Quality + Care®

ACCREDITATION PROGRAMME FOR THE hAIR iNDUSTRY

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

Hair & Barber New Zealand has listened to the concerns of industry and created the Quality + Care® accreditation programme, similar to Salon Select launched by the Australian Hair Council, Qualmark for the tourist and accommodation sector, and HospoCred, recently introduced by the Restaurant Association of New Zealand.

Do you want your salon or barbershop to be recognised for your commitment to maintaining best practice, professionalism, client safety, sustainability, and for being a trustworthy employer? Hair & Barber New Zealand will work with you to ensure your business remains competitive and current in the changing operating environment.

Hair & Barber New Zealand’s accreditation programme, Quality + Care®, has a driving purpose to raise the platform for standards within the hair industry. 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

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 industry. 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 industry.

Can anyone receive Quality + Care® accreditation?

Quality + Care® is an accreditation that recognises professional standards in the hair industry, so not all salons and barbershops will achieve accreditation. However, with support and training, there is the opportunity for all salons and barbershops to work towards achieving 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, they’ll hold that accreditation they must renew their accreditation annually and 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 free for Hair & Barber New Zealand members.

Non members can apply by paying a non-refundable application fee of $57.50 incl GST.  Quality + Care® accreditation will not be awarded if the salon/barbershop applying does not meet the accreditation standards.

If you are successful in achieving Quality + Care® accreditation the yearly fee is $345.00 incl GST and will be invoiced once accreditation has been approved.  Again this is free for Hair & Barber New Zealand members.

There is no additional fee if you are applying a higher accreditation level.

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 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.

Non-Members – Follow the process below:

The Quality + Care® application process involves the following steps:

• Completing all sections of the online application form
• Providing evidence, where required
• Uploading supporting documentation, where required

To have obtained Quality + Care® accreditation businesses will have had to meet outstanding practices in:

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

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 industry 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.