Yorkshire College of Beauty Limited

Published date February 2012 Inspection Number 385752 Unique reference number: 54956

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Name of lead inspector: June Cramman HMI

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Telephone number: 0113 887 5614 Yorkshire College of Beauty Therapy

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Inspection report

Inspection report Yorkshire College of Beauty Therapy, 13 January 2012 2 of 13

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Information about the provider

1. Yorkshire College of Beauty Therapy (YCBT) is a private training company with a training centre based in Yeadon, Leeds. It began providing training in beauty therapy in 1983, under the direction of the Principal. The majority of the learners are local, but some come from as far away as Hull. The senior management team comprises the Principal, the training director, the training manager and the finance director. The company has one internal verifier and a senior assessor in addition to four trainer assessors. A key skills coordinator provides both learning and pastoral support. In addition, for practical salon activities in the training centre, YCBT employs an assistant assessor to work alongside more experienced staff.

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Information about the provider

2. The company operates the training division as well as a commercial company that offers additional training opportunities for learners. All learners are employed by a range of salons, spas and hotels in Leeds or other parts of Yorkshire. A minority of learners begin training with YCBT as unfunded learners, beginning their apprenticeships when they develop enough skills to gain employment with one of the salons. Around 50% of training provided by YCBT is government funded.

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Information about the provider

3. All learners are women. People from minority ethnic communities account for around 3% of all learners.

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Information about the provider

4. YCBT has a contract with the Skills Funding Agency to provide work-based learning for apprentices.

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Employer provision

Apprentices Inspection report Yorkshire College of Beauty Therapy, 13 January 2012 3 of 13

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Summary report

Grades: 1 is outstanding; 2 is good; 3 is satisfactory; 4 is inadequate

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Grade

Leadership and management 2 Safeguarding Equality and diversity

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Overall effectiveness

5. The overall effectiveness of YCBT’s provision is good. Apprentices’ overall achievement is good. Learners’ success is outstanding for those completing their qualifications within planned timescales and for advanced apprentices. Learners’ development of workplace skills, their progression from intermediate level to advanced level and entry into sustained employment are all particularly good. However, YCBT does not fully exploit all assessment opportunities to ensure progress. Learners feel very safe and have good awareness of health and safety issues.

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Overall effectiveness

6. The majority of training sessions are good and offer interesting and varied activities. Learners participate well and develop good skills. However, teaching in a small minority of sessions does not sufficiently challenge more able learners. The programme meets the needs and interests of learners and employers well; most users appreciate the high standards and rapid progress promoted by the highly structured off-the-job programme. Partnerships with employers, schools and parents are good although YCBT makes insufficient use of wider support agencies and community based providers. Information, advice, guidance and support arrangements are good.

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Overall effectiveness

7. Team working is good with a high emphasis on discipline and professional standards. Value for money is good. The college’s arrangements for managing safeguarding and equality and diversity are satisfactory. Quality assurance findings are not always collated and analysed to improve overall performance. Inspection report Yorkshire College of Beauty Therapy, 13 January 2012 4 of 13

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Main findings

 Apprentices’ overall success rates are high, and those for advanced apprentices are outstanding. Success rates within planned timescales are also outstanding and are significantly above the national average. The standard of learners’ work is very good. Learners quickly develop excellent practical skills and apply these very well in the workplace. They make good progress, however, YCBT does not fully exploit all assessment opportunities to help them make further progress.  Learners feel safe, and apply safe working practices well. They have a good understanding of health and safety and demonstrate safe working practices both in the training centre and in the workplace. YCBT pays close attention to ensuring that learners have good safety awareness before moving into the workplace. Learners’ understanding of safeguarding issues is satisfactory.  In the majority of sessions tutors prepare well, set their learners challenging

