A training centre for the hair and beauty industry in Harrogate is set to be wound up after its director said she could no longer work in the “broken” education system.

Intuitions Ltd, previously based in Tower Street before moving to Station Parade, had been working with salons to train hairdressers for almost three decades.

However, Michelle Oliver said she closed the company in January after the Education and Skills Funding Agency reduced funding by 23%.

She said Intuitions had been heavily subsidising functional skills funding for a number of years, and the government had now removed funding for some areas of training including induction, initial assessments, and formal assessments of skills.

Ms Oliver added:

“Despite almost 30 years of trading, gaining a ‘good’ Ofsted result in July 2022 and an excellent relationship with our local employers, I no longer wanted to be part of what I feel is a broken education system with layer upon layer of meaningless bureaucracy that appears to have been put in place to prevent small independent training providers from succeeding.”

Intuitions had moved to Station Parade from Tower Street

The last Ofsted report praised Intuitions’ move to a salon-based approach, offering one-to-one and small group training. As part of this, the company had moved to an office in shared workspace Wizu on Station Parade.

However, Ms Oliver said the number of apprenticeships on offer with local salons had fallen since the covid pandemic, having an impact on the number of students training with Intuitions.

Ms Oliver is one of two remaining directors of Intuitions Ltd, having taken up the post in March 2000, alongside company secretary Berenika Wilkins. The company was founded in summer 1993 by John and Sheila Morton, who resigned as directors following Ms Oliver’s appointment.

She said former Intuitions employees had been given paid notice or made redundant and all had found jobs elsewhere.

Trainees and their employers, meanwhile, were supported to find other training providers.

A meeting of creditors has been called for April 11 at 10am, when liquidators are expected to be appointed.

Read more:

• Ofsted praise for Harrogate training centre’s new salon-based approach
• The Harrogate school providing children with additional support

Harrogate College is offering free haircuts and manicures to jobseekers.

The college, at Hornbeam Park, is providing the treatments to anyone who has secured a job interview.

Haircuts can be booked now between 3pm and 7pm on Wednesdays. Manicures will be available on Thursdays, starting on January 27, from 10am.

Students will provide the services at the college’s professional standard training salons.

Danny Wild, principal of Harrogate College, said he hoped the initiative would boost the participants’ job prospects. He added:

“We are proud to show that we are living our values by being nurturing towards our community, and giving people the best chance to progress into a positive 2022 with a new job.”

Read more:

• Hot Seat: Leading the college for the Harrogate district
• Harrogate College meets local firms to fix skills gap

Steph Keedy, programme manager for hairdressing and beauty therapy, said:

“We really enjoy working with the local community and initiatives like this are very rewarding for our students – while also helping them complete their qualifications.

“We hope that by offering someone a new haircut and manicure it will give them a confidence boost that may help them on their way to finding a new job.

Places must be booked in advance, and applicants should be able to show proof of their upcoming interview.

To book a place in the salons, which close during half-term and national holidays, email katie.sharman@harrogate.ac.uk or call the college’s reception on 01423 879466.

Lockdown restrictions will ease on Monday, allowing beauticians and hairdressers to reopen.

Many people have eagerly awaited haircuts, pedicures and spa treatments since the third lockdown began in early January.

Consequently, businesses in the Harrogate district are bracing themselves for a hectic month. Many customers are struggling to get appointments.

The Treatment Rooms in Harrogate has been shut since December 30 and set up a waiting list six weeks ago to deal with high demand for bookings.

Alex Smith, owner of The Treatment Rooms, said:

“We’re fully booked for the first month and we wanted to make sure we were booking in our loyal customers first before we can fit in new customers.”

Ms Smith said this has been the busiest return from any lockdown so far.

“It could be because the weather’s getting nicer, pubs are reopening or because people have this hope that this will actually be the last time.

“Either way, we can’t wait to go back and see some normality.”

Aimes Health and Beauty in Knaresborough is almost fully booked April, but owner Amy Dodsworth thinks the beauty industry could be adversely affected after the initial rush.

Ms Dodsworth said:

“I think we will be affected by people maybe not feeling safe enough to go out yet, and even working from home might affect business because people won’t want their nails doing as much with no one to see them.

“But we’re looking at the positives. Now is the time to get pampered and have something to look forward to.”

Susan Schofield, owner of the salon Headroom Harrogate described the measures it has instigated to make customers feel safe:

“We have the screens between each customer and all of the team will be wearing masks and visors. We are also doing a few early mornings to ensure we can properly clean each station before every customer.

