Professional standards, ethics and legislation
Domain 1 tests the legal and ethical framework beneath every treatment: which laws apply, what consent really means, how records are kept, and where your competence and insurance stop. ITEC expects you to name legislation, explain its practical effect in the salon, and apply it to a client scenario rather than merely list statutes.
The legal floor
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974: employers must assess and control risks; employees must take reasonable care and report hazards. Risk assessments, safe systems of work and training flow from this Act.
- COSHH 2002: every hazardous product - wax, peel, disinfectant, monomer, lash adhesive - needs an assessment, correct storage, labelling and exposure controls.
- RIDDOR 2013: report specified incidents, dangerous occurrences and certain occupational diseases; over-seven-day worker injuries are reportable. Not every accident is RIDDOR-reportable, but all belong in the accident book.
- Equality Act 2010: nine protected characteristics; refuse or vary a service only on clinical grounds, and make reasonable adjustments.
- UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018: lawful basis, minimum data, secure storage, subject access and retention. Client images need specific consent.
- Consumer Protection Act 1987 and Consumer Rights Act 2015: products must be safe; services must be delivered with reasonable care and skill; claims must not mislead.
- Local authority registration and byelaws: special treatments, skin piercing (including electrolysis) and hygiene registration may require licensing.
Ethics, consent and scope
- Valid consent is informed, voluntary and given by someone with capacity. A signature alone is not proof; the client must understand the treatment, alternatives, risks and aftercare.
- For under-16s, follow salon policy and Gillick competence principles; parental or guardian consent is normally required for invasive or semi-permanent treatments.
- Confidentiality covers records, conversations and social media. Do not post images or case details without written consent.
- Work only within your training and insurance. Do not diagnose; refer suspicious lesions, unexplained pain or systemic symptoms.
- Advertising must be truthful: no 'cures', no guaranteed results, accurate prices and qualifications.
Worked example
A 15-year-old asks for an eyebrow wax before a school event. The therapist checks salon policy, which requires parental consent for under-16s. She explains why, gives a consent form and declines to treat that day. She also asks about recent retinoids and active skin infection, and records the advice given. The reasoning is legal (capacity and consent), ethical (protecting a minor) and clinical (waxing is not risk-free on young, reactive skin).
Traps that cost marks
- Treating a signature as proof of informed consent when nothing was explained.
- Saying RIDDOR covers every accident.
- Assuming insurance covers any treatment you feel confident to perform.
- Quoting a retention period without linking it to the record type and local policy.
- Using client photographs on social media without specific, documented consent.