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Quality + Care®

ACCREDITATION PROGRAMME FOR THE hAIR PROFESSION

Available to Hair & Barber New Zealand members only

 

About Quality + CareAccreditation LevelsClient GuideFAQApply Now

Your Professional Guarantee

Welcome to Quality + Care®, the hair industry’s accreditation programme, brought to you by Hair & Barber New Zealand.

 

Quality + Care® identifies salons and barbershops that are following hair industry best practice:

  • Running a legitimate business
  • Have qualified staff (40% of hairdressers and barbers are NOT qualified)
  • Stocks professional only use products
  • Ongoing professional development for all staff

We modelled our Quality + Care® programme on similar, high-achieving constructs – Salon Select launched by the Australian Hair Council, Qualmark for the tourist and accommodation sector, and HospoCred, run by the Restaurant Association of New Zealand.

Quality + Care®, has a driving purpose to raise the platform for standards within the hair profession. Businesses that achieve Quality + Care® accreditation have displayed a commitment to best practice, a commitment to the ongoing development of themselves, their business, and their team, and have qualified staff. All this while caring for our planet.

Quality + Care® Accreditation Levels


Accredited by
Sustainable Salons

Salons/barbershops achieve Green Accreditation after introducing and implementing environmentally-sustainable policies and practices.  They must also demonstrate a commitment to building a greener future for their salon/barbershop.

Applicants will be assessed on their strategies for:

  • Waste Reduction.
  • Energy and Water Efficiency.
  • Sustainable Purchasing.

You do not need to be a member of Sustainable Salons to achieve Green accreditation.

If you are a member of Sustainable Salons you will automatically receive Green accreditation.

Application Form
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Accredited by
Hair & Barber New Zealand

The criteria for Bronze accreditation is part of the criteria for Hair & Barber New Zealand membership and you will automatically receive Bronze accreditation when your membership is approved. Become a member today.

  • Be GST registered.
  • Have a current Council Health License.
  • Have at least one qualified staff member.
  • Have an agreement with a professional product company.
  • Ensure all staff undertake 20hrs professional development, per year.


Accredited by
Hair & Barber New Zealand

To receive Silver accreditation, salons and barbershops must meet the first four criteria of Bronze accreditation.  In addition, they must:

  • Pay fair wages to apprentices*.
  • Contribute to industry (e.g. Employs an apprentice, is an industry assessor, runs training workshops, has Gateway students)
  • Participate in annual competitions (industry/business).
  • Support a community in some tangible way.
  • Be Green Quality + Care® accredited.
  • Ensure all staff undertake 30hrs professional development, per year.

*Training wage based on H&BNZ’s Wage Guidelines – Wage Guidelines available on request when applying for Quality + Care® accreditation.

Application Form
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Accredited by
Hair & Barber New Zealand

To become Gold Quality + Care® accredited, salons and barbershops must:

  • Have met all the criteria for Bronze and Silver accreditation.

In addition, they must:

  • All hairdressers or barbers must be qualified, or in a training agreement to become qualified.
  • Pay the Living Wage to qualified staff*.
  • Participates in H&BNZ competitions
  • Ensure all staff undertake 40hrs professional development, per year.

*As minimum wage with incentives & bonuses. Wage Guidelines are available in the members area of the website.

 

Application Form
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Client Guide to Quality + Care®

Have you seen a hair salon or barbershop promoting their Quality + Care® accreditation?

Here is what it means:

Hair & Barber New Zealand’s accreditation programme, Quality + Care®, was launched in January 2023 as a way of recognising professional standards within the hair profession. Salons and barbershops that achieve accreditation deliver quality service and care for their clients, their communities, and the environment.

Quality + Care® identifies salons and barbershops as following best practice. This makes it easy for the public to select a salon or barbershop that is running a legitimate business, has qualified staff, stocks professional use only products and partakes in continued professional development.

A business that displays Quality + Care® accreditation means you can book with confidence and peace of mind that the experience you are choosing is one of the most trusted and sustainable experiences in New Zealand.

Quality + Care® accreditation creates a clearer picture for clients, for government, for other businesses, for employees and prospective employees about what it means to be a responsible and transparent employer in the hair profession.

Can anyone receive Quality + Care® accreditation?

Salons / barbershops must be Hair & Barber New Zealand members to be eligible for Quality + Care® accreditation.

A business that has Quality + Care® accreditation will have undergone an application process and been assessed to meet professional standards in the following areas:

  • Best Practice/Employment/Qualified Staff
  • Sustainability
  • Professional Development
  • Competition Participation

Once a business is accredited, if at any time it’s been identified that a salons or barbershops accreditation needs to be reviewed, H&BNZ will work with the business and help implement any changes, if needed.

