31 October 2023

This week’s update covers the following:

  • New major campaign marking remarkable impact on hair salons 
  • Campaigning for you – aesthetics licensing 
  • Cost of living payment window

New major campaign marking remarkable impact on hair salons

A new national advertising campaign is launching this month and is set to remind millions of people in the UK of the value of visiting your local hair salon. Not ‘Just’ A Salon highlights the importance of hairdressing salons in their local communities as a place of comfort, conversation and expert pampering as well as judgement-free spaces where problems can be offloaded. Find out more here.

Campaigning for you – aesthetics licensing

The NHBF submitted a response to the Department for Health & Social Care consultation on the licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England last week. The response was developed with input from members and in collaboration with the Beauty Industry Group (BIG).

The NHBF response flagged a number of issues to Government including:

• Lack of a level playing field: The risk that the proposals create a lack of a level playing field between the beauty sector and the medical sector. Some of the options in the consultation document may restrict routes into aesthetics via the beauty sector, undermining entry and progression routes. We are concerned by any moves that may put the sector recovery at risk.
• Categories and definitions: calling for the Government to carry out further work to categorise the procedures which will fall under the licensing and to define what is meant by the term of ‘medical oversight’.
• Sector definitions recognition: calling for a comprehensive survey of aesthetic treatments carried out in medical and non-medical settings to understand the sector being regulated. SIC/SOC classification codes should also be updated so that they reflect the breadth of the sector.
• Public awareness campaign: calling for a Government-backed campaign linked to the new licensing regime to assist members of the public to choose safe, transparent and competent practitioners and premises.
• Further dialogue: we welcome further dialogue with the government in the future to feed in our expertise including how the licence would work in practice, ensuring the future framework is enforced, shaping any registration scheme and the future qualifications and training framework, recognising existing sector standards.


Cost of living payment window

From today (31 October), over 8 million households will start to receive their second Cost of Living Payment. The £300 payment will be paid by DWP to eligible households and is the second of up to three Cost of Living payments adding up to £900 in 2023/24. Those eligible will receive the payments automatically. They do not need to contact DWP or do anything to receive the payment. The payments made will be staggered over the next couple of weeks and some payments may take until 19 November to come through.
In addition to this, Pensioner households will also receive £300 which will be paid as a top up to those eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment in November and December. More information can be found here.