“Reopening is an exciting time but it is a strange feeling. We’re looking forward to seeing how the first busy week goes.”

Montpellier Beauty in Harrogate, which is also opening its doors on Monday, has kept in touch with clients about government guidelines to demonstrate continuity of care.

Owner Judy Robson said this lockdown has caused stress and uncertainty for the business.

“It has prevented us from implementing some development plans moving the business forward, but has also afforded us some reflection time to brainstorm!

“We have been in survival mode, but are now emerging excited about reopening and thankful that all our lovely, loyal clients have been so supportive and we can’t wait to get back.”

Has your hair got out of control since lockdown? Send images to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk and we will publish the best ones.

Beauty salons and nail bars across the borough are welcoming back clients after almost four months of closure.

Harrogate’s independent beauty salons may not be able to offer all treatments, but they are expecting to be busy.

Many things have changed since salons shut in March, so what does it look like now?

The Stray Ferret has been speaking to salons across the district as they open their doors to the public.

Paintbox nail and beauty boutique, Harrogate

The Harrogate Nail Bar, based in the centre of the town told the Stray Ferret that bookings are “flying” in.

” We are very busy… People are walking in but we are fully booked as we are not allowed to have as many people in as usual. It feels very different, especially getting used to the PPE but it’s great to see my clients again and to make them feel better!”

Read more: 

• Recovery plans launched to save local tourism 
• Ripon charity set to expand despite coronavirus 

Masks, Visors and perspex screens are some of the things you can expect to see in salons. There will also be less people allowed in at one time and increased cleaning will take place.

Gone are the days of a cup of tea whilst having your nails done, as food and drink other than water are likely to be banned.

Debra owns Paintbox nails and beauty she told us that they have been “ready to open for several weeks.”

” We were ready to open on the 4th July… I think the government finally realised that these companies were ready. We aren’t able to do any treatments to the face at all. This includes lashes, waxing, facials but we can do manicures, pedicures, waxing below the neck and massages. We are fully booked today, tomorrow and Saturday with a couple of space in between. Some people are just desperate to get back to looking after themselves and are ready for some kind of normal.”

As directly in front of the face has been deemed the highest risk zone by the Government, face waxing, sugaring, eyebrow and eyelash treatments, facials and make-up application will not be allowed until advice changes.

Scissors, trimmers, combs and brushes, along with face shields, masks, hand and surface sanitisers, are at the ready as Ripon’s hairdressers prepare to cope with the pent up demand tomorrow..

For Sharon Bielby, who owns and runs a men’s barbers shop bearing her name and Deborah Chalmers, owner of Love Hair and Beauty Boutique, it’s going to be a busy weekend.

The new post-lockdown reality means no magazines to read, a strict one in, one out system and chat kept to the absolute minimum.

Both women,say it’s going to be strange re-acquainting themselves with customers who have become more like friends than clients, but they appreciate that the hygiene and social distancing measures are there to protect everybody.

Deborah Chalmers, in her hair and beauty boutique

Deborah, who has been involved in the beauty business since leaving Ripon Grammar School aged 15, told The Stray Ferret:

“We have had a refurbishment over the past few weeks and are doing everything we can to ensure the safety of our customers and staff.

“Unfortunately, that means no conversations while we cut and style hair, which will be difficult, because I haven’t been able to see customers face to face for ages.”

Read more:

• Ripon artists display work at Royal Academy
• Ripon and Harrogate hospitals re-open to visitors

Sharon, whose North Street shop is approximately 100 yards down the road from Deborah’s, is booked to provide dozens of haircuts over the weekend. She said:

“It will be odd cutting hair while wearing a face shield and that in itself will make speaking difficult.”

In spite of being closed since 23rd March, her premises, have provided a shop window for bird houses and bee homes made by adults with learning disabilities at the Jennyruth Workshops charity.

Sharon, pointed out:

“Jennyruth had the shop before I took it over six years ago and I thought it would be nice to help them raise funds. I’m pleased to say that I have been able to sell quite a few during the lockdown, as people rang me to ask for them and I’ve delivered to their homes.”

For Deborah, the coronavirus crisis meant she has temporarily lost out on revenue that would have come from her core business of providing hairstyling and make up for brides and bridesmaids.

Since March, she has had 40 wedding postponements and though this was a devastating blow, she felt the need to give something back during the lockdown to her home city.

She turned her hand to supporting friends Annette and Nathan Kite, by volunteering to cook hot meals for 14 weeks, which were delivered to people in need around Ripon.

Deborah, added: “This gave me a purpose that helped me to get through these difficult months.”