How does it benefit you?

Whether you are a client of the salon or barbershop that is Quality + Care® accredited, doing business with them, or applying for a job with them, you have some assurances that they take their obligations as an employer, safety of their clients and professionalism of the hair industry, very seriously.

How can I find out more?

Have a chat with the salon or barbershop owner and ask them about their Quality + Care® accreditation journey.

While we can’t discuss specific details about any accredited salon or barbershop, Hair & Barber New Zealand is happy to share further information about the accreditation programme. Email us at: office@hairandbarbernz.org.nz

FAQ’s

Can an independent operator achieve Silver and Gold Accreditation?

Yes, all levels of accreditation are available to all qualified business owners.

 

How much does Quality + Care® Accreditation cost?

Quality + Care® accreditation is available to  Hair & Barber New Zealand members only, and it is free to be part of the accreditation programme.

Can I apply for Quality + Care® if no one in my business has a New Zealand Hairdressing or Barbering Qualification?

No, Quality + Care® is for business owners who have a New Zealand hairdressing or barbering qualification or who have stylists/barbers with a New Zealand hairdressing or barbering qualification.

Don’t hold a New Zealand qualification? Turn your years of experience into a formal qualification by completing ‘Qualification by Experience‘ (QbyE).

 

How does a salon or barbershop become accredited through the Hair & Barber New Zealand accreditation programme, Quality + Care®?

If you are a salon or barbershop owner and are interested to finding out more, have a look at the information on this page about the accreditation programme, review the application form for the level that is appropriate for your business, to find out the type of questions and supporting information that we’ll need you to supply and then register your interest.  We’ll schedule a 10 minute catch up where you can ask questions and find out more, or complete the appropriate level application form.

Click here if you are a member of the public and want to find out what it means if a salon or barbershop is Quality + Care® Accredited?

 

If I sell my salon/barbershop, can the new owner take over my Q+C® accreditation?

No, if you sell your salon/barbershop, the new owner must apply for their own membership/accreditation.

 

Still have questions?
Get in touch with us, office@hairandbarbernz.org.nz or 027 479 4300.

Apply Now

H&BNZ Members – Log into the website and complete the appropriate level application form.

Best Practice/Employment/Qualified Staff

Employers have many responsibilities to their workers. Many of these responsibilities are employment legislation and are required by law. This section analyses some business employment practices. To achieve accreditation criteria the business must demonstrate how they exceed benchmark standards.

This section of the application form will ask a series of questions about employment practices in the salon/barbershop, including whether the business is paying qualified professionals more than the minimum wage.

Professional Development

The expectation from the client is that their stylist or barber is current with new techniques, technology and has kept their skill set relevant.

Providing the details of ongoing professional development undertaken by the owner / manager, as well as employees in the salon/barbershop business, is part of the accreditation online application process.

You will need to supply evidence of professional development undertaken in the last year, depending on which leave of accreditation you apply for:

  • Bronze Quality + Care® – 20 hours professional development per year, per person.
  • Silver Quality + Care® – 30 hours professional development per year, per person.
  • Gold Quality + Care® – 40 hours professional development per year, per person.

Competition Participation

Want to attract the best creative and passionate stylists to be part of your team. Show them how you’ll support and encourage their dreams by showcasing their work via competitions.

Competition work is super motivating. It shows your talent to the industry and clients love you for it. Have great work stories. Competitions are fun and rewarding.

The work and skill set required for entering competitions is often very unique to the work we do with our clients on a day-to-day basis.

The time, effort and energy required for this shows a higher level of planning, preparation and commitment to your own individual brand, growth, and the business you work for.

Supporting your staff members to push themselves outside their comfort zone encourages strong, confident stylists and barbers. Competition work promotes inspiration and excitement to the wider hair community.

Silver Status – Enters competitions; industry (can be Instagram competitions) and/or other eg: local business awards

Gold Status – Enters industry competitions, including Hair & Barber New Zealand Creative Portfolio (can be Instagram competitions)

Sustainability

Green accreditation is unlike the Bronze, Silver and Gold accreditation and is accessible to all Quality + Care® accredited salons and barbershops, no matter what accreditation level they are currently at.

Green Accreditation is accredited to salons/barbershops that show they have implemented environmentally sustainable policies and practices and can demonstrate a commitment to building a greener future for their salon/barbershop

Privacy statement

As part of the Quality + Care® accreditation application process we need to collect information about your business.  We take the protection of your privacy and your private data provided to us very seriously.

Access to your data is only permitted for a limited number of authorised persons as part of the assessment and application process. We have strict policy and technical access controls that prohibit unauthorized access and information will not be shared with any third party.

Despite regular checks, however, complete protection against all risks is not possible.