has been registered with the awarding body.
Students should be aware at the time of booking, that after the 14-day cancellation period, there is no automatic right to cancel and there will be no refund of fees.
Courses booked that are cancelled within 14 days of the course date are exempt from our refund policy due to tutor allocation. Payments will not be refunded even if the booking fee or course booking falls within the 14 day refund period.
Course booking fees will not be carried over for the cancellation of the course on more than one occasion.
Special Offers
To qualify for a reduced or special offer rate on our courses, this offer must be active at the time of booking. Where the course price is reduced as part of a promotion, no claim can be made by the student on the discount applied to scheduled courses once the invoice has been sent. Late payments of the booking fee or course fee can result in a price increase where the special offer has expired. One offer or discount can be claimed at a time. Courses on special offer are exempt from refunds.
Where the course has been cancelled by the student, the discount will no longer apply. In exceptional circumstances, SAABTA may consider applying the discount on one occasion of rearranging course dates as a gesture of goodwill.
Where a discount has been applied for joint bookings and the course is completed together on the same dates, then the discount will be split evenly and applied to the total amount due by both parties. Where the discount is applied for joint bookings but the course is not undertaken at a later date by the second party, the discount will be applied to the amount due to the second party and not on the initial booking. Discounted prices offered for joint parties will no longer apply if one part cancels the course.
Discount Codes
These may be launched via social media; therefore please follow us on social media to ensure you receive the latest offers. Where a discount code applies and this has not been entered upon enrolment; the full course fee applies and no refund is given for the difference.
Starter Kits
Starter kits are not included with discounted courses or courses on special offer. Where starter kits are provided with course bookings; these are subject to Dermedics terms & conditions which can be found here.
For some courses links to equipment and resources used during training will be provided. Students must check that the equipment and resources meet their salon/clinic needs and carry out their due diligence to ensure the products are fit for purpose, safe for use and carry the appropriate safety clearance. SkinAstute Limited is not liable for any issues that may arise following purchase of any products or equipment links provided.
Post Course Support
Following course completion we will send an email with documents that can include consultation forms and the aftercare information for most of our courses. These documents will be in word of PDF format. Students must ensure that these forms are adapted to suit their own salon/clinic and insurance requirements.
Course Materials & Certificates
Accredited Courses
Our course fees include the cost of the manual and certificate unless stated otherwise. However, an administration fee of £10 will be applied for the reprint of a certificate for accredited courses (including postage costs) for spelling errors (incorrect spelling provided by the student) or replacement certificates. An administration charge of £15 will be applied for the replacement of the course manual (excluding postage costs).
Regulated Courses
Once the qualification is complete, our centre’s internal quality assurance checks will take place. This can take 4-6 weeks. A claim for the certificate will be made. the Awarding body reserves the right to carry out a centre visit (see quality assurance section) or requests evidence for externally quality assurance processes. This can delay the processing of certificates. Once the claim is made, the awarding body can take approximately 4-6 weeks to send out certificates.
Once we receive the certificate we will notify students their certificates have arrived; students must collect their certificates and folders in person within 28 days of receiving the notification. Where this is not possible a charge must be paid to cover administration and postage costs. Invoices for certificates must be paid within 2 working days of the invoice date. The administration and postage costs are not included in course fees. The certificates and folders are sent via recorded delivery, therefore we require a delivery address that allows the courier to obtain a signature which is required upon delivery. Failed delivery attempts where the folder is returned to us will incur an additional charge for postage of the same amount. SAABTA accepts no liability in cases where parcels are signed for at the delivery address provided and do not reach the students.
Students are granted access to our online portal which contains presentations and/or videos to support their learning. Some manuals for regulated qualifications are downloadable from the portal. Where manuals are not downloadable, a hard copy can be be provided to students if required. Students can request a hardcopy of the manual by emailing info@skinastute.com. There is a £10 charge for printing manuals/workbooks. Students are encouraged to use the presentations/videos on the portal alongside the manual. Students are also encouraged to make use of the manual as well as to conduct additional research through further reading of journals, articles and textbooks associated with the subject area.