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Main findings

targets and employ a variety of active learning strategies to engage all learners. Assessments are well planned and feedback is good. However, in a minority of sessions tutors do not set challenging objectives to promote a lively pace and active learning, particularly for more able learners.  Provision meets the needs of learners and employers well. The range and content of the offer is highly structured and planned to support learners’ progression. YCBT has a good range of enrichment opportunities, for example, additional skills training, such as spray tanning, visiting speakers, and product training sessions. However, insufficient opportunities exist for employers to contribute to programme design and planning.  The provider has developed very good working relationships with high quality employers and matching of learners to salons is particularly good. The college is working in partnership with a local school to provide successful taster sessions

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Main findings

to pupils. Partnerships with parents are very good. However, collaboration with support agencies to develop learners’ knowledge of health and well-being and equality and diversity is insufficiently developed.  Support for learners is highly effective. YCBT identifies additional learning support needs well during induction. Tutors assess literacy, numeracy and wider pastoral support needs early on and YCTB provides support promptly. Advice and guidance to help learners make decisions about employment or higher levels of training is very effective and progression into sustained employment is particularly good.  Staff provide very good role models for learners who have high expectations and aspirations. They strongly promote professional standards through good monitoring and tracking of learners’ attendance, punctuality, appearance and behaviour. Resources are good and well managed.  YCBT’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting equality and diversity are

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Main findings

appropriate. The company enforces good behaviour amongst learners and conduct is exemplary. Identification of, and support for, individuals who are at risk of encountering extreme safeguarding issues is very good. However, YCBT does not give sufficient priority to safeguarding or equality and diversity in company wide development and action plans or integrate them into teaching.  Staff use information well to improve provision. Employers attend recruitment interviews and give good input on their requirements. Learners are consulted at Inspection report Yorkshire College of Beauty Therapy, 13 January 2012 5 of 13

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Main findings

regular intervals and make a good contribution to improvements. Value for money is good.  The self-assessment process fully involves staff and YCBT makes good use of information and views gained from learners and employers. Most judgements are sound, however, the college has missed key changes in self-assessment since the last inspection, most notably the emphasis on safeguarding.  Internal verification and assessment are very effective. The observation of teaching and learning process works well to help individuals improve their practice but findings are not analysed and used to promote development across the company. Business planning, action planning and setting of challenging targets to improve are not sufficiently well established.

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What does YCBT need to do to improve further?

 Improve the retention of apprentices at intermediate level.  Accelerate learners’ progress by increasing opportunities for assessment both in the workplace and in the training centre by increasing the numbers of clients coming into the centre and by making more use of naturally occurring workplace assessment opportunities.  Improve teaching and learning by promoting strategies to tutors to improve the pace and challenge for all learners.  Improve YCBT’s response to employers’ requests for more flexibility by providing more opportunities to review and change programme design and planning.  Extend learners’ knowledge of issues, such as health and well-being and equality and diversity, this can be achieved by further developing partnerships with relevant support agencies.  More effectively promote safeguarding and equality and diversity across the provision by action planning and target setting, with particular emphasis on

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What does YCBT need to do to improve further?

improving staff, learners’ and employers’ knowledge of both aspects.  Improve strategic planning and development through more effective business planning, better use of data and the setting of more challenging targets that are shared with staff.  Improve the effectiveness of self-assessment and strengthen the observation of teaching and learning process.

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What learners like:

 the good course content and being able to gain vocational qualifications  the surroundings and resources at the college  the support from their tutors  learning new techniques, particularly the practical lessons  the high standards expected of them and dress code Inspection report Yorkshire College of Beauty Therapy, 13 January 2012 6 of 13

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What learners would like to see improved:

 the ethos which should be less like school and learners treated more as equals  more clients in practical lessons  slower pace in the induction with less writing to do.

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What employers like:

 the good support they receive from YCBT  the way YCBT matches their business needs to the learners  the quick response time to queries  having a choice of training days  the high standard of training for their apprentices.

