Website The biggest news this month is the long-awaited launch of our new website.

Although the content is a work in progress, much of the preparation has been

done so we expect new pages and functions to follow thick and fast now - we

will announce via newsflash emails as and when they arrive. New and renewing

members will now be able to take advantage of the option to pay monthly, to

spread the cost of membership subscriptions. We will also be developing our

presence on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to raise our professional Profile

to a wider audience. Have to keep up with the times!

Regional Groups

Kris has had her head down preparing data and content for the website; now she is going to turn her attention to the

Regional Groups. We see the regional groups as being an essential and integral part of The BACN. As the groups

have evolved and developed we recognise the challenges and the stark variations in the success of some groups

versus the struggles and failures of others. Lou Sommereux stepped up last year to examine the challenges and

explore possible solutions, in collaboration with group leaders. It was never our intention to run these groups

centrally, indeed we expected each region to develop, or not, as they wished within broad guidelines. With 4 years

experience now, we have identified the following issues and ways in which we can help.

● Members have had trouble with the scheduling of meetings, sometimes not giving enough notice.

We have asked regional leaders to plan dates a year ahead for a suggested minimum of 4 meetings a year.

We will post these dates, with agendas, on our website in a new section dedicated to The Regional Groups.

Kris will step up the nagging of regional leaders to ensure this happens in a timely fashion.

● Members have complained that the distances they need to travel are prohibitive.

We would like to see smaller divisions of regions, but need members to step forward to act as leaders.

Leaders do not need to be experienced in aesthetics or better than anyone else, the role is simply one of

coordinating meetings and this can be done more simply, and with our support, when the regional page is on

the website. Without Leaders the groups cannot and do not function. Regional groups can be as small as 4 in

number.

● Every company under the sun would love to come and present to a group of nurses. We are asked on a

weekly basis by members if we will share our data base. Of course not! We are mindful that regional

meetings shouldn’t always be a sales pitch opportunity. We have asked companies interested in offering

workshops, training or presentations to provide an agenda to our office. It will be posted on the website and

interested groups may request from Kris who will set the ball in motion. If regional leaders are approached

by reps offering workshops etc they have been asked to contact Kris and not to arrange meetings directly

with BACN groups. This will enable all groups to access workshops they are interested in, it will help group

leaders to select agendas of interest to their members and it will prevent abuse. For companies, it will

ensure their sponsorship is more organised, that their support is more broadly advertised and their products

reach a potentially much wider audience.

Regional Leaders have been sent the new guidelines and the sponsors and reps have also been notified. Kris

will be monitoring and facilitating, so please contact her if you have any questions or comments.

Dear Member,

http://www.jmsreurope.com

Education

The long-awaited Keogh Report was published last month. We commented on the recommendations in a newsflash,

if you didn't see it or receive it, get in touch with Liz on 01749 836 328 or info@cosmeticnurses.org and she will send

it to you again.

The two issues we plan to focus on are education and a register of licensed practitioners. We have been in talks with

BAD and BCAM who are also communicating with plastic surgeons. It is hoped we can all agree on a curriculum

standard and structure for training fit for purpose. As an organisation we are clear that by joining forces on this we

will have a stronger and clearer voice and are very optimistic that the clinical groups are on the same page. We are

also confident that manufacturers will be examining ways they might provide more structured training in line with

Standards set down, ultimately - if recommendations become actions - by Health Education England. It is not yet

clear which body will be accrediting such training as part of regulation, but we will endeavour to engage with the

Implementation Group to determine next steps.

In the meantime, we must push on to develop our own vision for educational standards and curriculum, working

with relevant parties. For our own part, the Competencies for Nurses in Aesthetic Medicine are in the final draft

stage and have been submitted to The RCN Accreditation Panel for 'deep reading'. When these are accredited and

published, we expect them to form the basis for a curriculum and learning and development pathways.

We will be recruiting suitably qualified and experienced members to join our Education Committee to outline and

propose a curriculum and pathway. Those who have volunteered so far will be contacted in the coming months to

get the ball rolling. We have been lining up our ducks so to speak, to ensure work and effort will not be in vain.

Prior to The Keogh Review, we had begun work with Coventry University who approached us, having recognised the

potential demand for academically accredited education in aesthetics. This was in no small part due to Rosie Cooper

who had undertaken the V300 at Coventry and was impressed with the quality of the course.

Annie Cartwright, Rosie Cooper, myself and Lou Sommereux have worked with Coventry as consultants to help them

develop and deliver the kind of academic education we hope you would all want. We recommended short modules

(10 weeks or so), blended learning (some attendance and some distance), which can be undertaken as standalone

modules taken at degree or Masters level, building towards certificate, degree or Masters, with the option to

accredit prior learning and experience (APEL). The University will use our Competencies for the basis of learning

outcomes.

The lectures and support for online learning will be delivered by appropriately qualified and experienced faculty

members, who may be educators, pharmacists, aesthetic nurses, dermatologists or

plastic surgeons.