For our VTCT courses, we will provide students with resources including the revision sheets to assist with exams, online resources, etc to assist with the preparation of exams. These are a guide to assist you alongside the theory, practical and written work undertaken as part of the course.
SAABTA deliver accredited courses and in some cases, a certificate of attendance is issued to acknowledge students have attended additional training relevant to their qualifications.
Online course certificates will be provided in electronic format upon completion of the online course which does not require attendance. Where attendance is required to undertake a practical assessment, the certificates will be issued following a competent practical assessment.
Course Timings & Dates
We offer an approximate number of training days and hours during which the course is delivered; this information is in the course description. Our courses generally commence at 9.30 am/10 am and finish at approximately 4 pm.
We do not cancel courses unless there are exceptional circumstances and try our very best to continue with the training schedule, even if this means 1-2-1 training. The timings and days of our course depend on the number of students enrolled and the content covered. In some instances, we may finish earlier or later than anticipated. We aim to ensure that the content of the course is covered. Where students are not able to source models for their training, additional dates arranged will incur additional costs listed below:
VTCT Courses (teaching/assessment – tutor only) – £150 per additional day plus travel expenses
Quality Assurance Visit – £250 per additional day plus travel expenses
Accredited Beauty Courses – £150 per additional day plus travel expenses
Aesthetic Courses – £350 per additional day plus travel expenses
Course Joining Instructions
Course joining instructions are sent via email approximately 7-14 days before the date of the course. these will contain important information relevant to the course. Please ensure you read these carefully. The course joining instructions will contain information on several models required, what students must bring on the day of training, the dress code and approximate timings of the day. Please note: finish times can be later or earlier than specified as this depends on the number of students enrolled on the course.
Evaluations
Students are required to evaluate the course before receiving their certificate. Course evaluations allow us to monitor our course standards and allow for improvements. We request students provide online course reviews at https://www.skinastute.com/ under the relevant course.
Where an evaluation form is completed for any of our courses, we will post the feedback on our website under course reviews using the email address supplied by the student and the rating of 1-5 used as start ratings.
Quality Assurance Visits
As part of the OFQUAL qualifications regular Internal and External Quality Assurance visits are undertaken at the centre. As part of your qualification, the internal quality date will be made available to you following the course registration. Should this date not be agreed with the EQA/IQA upon enrolment or be subject to change we aim to notify students no less than 14 days before the visit date. Students are required to attend these QA visits or we reserve the right to withhold the certificate as per our QA policy. This applies to all students who have not completed qualifications due to outstanding assessments (practical or written) who can be selected to attend an External Quality Assurance visit date even if all practical assessments have been completed. Refusal to attend can result in delay for claim of certificates until the next EQA visit. Where students are unable to attend to due to extenuating circumstances, proof is required and the final decision is at the discretion of the EQA.
The Awarding Body reserves the right to withhold processing of certificates subject to an onsite or remote external quality assurance visit. The dates for the visit can delay the issue of the certificates.
All folders must be up to date per the assessment plan. Where there are missing assignments, a further quality assurance visit may be required before completion of the course which can incur additional charges and delay claims for certificates.
Where the student is unable to attend quality assurance visits, additional visits can be arranged at a cost. These fees are £250 for an Internal Quality assurance visit per person and £500 for an External Quality Assurance visit (subject to EQA availability) per student. These visits are arranged following assessment days; students who attend a quality assurance visit and are not prepared by either not completing the written assignments, lack of access of the online theory or simply do not adhere to previous feedback of the assessors will be required to attend additional quality assurance which is charged from £250 per practical assessment.
Internal quality assurance visits are scheduled near the completion of the course for the purposes of certificate claims. However if there is outstanding work following a quality assurance visit by more than six weeks, additional quality assurance may be required prior to claim of certificates. This will incur a charge of £350 to cover any assessments, assessor costs and quality assurance.
Travel and Accommodation Bookings
We strongly advise students to purchase the appropriate insurance cover for any travel & accommodation costs. We advise purchasing travel and accommodation at flexible rates which allow last-minute cancellation. SAABTA will not be liable for any travel and accommodation costs incurred by students where SAABTA cancels the course.