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What employers would like to see improved:

 the number and quality of assessments in the workplace  more flexibility in the training schedule to fit in with changes in employers’ practice. Inspection report Yorkshire College of Beauty Therapy, 13 January 2012 7 of 13

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Capacity to make and sustain improvement Grade 2

8. YCBT has maintained consistently high and improving success rates. Overall rates are good and those for completion within planned timescales are outstanding. Similarly success rates for advanced apprentices are outstanding. Standards of work are high and learners progress from intermediate to advanced levels well. Success rates for learners receiving support have consistently improved and are now better than those for their peers. Learners’ acquisition of economic and social skills is outstanding.

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Capacity to make and sustain improvement Grade 2

9. Resources are good and well managed. Staff are well trained and experienced in vocational aspects of provision. The majority of staff have teaching qualifications though they are still developing wider skills in promoting equality and diversity and health and well-being.

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Capacity to make and sustain improvement Grade 2

10. YCBT successfully promotes high standards. The provider has used self- assessment processes consistently since the last inspection and this has led to a series of effective improvements. Staff, learners and employers are involved well. The judgements in the self-assessment report are generally accurate though expressed in terms used in the previous inspection framework. Although safeguarding arrangements are judged satisfactory, the self-assessment process did not sufficiently analyse this aspect of provision.

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Capacity to make and sustain improvement Grade 2

11. Quality improvement processes, such as the observation of teaching and learning, have been in place since the last inspection and give good information to improve individuals’ performance. However, YCBT does not sufficiently collate the findings or focus on teaching and learning across the company to improve performance consistently.

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Capacity to make and sustain improvement Grade 2

12. YCBT has business and quality improvement plans and has used them effectively for the most part. However they do not sufficiently set the strategic direction or promote actions to improve that are easily followed; target setting is not always sufficiently challenging.

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Outcomes for learners Grade 2

13. Overall success rates are good and have been consistently high over the last three years. The number of learners who complete their qualification by their planned end date is outstanding. Success rates for intermediate apprentices in 2010/11 were good and above the national average. For advanced apprenticeships success rates are outstanding at 26 percentage points above the national average. They have remained consistently high for the last three years. Learners identified with additional learning needs achieve well, three percentage points above those without identified additional needs.

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Outcomes for learners Grade 2

14. Attendance at the YCBT is good. The college has a very effective method for tracking learners’ progress using a traffic light system that highlights concerns Inspection report Yorkshire College of Beauty Therapy, 13 January 2012 8 of 13

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Outcomes for learners Grade 2

before it affects the learners’ progress. Learners progress well against their targets with additional support available for those learners that require it. However, some assessment opportunities within the college are missed. In some cases, insufficient clients are available for assessment in the centre; in others trainers make insufficient use of assessment opportunities within the salons.

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Outcomes for learners Grade 2

15. Progression for apprentices moving to advanced apprenticeships is outstanding and has remained consistently high. A high proportion of learners move into sustained employment. Learners work in high quality, well resourced salons with excellent facilities. The development of learners’ economic and social well- being is outstanding. Learners display high levels of confidence and demonstrate very good technical skills that exceed the expectations of the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ). Employers offer an excellent range of additional training and enrichment activities from product manufacturers and specialist training courses which help enhance the learners’ knowledge and skills and ensure continued employment.

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Outcomes for learners Grade 2

16. Learners feel very safe at work and at college. They have a good understanding of health and safety and complete a health and safety unit as part of their NVQ. Learners demonstrate good health and safety practices in their salons. The college gives good pastoral support and care and learners know how to make use of these services. They have satisfactory knowledge of safeguarding.

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The quality of provision Grade 2

17. Teaching and learning are good. Most sessions are well structured with challenging targets that enable learners to develop good skills and make good progress. Trainers plan assessments well in the centre and give clear instruction and detailed feedback. They link theory sessions very effectively to practical and work related tasks. YCBT provides good initial assessment that identifies the levels of literacy, numeracy and other support learners need. Learners participate well in most sessions and greatly enjoy the training. Resources are very good. In a minority of sessions, however, the pace of learning and target setting are insufficiently challenging for more able learners. The promotion of equality and diversity are insufficiently integrated into the curriculum.

