Deposits or full payments (non-refundable) are required at the time of booking to secure your course. An outstanding balance must be settled in full six weeks before the course begins. Training conducted outside FCL premises, whether at a Heavenlyz centre or elsewhere, will not be funded in whole or in part by FURST CLASS LOUNGE LTD under any circumstances. All training must take place at FCL within the designated time frame for your course and prior to the scheduled assessment day.

Your right to cancel. You have 14 days from the date of entering into a service or training contract to cancel it. FCL cannot commence providing the service before the 14-day cooling-off period ends, unless you have specifically requested this with Furst Class Lounge Ltd. and Heavenly Ltd.
If you request a training service to start immediately, you will still have the right to cancel; however, you must pay for the portion of the service provided up to the point of cancellation. No refunds are issued after this cooling-off period.
FURST CLASS LOUNGE Ltd reserves the right to amend these terms, conditions of service, and pricing without prior notice. This text will be the T’s & C’s.

Course Completion Timescale and Attendance

Due to the practical nature of our training programmes, and the requirement to plan trainer availability, facilities, equipment, and suitable training opportunities, all students are required to complete their scheduled course training days within 12 months from the date of commencement.

This applies to all courses, including programmes consisting of multiple training days, which may include up to 27 days of practical training and assessment preparation.

Students are responsible for attending all scheduled training days and completing the required course content within the allocated timeframe. Failure to attend, engage with, or complete the required training within the 12-month period may result in the course being withdrawn and the student’s place being cancelled.

Where a course is cancelled due to failure to complete within the required timeframe, no refund will be provided, and any outstanding course entitlement, training days, or assessment opportunities will be forfeited.

Any requests for extensions outside the 12-month completion period must be submitted in writing and will only be considered at the discretion of FURST CLASS LOUNGE LTD. Approval of any extension is not guaranteed and may be subject to additional terms or fees.

FURST CLASS LOUNGE Ltd reserve the right to amend these terms, conditions of service and pricing without prior notice. 

If you are unsuccessful in your practical assessment, as determined by the Heavenly assessor, you will need to be reassessed, which constitutes a referral. Heavenlyz Ltd. will charge a re-assessment fee of £150 payable directly to Heavenly Ltd. FCL Ltd. will charge £50 for the use and arrangement of a further dog for the assessment. Should you require any further tuition from Furst Class Lounge Limited before your next assessment, extra training days are charged at £140 per day.

All of the above are subject to availability.

If you are unsuccessful in your practical assessment, as determined by the Heavenly assessor, you will need to be reassessed, which constitutes a referral. Heavenlyz Ltd. will charge a re-assessment fee of £150 payable directly to Heavenly Ltd. FCL Ltd. will charge £50 for the use and arrangement of a further dog for the assessment. Should you require any further tuition from Furst Class Lounge Limited before your next assessment, extra training days are charged at £140 per day.

All of the above are subject to availability.

Leaving Early & Salon Responsibilities

Students leaving between approximately 2:00 pm and 2:30 pm must stop grooming at least 30 minutes before leaving to allow sufficient time to:

Clean and tidy their trolley and equipment.
Participate in the daily salon cleaning and maintenance.

This forms part of the Health & Safety element of your qualification and ensures fairness to everyone. Following our recent assessment, it was highlighted that some students were leaving without assisting with cleaning, placing additional pressure on our team and other students. In the future, everyone will be expected to take part in the daily cleaning schedule.

Breaks

Please note that, under current working time guidance, rest breaks are generally only required when attending for six hours or more. Many of your training days are shorter than this.

We appreciate everyone has individual circumstances, but please arrive prepared for your training day by having breakfast and ensuring you can comfortably complete the hours you have booked. If a task needs completing before a break, we may ask you to do so. However, we will always endeavour to provide a break to take lunch.

Tools will be provided throughout your course to ensure you work with the best equipment available.
These will be signed out and back in at the end of each working day.

