At Habia we implore individuals to research widely and choose very wisely when they are deciding on an organisation to provide their training. We say: “Be the best you can be”. Don’t opt for cheap and fast training and education.  

An issue across the sector currently is the plethora of short ‘accredited’ training courses. We feel this has gone so widespread that unfortunately the term accredited has become discredited. It’s very hard for prospective students to decipher who is offering a robust, recognised qualification and who isn’t. They are often seduced by very professional, slick websites, that promise the earth, look valid, and offer insurance after doing a course lasting only a few hours. It’s not illegal, but its impacting on the sector, with implications for client safety. Many of these accreditation companies are very new and no one knows their credentials, who is behind it, their expertise or appropriateness to be accrediting training. We have many people contact us who thought they were studying on a nationally recognised qualification, when in fact they aren’t, and they have wasted a lot of time and money. It’s very sad. 

Another worrying aspect is insurance. Many years ago, insurance could only be obtained if you had a ‘regulated’ qualification, this acted like a gatekeeper – you could only get insurance if you were fully qualified.  There are undoubtedly many good insurance companies, but we are also hearing from individuals in the sector that are shocked to hear some insurance companies don’t ask to see any certificates or evidence of a qualification, which is frightening. To read more about regulated qualifications, click here.