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The quality of provision Grade 2

18. YCBT has created a highly structured off-the-job programme to develop learners’ skills and this meets the needs of both learners and employers very well. It enables learners to develop both practical skills and theoretical knowledge in a planned, sequential way. Progression into sustained employment in high quality salons and spas has remained consistently high. The college has a good range of enrichment opportunities for learners such as spray tanning, product training sessions and university speakers. Most learners benefit from a wide range of additional training through their salons. However, YCBT gives insufficient opportunity to employers to contribute to the design and planning of the programme. 19. The provider has been successful in developing very good working relationships with employers. Many are past students who have subsequently taken on apprentices of their own. Salons are visited regularly by dedicated salon liaison

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The quality of provision Grade 2

Inspection report Yorkshire College of Beauty Therapy, 13 January 2012 9 of 13

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The quality of provision Grade 2

staff and salons value the support they receive. The college is working well in partnership with a local school to deliver taster sessions and units of the beauty therapy NVQ. It has also developed a very effective agreement for learners and their parents, so that if a problem arises with a learner’s progress parents are contacted immediately and invited into the centre to develop a support plan. Partnerships with wider support agencies to further enrich learners’ knowledge of issues such as health and well-being or equality and diversity are not yet sufficiently developed.

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The quality of provision Grade 2

20. Support and guidance for learners are good. The college has developed a highly effective initial advice and guidance process, including a thorough induction that prepares learners well for their programme and employment. Additional learning support needs are identified early and the results are reported using a traffic light system. Tutors use this well to plan individual support needs and training. Pastoral support is highly effective and is provided through the review process. Learners receiving support achieve better than those who do not. Learners who are made redundant, or who do not immediately gain employment take part in good training in interview and employability skills.

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Leadership and management Grade 2

21. YCBT promotes high standards throughout the company. Team work is good and staff have a high commitment to learners. The college promotes high professional standards well amongst staff and learners. Staff provide very good role models for learners who have high expectations and aspirations. These standards are strongly promoted through good monitoring and tracking of attendance, punctuality, appearance and behaviour.

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Leadership and management Grade 2

22. Since the last inspection, the provider has made good improvements to the training resources for learners. All learners benefit from very good beauty therapy resources including nail bars, state of the art cosmetics and massage bays. Teaching and learning resources are good though at times their use is restricted by insufficient space.

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Leadership and management Grade 2

23. The college has a comprehensive system for initially assessing learners’ needs and barriers to learning. This includes identifying any health, home or emotional well-being issues that could potentially affect learning. The provider monitors and tracks learners carefully to ensure problems are resolved. YCBT has good arrangements to ensure health and safety in the centre and in salons. The provider meets current legislation in conducting checks on criminal records. Staff training is adequate though staff need further development. The college has a range of suitable policies and procedures to cover safeguarding issues. However, YCBT has no overarching policy to bring the different procedures together and no central action plan for development. Learners’ understanding of safeguarding issues is satisfactory.

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Leadership and management Grade 2

24. YCBT’s promotion of equality and diversity is appropriate. It strictly enforces high standards of conduct amongst learners and their behaviour is exemplary. The provider has a range of policies and procedures to cover such issues as bullying, harassment, race and gender issues. The college has had a significant Inspection report Yorkshire College of Beauty Therapy, 13 January 2012 10 of 13

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Leadership and management Grade 2

success in narrowing the gap in performance for learners who were identified as having support needs, improving their success rates from a point well below their peers to three percentage points above. The college gives information to learners at induction and part way through the course on equality and diversity as well as on their employment rights and responsibilities. However, the promotion of equality and diversity are not sufficiently included in teaching, learning and assessment.

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Leadership and management Grade 2

25. Staff use supporting information well to improve the training provision. They visit employers regularly and YCBT has a very good understanding of their individual needs. Employers attend recruitment events and interviews and give a good account of their requirements of learners. Learners are very well matched to employers. Employers’ views are used to change the provision, for example, hot stone massage therapy has replaced spray tanning. Learners are consulted at regular intervals. Staff invite them to bring any issues to the monthly staff meetings. YCBT has taken actions as a result, such as changing some teaching methods and altering leaving times.