FURST CLASS LOUNGE Property

All FURST CLASS LOUNGE uniforms, grooming tops, equipment, tools, and any other company property remain the sole property of FURST CLASS LOUNGE and must not be removed from the premises without prior authorisation. Uniforms are provided for use exclusively during training sessions at FURST CLASS LOUNGE and must be placed in the designated laundry area at the end of each training day.

Use of Belly Straps

As discussed during your training, belly straps are not considered a substitute for safe and effective dog handling techniques. Students must develop the skills and confidence required to safely handle, restrain, and control dogs without reliance on a belly strap.

Belly straps may only be used with prior approval from a member of the FURST CLASS LOUNGE training team and where there is a genuine welfare, safety, or behavioural reason for their use. Unauthorised use of belly straps will not be permitted and may be addressed as part of our commitment to maintaining high standards of animal welfare and professional grooming practice.

Participation in the end-of-day cleaning and maintenance of grooming and bathing rooms, tables, cages, and equipment is expected and forms part of the course’s health and safety requirements.

Breaks and Staff Facilities

FURST CLASS LOUNGE provides an upstairs staff area equipped with a kitchen, refrigerator, and microwave for the use of students and staff. Tea, coffee, and drinking water are available throughout the day.

Rest breaks are provided in accordance with current working time guidance and the length of your training day. As many training days are less than six hours in duration, a formal rest break may not always be required. However, where applicable, a 20-minute lunch break will be provided.

We appreciate that everyone has individual circumstances and encourage students to arrive prepared for their training day by having breakfast and ensuring they can comfortably complete their scheduled hours. To maintain the smooth running of the salon and training programme, the timing of all breaks is at the discretion of FURST CLASS LOUNGE. Where possible, we will always endeavour to provide an opportunity to take lunch, although students may be asked to complete a task before taking their break if this is necessary for the welfare of a dog, the salon schedule, or the learning environment.

Smoking or vaping is not permitted within the building; however, provisions have been made for smokers to use designated areas outside the building.

Our health and safety policy and first-aid notice are available for your inspection. It is paramount that the safety of animals and people be considered at all times. Failure to work safely may result in written or verbal feedback or may lead to being asked to leave the course. No refund will be given.

If you have any physical, psychological, or emotional day-to-day needs that may impact your health and safety, please declare them before starting or signing up for a grooming course so that we can assess any potential overall risks.

Any concerns or complaints should be addressed with your tutor immediately. Complaints should be presented in writing within 7 days to your tutor. Any cause for complaint will be shared with Heavenly Ltd. unless you attend the in-house course. Upon satisfactory completion of your course, a certificate of achievement will be awarded. Unattended days and lost days due to illness are non-redeemable. Quality assurance complaints and appeals procedures are in place in conjunction with Heavenlyz Ltd.

Training days are prearranged and agreed upon in advance. Your attendance is required on prearranged days, which have been planned to accommodate additional client appointments and other students. Planning helps ensure students have a sufficient variety of breeds or coat types for practical work and that learning hours are achieved, thereby facilitating progression to the practical assessments. 

Students failing to attend scheduled training days without prior arrangement and 48 hours’ notice will forfeit the days missed.

Any additional days to achieve the required learning hours for your chosen course are charged at £140 per day; therefore, you must attend the agreed-upon and planned training days.

We will make allowances for two emergency days during the course.

Course Attendance

As our diary is planned well in advance, including arranging suitable dogs for each training day, last-minute cancellations are no longer sustainable.

Our Terms & Conditions require a minimum of 48 hours’ notice to cancel or rearrange a training day. Cancelling by text or email on the morning of your course, sometimes only minutes before the start time, is not acceptable.

Each student is permitted two emergency cancellations during their course. Once these have been used, any further missed or rearranged days will only be rebooked subject to diary availability.

Any missed day without the required notice will incur the £140 daily training fee, which must be paid before the replacement day can be booked.