Refunds
Please note that outside of the 14-day cancellation period, you are only entitled to a refund if SAABTA cancels the course*. the 14-day refund policy applies only to courses that have not yet commenced. Refunds for cancellation of online courses will not be given if the course has been commenced, regardless of whether the course has been fully completed or not.
Refunds are not available should you have a change in circumstances that makes attendance at the course difficult or additional responsibilities that affect your time and commitment to attend the course and complete the course study. Therefore before booking, we encourage students to consider their availability and commitments carefully at the time of booking. Courses cancelled within 14 days of the course date are exempt from our refund policy due to tutor allocation. Payments will not be refunded even if the booking fee or course booking falls within the 14 day refund period.
Wherever possible, when we cancel, we will transfer you to another course date provided there are places available. If the cost of the course you have been transferred to is less than your original payment you will be refunded the balance. If the new course fees are greater you will be asked to pay the difference accordingly.
Please note that credit towards another course is valid for 6 months after it is applied to the student’s account*
Progression
The wide range of courses we offer are designed to allow students to progress on to advanced treatments therefore we can support students with progression in their career in advanced treatments alongside supplying products and equipment. Students have the responsibility to carry out due diligence about advance training and the restrictions relating to insurance, licensing and any other relevant restrictions in place.
Post Course Support
Tutors are available for post-course support following course completion; however, our training courses are delivered in small groups and are designed to fully equip students with the skills to perform treatments safely and effectively following course completion. We encourage all our students to make notes and ask questions throughout the course delivery to become fully confident therapists in performing the treatments.
Payment Plans & Associated Fees
SAABTA offer payment plans which are managed in-house. Once a payment plan has been set up, there is a £40 administration charge for any changes associated with payment plans.
All payments must be cleared by the due date. For card payments allow 3 working days for funds to clear. For cheque payments allow 5 working days for funds to clear. All payments must be cleared at least 14 days before the course start date. All funds paid are non-refundable / non-transferrable. By paying the non-refundable booking fee you are agreeing to the SAABTA terms and conditions of Course Bookings. Late payment charges of £20 per week are applied for overdue payments. SAABTA reserve the right to amend Ts&Cs without prior notice
Complaints
SAABTA makes every effort to ensure you enjoy your course of study. In the unlikely event that you have a complaint about any aspect of our service please refer to our Centre Complaints Policy.
COVID-19 GUIDELINES
Cancellation under Covid-19
In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are obliged to adhere to government guidelines regarding opening, trading and isolation. These guidelines may influence the decision whether the course proceeds as scheduled or whether it is re-arranged. These are unprecedented times and we aim to accommodate all our students and keep the cancellation of courses to a minimum. In the event of a cancellation, we will reschedule the course on the same day i.e. a course scheduled to take place on a Monday will be rescheduled for a Monday, where possible. However, due to the uncertainty, the notice period may be impacted significantly; unfortunately, this is not something that is in our control.
Through payment of an invoice, you agree to our above terms. The payments made are non-refundable in the event of the course cancellation being impacted by government guidelines or models cancellations due to testing positive to Covid-19, the dates will be rearranged.
Models under Covid-19
All models must take a lateral flow test two days prior to the course date. Where the models test positive then alternative models must be arranged. To ensure that course cancellations are kept to a minimum, we advise students to the arrange backup models. Where cancellation of models occurs due to Covid-19, the theory element of the course will be delivered. However the dates for the practical session will be arranged with the next scheduled date for the relevant course or subject to tutor availability.
Where SAABTA arranges models and course cancellations occur due to models testing positive to Covid-19, these course dates will not be refundable. Where the cancellation occurs with less than 48 hour notice, the theory element of the course will continue to be delivered on the date as agreed.