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Leadership and management Grade 2

26. YCBT’s internal verification and assessment processes are comprehensive and managers promote high standards throughout their work. Staff provide very good role models for learners and place a high emphasis on high, professional standards. Self-assessment fully involves staff and uses information from learners and employers well. Most judgements are sound but the college has missed key changes in self-assessment since the last inspection, most notably the emphasis on safeguarding. Data are used appropriately to monitor performance, however, the college does not always give sufficient importance to success rates. The observation of teaching and learning process improves individual performance. However, there is insufficient focus upon learning and does not sufficiently collate arising issues to bring about improvements across the company. Business planning, action planning and the setting of challenging

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Leadership and management Grade 2

targets to further improve performance are not sufficiently well established.

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Leadership and management Grade 2

27. Value for money is good. Success rates are good. Learners develop excellent workplace and social skills, their standards of work are very good. Resources are very good and learners are consulted well on their use. The sustainability policy is in the process of development. Inspection report Yorkshire College of Beauty Therapy, 13 January 2012 11 of 13

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Information about the inspection

28. One of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and two additional inspectors, assisted by the provider’s training director, as nominee, carried out the inspection. Inspectors also took account of YCBT’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, comments from the funding body and data on learners and their achievement over the period since the company started training.

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Information about the inspection

29. Inspectors used group and individual interviews, telephone calls and emails to gain the views of learners and employers. They looked at questionnaires learners and employers had recently completed for the provider. They observed learning sessions, assessments and progress reviews. Inspectors also collected additional evidence from across the training programme provided by YCBT. Inspection report Yorkshire College of Beauty Therapy, 13 January 2012 12 of 13

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Yorkshire College of Beauty Therapy

Learning types: 14 – 16: Young apprenticeships; Diplomas; 16-18 Learner responsive: FE full- and part-time courses, Foundation learning tier, including Entry to Employment; 19+ responsive: FE full- and part-time courses; Employer responsive: Train to Gain, apprenticeships

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Yorkshire College of Beauty Therapy

Outcomes for learners 2 2 How well do learners achieve and enjoy their learning? 2 How well do learners attain their learning goals? How well do learners progress? How well do learners improve their economic and social well-being through learning and development? How safe do learners feel? 2 Are learners able to make informed choices about their own health and well being?* n/a How well do learners make a positive contribution to the community?* n/a Quality of provision 2 2

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Yorkshire College of Beauty Therapy

How effectively do teaching, training and assessment support learning and development? 2 How effectively does the provision meet the needs and interests of users? 2 How well partnerships with schools, employers, community groups and others lead to benefits for learners?

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Yorkshire College of Beauty Therapy

How effective are the care, guidance and support learners receive in helping them to achieve? 2

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Yorkshire College of Beauty Therapy

Leadership and management 2 2 How effectively do leaders and managers raise expectations and promote ambition throughout the organisation? How effectively do governors and supervisory bodies provide leadership, direction and challenge?* n/a

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Yorkshire College of Beauty Therapy

How effectively does the provider promote the safeguarding of learners? 3 How effectively does the provider actively promote equality and diversity, tackle discrimination and narrow the achievement gap? How effectively does the provider engage with users to support and promote improvement? 2 How effectively does self-assessment improve the quality of the provision and outcomes for learners? How efficiently and effectively does the provider use its available resources to secure value for money? *where applicable to the type of provision Grades using the 4 point scale 1: Outstanding; 2: Good; 3: Satisfactory; 4: Inadequate Overall Employer responsive Approximate number of enrolled learners Full-time learners Part-time learners 138 138

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Yorkshire College of Beauty Therapy

Overall effectiveness 2 2 Capacity to improve 2 Inspection report Yorkshire College of Beauty Therapy, 13 January 2012 13 of 13

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Yorkshire College of Beauty Therapy

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Yorkshire College of Beauty Therapy

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Yorkshire College of Beauty Therapy

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