Training Day Cancellations for Business Appointments

FURST CLASS LOUNGE recognises that some students operate their own grooming businesses alongside their training. However, training days must not be cancelled at short notice in order to accommodate client appointments or other business commitments.

Where a training day is cancelled, and it is evident that the cancellation has been made to undertake grooming appointments or other business activities, including appointments advertised or accepted via social media or other platforms, the cancellation will be treated as a late cancellation. In accordance with our cancellation policy, the full daily training fee of £140 will be payable before the cancelled training day can be rescheduled.

Coursework and Assessment Requirements

Students are responsible for ensuring that all coursework is completed accurately, to the required standard, and submitted to the assessor within the specified timescales. Coursework must be completed in the student’s own time unless otherwise directed by the FURST CLASS LOUNGE training team.

Students are also responsible for completing the required range of coat types and obtaining the necessary photographic evidence throughout their course. Assessment photographs must meet the required criteria and should be taken on the relevant training days.

Students must ensure that a member of the FURST CLASS LOUNGE team is available to take assessment photographs, with the student positioned correctly behind the dog, as required for assessment purposes. Failure to obtain the required evidence may affect the completion and submission of your qualification. Due to client confidentiality and data protection, all photos of clients’ dogs are not permitted on any social media sites or websites without express permission from FCL Ltd. All photos taken on the premises remain the property of FURST CLASS LOUNGE Ltd.

It is expected that diversity be respected at all times. Students are expected to refrain from expressing disruptive (verbal or physical) sexist, homophobic, racist, or other similarly unacceptable actions or remarks at any time. Failure to comply will result in a written warning, and students may be asked to leave the course; no refund will be given. You are expected to fully attend and participate in the course material presented by your tutor. Any deviation that may result in injury to animals in the care of FCL Ltd., your fellow students, staff, or property may result in a written warning and termination of your course without refund.

Health and safety must be adhered to at all times, as well as the five animal welfare needs. The decision to terminate your course due to any disruptive behaviours or unsafe practices lies solely with the directors of Furst Class Lounge Ltd.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Dress Code

The health, safety, and welfare of our students, staff, and the animals in our care are of paramount importance. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is provided by FURST CLASS LOUNGE and must be worn where required throughout your training. This includes, where applicable, gloves, face masks, hearing protection, eye protection, and other protective clothing.

PPE is designed to minimise exposure to workplace hazards, including airborne pet dander, dust, hair, grooming products, excessive noise, and other occupational risks associated with professional grooming. Failure to wear the required PPE may result in you being unable to participate in certain practical activities.

If you are unable to wear any item of required PPE for medical or other legitimate reasons, you must inform FURST CLASS LOUNGE before your training commences. A valid reason must be provided, and a PPE Exemption Form must be completed and signed before any exemption can be considered.

Students are required to attend each training day wearing suitable, hair-resistant grooming clothing and sensible, flat, closed-toe, non-slip footwear appropriate for a professional grooming environment. Denim jeans, open-toe footwear, high heels, and clothing deemed unsuitable for a salon environment are not permitted. Grooming tops are provided by FURST CLASS LOUNGE, subject to availability and sizing.

For health, safety, and hygiene reasons, long hair must be securely tied back at all times whilst training. Large rings, bracelets, dangling jewellery, facial piercings that may present a hazard, or any other accessories that could pose a risk to yourself or the animals must be removed before practical training begins.

Students are expected to maintain a high standard of personal hygiene and professional appearance at all times. This includes wearing clean clothing and using appropriate deodorant to help maintain a pleasant and hygienic working environment for colleagues, clients, and animals. Where standards of hygiene or dress are not considered appropriate for the training environment, FURST CLASS LOUNGE reserves the right to address the matter and, where necessary, require the issue to be rectified before practical training continues.

The AIM Level 3 Dog Grooming Award and Diploma require you to provide evidence and document practical work for assessment. You will need access to a camera, phone, or device, and be able to print photos for submission. Additionally, you will need to supply your stationery and take notes. You may also require access to a personal computer and printer. 

