The safeguarding gap

I have recently been asked to give an expert opinion on a criminal case around safeguarding the public undergoing treatments within a beauty establishment. This was a timely request as it fell just as the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) launched its public consultation on the Licensing of non-surgical procedures in England (DHSC 2023). I read the consultation document and government webpage with interest and was surprised to see the word safeguarding was not anywhere within the content of the document.

Just to add some background, the licensing proposal was added into the Health and Social Care Act 2022 as an amendment and gives the Secretary of State certain powers to introduce licensing for the purposes of ‘reducing the risk of harm’ to the health or safety of members of the public, when undergoing cosmetic interventions.

One proven way of reducing harm to the public is by the use of the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), previously known as the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). This helps employers make safer recruitment decisions each year by processing and monitoring checks for staff. This in turn plays an important role by protecting vulnerable adults, young adults and children from those who are deemed unsuitable gaining access to them through their roles.