Remote Exams
Due to Covid-19, we will be scheduling VTCT Exams remotely. Students must have access to the exam on a desktop or laptop with a second device such as a phone or tablet which will be used for the Zoom call. We will provide students with dates for the exam. Students who do not reply to the email by the deadline to confirm they are unavailable on the date provided will be scheduled with VTCT for the exam to take place remotely. Students will be required to sit the exam at the designated date and time with the Invigilator arranged. Failure to attend the exam remotely will be recorded as an absence. This absence will be logged as the first attempt at the exam with SkinAstute Aesthetic & Beauty Training Academy, with one free attempt remaining. Students who join the Zoom call late will not be allowed to sit the exam, this will be logged as an absence.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Your Right to Cancel
You have a right to cancel your contract with us within 14 days, under The Consumer Rights Act 2015. Please read this information carefully. Once the booking fee has been paid or the invoice has been sent, you are deemed to have a contract with SAABTA. The 14-day cancellation period commences on the date the booking fee is paid or the date invoice is sent (whichever falls sooner). At the point when the invoice is issued the provisional dates are held for two days to allow for you to make payment of the non-refundable booking fee. Once the non-refundable booking fee has been paid the dates will be confirmed. After this time for making payment of the booking fee has expired your place will be released to the next student.
You have the right to cancel this contract with us without giving any reason if you have not enrolled on the online course and accessed any of the course materials. The cancellation period will expire in the following circumstance: at the end of 14 days after the booking fee has been paid or invoice has been sent; or if you enrol on our online portal and access any of theory content; or if the manuals have been sent to you via email or post. If you wish to cancel under the Consumer Rights Act you must inform us of your decision in a clear statement by sending an email to info@skinastute.com with your full name, course name, course date and the reason for cancellation (optional).
To meet the cancellation deadline, it is sufficient for you to advise us that you wish to cancel before the 14-day cancellation period has expired. Please note that a cancellation request must be made by email. Where a refund is requested the cost of fees (associated with the processing of payments, £50 admin fee, and charges incurred for equipment/venue hire, etc will be deducted.
Effects of Cancellation
If you exercise your right to cancel before the course begins, we will reimburse you for all payments received from you or offer to transfer this credit to another course where appropriate. We will make the reimbursement without undue delay, and not later than 21 days after the day on which we are informed about your decision to cancel the contract.
Students who wish to cancel within 48 hours of the training will be required to pay the associated costs including venue hire and tutor travel, accommodation and costs of resources. These will be invoiced. Student who access any theory content within the 14-day cancellation period will not be refunded as the course materials have been accessed even if the course is not complete. Cancelations following enrolment for a course will result in students being financially liable for the practical sessions attended and theory accessed. These will be charged at £250 per practical session attended or as the % of the course materials accessed online, whichever is greater. For example for a course charged at £1000, if one practical session is attended then the amount payable is £250; however if one session is attended but 50% of theory is accessed via our e-learning portal then the amount payable will be £500 as 50% of £1000 and not £250. This amount will be invoiced.
We will make the reimbursement using the method in the table below. If we need to reimburse by international bank transfer we will deduct bank charges.
| Payment Method: | Reimbursement Method: |
| Cash | BACS |
| Cheque | BACS |
| Credit/Debit Card (Online or In-Person) | BACS |
You will lose your right to cancel if the course has been fully completed during the cancellation period, and it began:
- After direct express agreement that the course may start during the cancellation period
- With the direct acknowledgement that cancellation rights are lost once the course has been fully completed.
*Please be aware that this applies to all courses at SAABTA
**Students must arrange for models to successfully pass the course. SAABTA will not be held liable for arranging models or for non-attendance of models as part of the learning and assessment process (unless previously agreed). Please ensure that you have spoken to your insurance company regarding insurance as the prerequisite for each insurance company varies. Our courses are recognised by Towergate and are accredited by CPD, Professional Beauty Direct and ABT. HF will only insure individuals who possess therapists with an NVQ Level 3 in Beauty Therapy or equivalent or are medical professionals. ABT & PBD will insure individuals who have an NVQ Level 3 in Beauty Therapy or equivalent, VTCT Level 4 in Laser & IPL, and VTCT Level 4 in Micro-blading. Our courses are accepted by many insurance companies. We do not accept any liability for students unable to obtain insurance following attendance on one of our courses or for any other lack of due diligence carried out by the student before enrolling on the course.
**Please note**
These terms and conditions may be subject to change without prior notice.