Specifications

Course Overview

This practical and knowledge-based range of qualifications has been created to develop and equip existing hairdressers with advanced and creative skills, competencies, and expertise in hair services in particular; advanced hair science, consultation and profiling, creative cutting, colour correction, creative setting, dressing styling and finishing hair and creative colouring. This qualification will also enable existing hairdressers to gain confidence in practice while gathering evidence in a realistic working environment.

The Diploma and Certificate will provide learners with the knowledge and skills to carry out advanced and creative hairdressing services, enabling learners to gain the necessary skills and essential underpinning knowledge to work commercially as a Hairdresser/Senior/Creative Stylist. The Diploma will also provide opportunities for learners to develop the necessary skills and competencies to progress directly into employment or to further study.

Units

To achieve this qualification a learner must successfully complete nine units, all eight mandatory units, and at least one unit from the optional section:

Mandatory

• Advanced Hair Science
• Implement health, safety, and hygiene
• Client consultation and profiling
• Creatively cut hair
• Creatively set, dress, style, and finish hair
• Creatively colour and lighten hair

Optional

• Colour correction
• Creatively perm hair
• Smooth and strengthen hair
• Relax hair
• Hair extensions
• Braid, twist, and thread wrap hair
• Cultivate, maintain, and repair locks
• Advise on products and services
• Freelance worker
• Promotional activities

Learning Outcomes

1. Advanced hair science – learners will gain advanced knowledge on the; structure and function of the body systems and their interdependence on each other, structure and function of hair and hair growth, structure and functions of the skin and the relative and absolute contraindications and related pathologies to improve their ability to select the most appropriate products, tools, equipment, and techniques when performing advanced and creative hair services.
2. Implement health, safety, and hygiene – learners will be able to implement their advanced knowledge and understanding of health, safety, and hygiene practices through research of legislation, policies, and procedures. The learner will analyse and review policies and procedures for refinement when implementing health, safety and hygiene for the salon, self, and clients for services/treatments.
3. Client consultation and profiling – underpins all the practical technical units within this qualification. Learners will be able to conduct a concise consultation to determine the most appropriate service/treatment to meet the client’s needs and achieve the desired outcome/s.
4. Creatively cut hair – learners will gain advanced knowledge and creative skills to be able to use products, tools, equipment, and a variety of creative cutting skills to create a bespoke restyled creative look to enhance personal image.
5. Creatively set, dress, style, and finish hair – learners will gain advanced knowledge and creative skills to be able to use products, tools, equipment, and a variety of conventional and nonconventional styling and dressing techniques to produce innovative, fashionable, creative, and personalised looks.
6. Creatively colour and lighten hair – learners will gain advanced knowledge and creative skills to be able to use products, tools, equipment, by combining, adapting, and personalising colouring and lightening techniques to create a variety of creative looks. Techniques include the use of weaving, slicing and block, block panel colouring and full head and regrowth application of lightener.
7. Colour correction – learners will gain advanced knowledge and creative skills to be able to use products, tools, equipment, and a variety of techniques will include, removing artificial colour, removing bands of colour, recolouring hair and correcting highlights and lowlights colouring services.
8. Creatively perm hair – learners will gain advanced knowledge and creative skills to be able to use products, tools, equipment, and a range of advanced perming techniques to create a variety of permed effects.
9. Smooth and strengthen hair – learners will gain the knowledge and skills to be able to use products, tools, equipment, and techniques to safely and effectively, provide commercial smoothing and strengthening services.
10. Relax hair – learners will gain the knowledge and skills to be able to use products, tools, equipment, and techniques to safely and effectively, provide commercial relaxing hair services.
11. Hair extensions – learners will gain the knowledge and skills to be able to use products, tools, equipment, and techniques to safely and effectively, provide commercial hair extension services.
12. Braid, twist, and thread wrap hair – learners will gain advanced knowledge and creative skills to be able to use products, tools, equipment to carry out braid, twists and thread wrapping services.
13. Cultivate, maintain, and repair locks – learners will gain advanced knowledge and creative skills to be able to use products, tools, equipment to be able to cultivate, maintain and repair locked hair using a variety of techniques.
14. Advise on products and services – learners will gain the knowledge and skills on how to promote, advise and instruct on products and services, for client loyalty and satisfaction and to contribute to business success.
15. Freelance worker – learners will gain the knowledge and skills on how to work within Government guidelines regarding; legislation, accounts, tax, and insurance responsibilities as well as managing cash flow during economic or personal changes in circumstances, when working self-employed.
16. Promotional activities – Learners will gain knowledge and skills about planning, implementing and evaluating promotional activities including presentations, exhibitions, digital technologies and social media platforms. The ability to competently present information and interact with the public whilst demonstrating skills is a particularly important aspect of this unit. Learners will need to ensure that their practices reflect up-to-date information, policies, procedures and best practice guidance.

Entry Requirements

• The qualifications are designed for learners aged 16 and above who have achieved a Level 2 qualification or apprenticeship in hairdressing or have considerable industry experience. Centres are responsible for ensuring that this qualification is appropriate to the ability of learners.
• The qualifications have been designed to be accessible without artificial barriers that restrict access and progression. Entry to the qualification will be through centre interview and learners will be assessed on an individual basis.