The first module has been launched and will begin in October 2013. Coventry has been busy

marketing and the interest is high. It is a foundation module based on core competencies (not

teaching how to inject). We have designed it as an introduction or consolidation of knowledge

and skills for safe, legal and ethical practice. There is an interesting range of topics including

pharmacology in aesthetics, medicines management, evidence-based practice, risk assessment,

patient assessment and consultation skills, consent, documentation, a critical exploration of

legislation and regulation, anatomy and psychology of aging face and head.

Follow-on modules are being developed and planned and Coventry is confident that they will meet any

standards for future regulation.

We had hoped to include a flyer, but as yet it is not available - we will include it in the next newsletter. Contact

Coventry directly for further information. To be clear, this is COVENTRY UNIVERSITY course, NOT BACN. We do hope

this will be a success, showing the dedication and motivation of nurses in this field. Courses at Greenwich and

Leicester failed due to lack of uptake; we hope times have changed and that providing short and affordable modules

which can stand alone or be built upon, will prove accessible and achievable for any nurse seeking academic credit

for their studies.

I will be signing up and hope to see lots of you there in October!

BACN Members held Accountable to our code of conduct

Recently a second member has been expelled for several breaches of our Code of Conduct, identified exhibiting and

advertising discounted Botox for treatment on the day at Olympia. The advertising Banner displayed the BACN, RCN

and NMC Logos underneath “Botox £99.00” for which there were queues of people lining up for treatment. To add

to our dismay, this was widely reported on Twitter and also in the media, including the Guardian Newspaper. Having

been contacted by us, the nurse resigned her membership but then went on to do the same in Birmingham. She is

an experienced aesthetic nurse and has been a member since 2010, but claimed she has done nothing wrong and

that she was not aware of our code of conduct or advertising legislation or NMC, RCN rules on using their logo. She

did not have time to keep up with it all and had clearly not read any of our newsletters, or engaged with us at all,

beyond using our logo on her website. This is all the more alarming because she also offers training to NVQ Level 3

beauty Therapists.

I will say that this nurse was outraged by our attitude and criticism and the attacks on social media, seeing them as

quite uncalled for and unfair - nurses should support each other! She was very upset and very hurt and no longer

wished to be a part of BACN. I have offered to publish a

statement she has prepared defending herself and explaining

her position, which I will do, if and when she submits one.

Speaking personally, and I know the board and many members feel

the same way, I felt angry and humiliated by her actions, her lack of

respect for her patients, her peers and her profession - whilst wearing

The BACN logo as a badge of credibility. Worrying also was her complete

ignorance of the current political climate we are in, and the legislation and

professional standards that we all really need to understand and practice within.

She has made it clear she would prefer to work in isolation rather than be judged in such a public

way. For our part, we would have addressed this in a private way and respected her privacy to some extent; it is

entirely her responsibility that what she did was so public and inevitably invited vociferous criticism from doctors on

Twitter. It has to be said, these same doctors ignored the fact that this nurse was not alone in having this kind of

stand at exhibitions - there were doctors and dentists doing the same. It is a shame that she attracted the most

attention, and for all the wrong reasons.

Lessons to be learned

The BACN badge/logo should be seen to mean something positive. Members agree to abide by our code of conduct

and should be well informed and be continuing their professional development.

Sometimes at events I am challenged by members who complain that they are not getting value for money, who

don't feel they are getting anything from being a member. My first question would be what do they want? and

usually they cannot answer that question. New members, upon joining, will say they don’t want to work in isolation,

they want to feel part of a community, they want training, support, mentoring, they want to know what is going on,

they want somewhere to turn to for advice and information.

Those who have joined and complain they are getting nothing are, without exception, not reading the newsletters,

have not joined facebook or linkedin, have not logged in to the website, have never contacted us either to ask for

help or to complain directly, have never attended a regional group meeting or have done so and didn’t like it but said

nothing and did nothing...

I would say it is fine not to get involved. However, in light of “OlympiaGate”, I would now have to say it is not fine.

The BACN Nurse is perhaps one who should be connected with a wider community and should be engaged with the

issues and not one focused entirely on their own business and the money rolling in however and whatever it takes.

To be connected, as a minimum, you should be reading our newsletters and emails. There is a lot to be gained from

viewing or participating on our forums, facebook and, soon, our member’s forum on the website. We would love to

see more of you at our events and workshops, which are always outstanding for CPD.

To be well informed, members have a duty to keep up to date on current issues. Please make the time to read our

newsletters. Ignorance is NO excuse. The code of conduct and constitution are on our website, if you have not read

them, please do so.

Insurance

There has been a bit of discussion about insurance recently. With nearly 600

members we may have a bit of clought. We would like you to participate in a survey

to explore what you have and what you would like. We may have a real opportunity to

design the kind of insurance we want. The more of you who take a few moments to

complete the survey, the more chance we have at any negotiating table, so please

take part. We need every one of you to help. Please follow this link: Insurance Survey

Board members coming to the end of four year term

Well, the original board members find themselves drawing to the end of a four year term. According to our

constitution they may step down or nominate themselves for a second term and be voted in, or out, by membership.

