As the aesthetic industry continues to grow in scope and complexity, ensuring patient safety and upholding professional standards is more critical than ever. The Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP) is working to ensure the highest standards in non-surgical cosmetic practice by endorsing Ofqual-regulated qualifications that align with our stringent guidelines for education and training.

A key part of this initiative involves recognising awarding organisations that provide qualifications mapped to the JCCP’s Competency Framework. Two such organisations – OTHM and VTCT (ITEC) –offer Level 7 Diplomas in Clinical Aesthetic Injectable Therapies that set a gold standard in practitioner training and clinical accountability.

 

Why Level 7 Matters

The Level 7 Diploma represents a postgraduate-level qualification that focuses on the knowledge and skills required to safely and effectively deliver aesthetic injectable treatments such as botulinum toxins and dermal fillers. With a strong emphasis on clinical governance, patient assessment, risk management, and hands-on training, these programmes are essential for ensuring that practitioners can meet the increasing demands of patient expectations.

Both OTHM and VTCT (ITEC) have progressed through rigorous review processes to become JCCP-recognised awarding bodies, ensuring that their Level 7 programmes are credible, comprehensive, and aligned with national occupational standards.

 

Patricia Land, Chief Operating Officer, OTHM says “The OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Clinical Aesthetic Injectable Therapies represents a critical step forward in standardising aesthetics education, ensuring safe, ethical and evidence-based practice in this sector. By aligning excellence in clinical training with a robust academic framework, this qualification instils practitioners with the confidence and competence to deliver high quality patient care while upholding the highest standards of safety and professional integrity.”

 

"The Level 7 Diploma is paramount for elevating standards and ensuring public safety in the aesthetics sector," says Ashley Barnes, Deputy CEO, VTCT Skills. "Our robust RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) route is equally vital, providing a mechanism for experienced practitioners to demonstrate their existing expertise against consistent, nationally recognised benchmarks, thereby ensuring all qualified professionals meet the same high standards."

 

David Sines, Executive Chair and Registrar of the JCCP advises that “As the aesthetics industry continues to grow in both scale and complexity, the commitment from our Ofqual approved awarding organizations such as OTHM and VTCT (ITEC) to high-quality education and ethical practice ensures that clients receive treatments from professionals who are not only skilled, but also accountable to nationally recognised standards”.