You are responsible for documenting and recording your work evidence in your own time, completing coursework manuals, and demonstrating a basic understanding of external canine anatomy, breed and coat types, and grooming terminology. This information is available in your work manual and on our website’s learning and resources page.

FCL Dog Grooming Training Courses are for individuals 16 years of age and older who are seeking a career or experience in dog grooming. You are required to complete a one-day taster course before starting any of our formal or in-house training. You will be taking the course because you have a passion and a genuine interest in working at the highest level in the dog grooming industry, in both standards and safety.

You will be ready to commit yourself to completing home studies and course assignments within the duration of the course and have sufficient spare time to absorb and study the theory work, especially if you have been out of the education system for some time or have other work and personal commitments.

You will be committed to attending the course days which have been prearranged. You may lose unattended days without adequate notice being given to rearrange the dogs which have been booked in for your training.

You will be prepared for some challenges, both physically and mentally, and be an excellent listener who is open to feedback.

You will need to be comfortable standing and working on your feet for extended periods and have unimpaired senses to react quickly and safely to changing situations. Where this is not the case, we can discuss individual requirements to assess health and safety risks and personal adaptations.

You will be the kind of person who follows instructions carefully to ensure safe working conditions with the dogs in our care, fellow students, equipment, and FCL personnel.

If you have any physical, psychological, emotional or mental health conditions that may impact your health and safety, the safety of others and the dogs in our care, please declare them before starting or signing up for a grooming course so that we can assess any potential overall risks and actions that may be required.

Careful consideration should be given if you suffer from respiratory, skin or Musculoskeletal issues. Dog grooming is not suitable for everyone due to the physical demands of the job.

Dog grooming is one of the most rewarding careers in the pet industry, offering ample scope for those seeking part-time or full-time work. However, setting up as a dog groomer also involves intensive training and a substantial financial investment. It is also one of the most physically demanding jobs in the pet industry, where unlimited patience and a genuine love of dogs are essential.

Dog grooming involves a lot of lifting and twisting, often in warm conditions, and you should be comfortable being on your feet for extended periods. You should have a good sense of humour; dog grooming can be a messy business, and you should be comfortable working with dogs of all sizes and temperaments.

Suppose you are prepared to meet the high expectations and demands of FCL Training without exception. In that case, you can look forward to and be ready for an exceptional and rewarding career ahead in an industry where customers demand the very best for their pets.

Home Study and Coursework Preparation

Students are responsible for allocating sufficient time outside of training sessions to study the course materials, develop their understanding of the required topics, and complete all assignments within the specified timescales.

All completed coursework must be fully prepared and securely held by FURST CLASS LOUNGE prior to assessment. Coursework must be available for presentation to the assessor either in advance of, or on the day of, the scheduled assessment.

Where completed work is required to be submitted to the awarding organisation or external assessor, students may be required to send their coursework via post. FURST CLASS LOUNGE strongly recommends using a tracked and signed-for delivery service to ensure the safe arrival and protection of submitted work.

If you have any physical, psychological, emotional or mental health conditions that may impact your health and safety, the safety of others and the dogs in our care, please declare them before starting or signing up for a grooming course so that we can assess any potential overall risks and actions that may be required.

In such cases, we can discuss individual requirements to assess health and safety risks. When the combination of likelihood and severity results in a risk that is deemed unacceptable, and the risks are too high, dog grooming training may not be recommended, and training services may be declined.

Dog grooming environments can pose several health and safety risks to both the groomer and the dogs being groomed. These risks include potential injuries from sharp tools, respiratory problems from inhaling pet dander and hair, and the spread of zoonotic diseases. Additionally, groomers can experience physical strain and repetitive stress injuries from the physical demands of the job.

The above conditions are not exhaustive

FURST CLASS LOUNGE Ltd reserve the right to amend these terms, conditions of service and pricing without prior notice.