This vote will take place in October.

Liz Bardolph, our President has notified us she will be

stepping down. Myself, Sharon Bennett Vice Chair,

Lou Sommereux Secretary and Regional Group

Coordinator, and Sharron Brown will have served four

years. We will announce nominations in August and

conduct an online vote in October, after conference.

Members who wish to nominate themselves for board

positions may do so by the 10th August please. See

our Constitution for information about responsibilities

and please be aware that participating on the board

does require a real commitment of time and effort.

Dan Travis helps Cosmetic Clinics in the UK increase their profits. He is marketing advisor to the BACN. He will be giving

marketing advice to BACN members in

this newsletter column each month. You can contact Dan from his website www.dantravis.co.uk

ALL clinics in the UK that I have worked with have thrown money down the drain by using one of the above tools ineffectively (All of the points on the list on the right can be used very effectively except using the Exact Match Domain system).

Two stories from ‘The Top Ten Clinic Marketing Money and Time Wasters’

Problem 3. Website: The Tower of Babel or the Website Trap? (Quick Video - The Website Trap by DanTravisTV on YouTube) A clinician called me in exasperation in May. They told me that the website that they had hitherto paid £ 7,500 for 8 months previously had not been finished. The ‘developer’ was also wanting more money to complete the task. The beleaguered owner had spent hours (days even) in meetings, on the phone and writing emails about the nascent website. After the £ 7,500 plus had been spent the website had generated £47 in sales. This story is typical of nearly every clinic that contacts me. As a matter of urgency, clinics need to make more sales and make more profit. A website alone cannot do this for you, however grand and expensive it may be. If, under pressure, you buy into the website myth then you WILL fall into this trap.

Problem 1 – “One Swallow Does Not a Summer Make” (Aristotle 384 BCE) or “The Letter”

A client was very reluctant to start an ‘offline’ paper mailing campaign. I asked “why?” and she said that they had ‘tried’ it before and it had been very disappointing. The client had carefully created an attractive and professional looking glossy leaflet (including professional photography) and, at the time of printing, she was very pleased with it. She had spent a total of £ 1, 155. The letter generated no enquiries. I asked her, “How many times did you send letters out?’ Her reply was “Once”. And here is the fundamental problem with clinics and their mailings. All the time, money and expectation is put into making the leaflet look really good (and it did look really good), However, it is wasted because there is no System or Process. A Single mailshot (no system mailout) will always disappoint and put money straight down the drain.

There is a solution to this problem and you are sitting on it right now. Click Here to find out what this surprise solution is. IF you are not happy with your current marketing you seriously need ask yourself this question.

Do you know how many sales were generated by the Marketing approaches you adopted?

When you can answer this question (yes or no), then you need to answer the following questions to ensure that you are not throwing money down the drain. 1. How much is a new customer worth to you per annum? 2. What do you spend to acquire a new customer? 3. How often do your customers purchase from you? 4. Do you have an upsell process?

5. Do you have a referral strategy? IF you cannot answer any of these questions, then you are throwing money down the drain. You need to Click Here to find out how not only save and make money but also free up a lot more of your precious time.

REMEMBER: ‘Marketing’ is about sales campaigns that USE A SYSTEM OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.

Free Competition!

If you answer this question you will receive:

£ 250 worth of free marketing make-over.

So you can choose a Youtube Chanel for your Clinic, maybe an optimised Facebook Page or an Email Sales Campaign

for a product or service.

The choice is yours!

The answer to the question has been lodged with Liz DePass and she will determine the

winner on Thursday 13th June.

Click here to find out what the £250 Question is.

Visit www.ccr-expo.com/bacn for more information and to register

Please enter code bacn25 to receive the 25% discount off the full conference price.

Conference

Bookings for our Annual Conference in October are steady – delegates and sponsors alike. This promises to be our

biggest and best Conference yet, with a great line-up of workshops and lectures. You may have seen on Facebook

that Dr Lance Setterfield held a very inspiring workshop in Glasgow recently – if you weren’t there, you can catch

him at the Conference on the Saturday. Check out the website for the full programme.

We have been able to secure the discounted rate for accommodation for the Thursday night as well as the Friday. If

you wish to book a room for Thursday night you will have to ring the hotel direct – Renaissance City Centre,

Manchester, 0800 221 222 and quote reference BA2.

‘Born to be Blondie’ is proving to be a big draw for the Friday evening dinner – book online via BACN website to

secure a place.

Welcome New Members

We’ve had a good number of new members join the BACN – welcome to you all!

Soon you will - as will everyone! - be able to catch up on previous newsletters on the Members area of the website.

We are working hard on getting the Members area, Regional Groups pages in particular, up and running asap.

Please bear with us; we thank you for your patience whilst we develop the site. We will be sending out regular

‘newsflashes’ with updates.

Kind Regards,

Emma Davies BACN Chair