About us
WHY TRUST HABD VERIFIED
Professional verification should be backed by professional understanding.
Verification should mean more than a badge.
If a platform is going to assess professional standards, it is reasonable to ask who is doing the assessing, what experience sits behind the process and what gives that verification credibility.
At The Hair & Beauty Directory, we believe you should be able to ask those questions.
HABD Verified has been developed from almost 30 years of professional industry experience, education and a long-standing commitment to raising standards across hair, beauty and aesthetics.
And just as importantly, our verification process is transparent.
We don't ask you to simply trust our tick. We show you what sits behind it.
The Hair & Beauty Directory was founded by Helen Ward, an experienced beauty professional, salon owner, qualified educator and industry advocate who began her career in 1996.
Helen has spent almost three decades working across different areas of the professional beauty industry — from hands-on treatments and advanced skin services to salon ownership, education, judging, speaking and business development.
Her professional education includes qualifications in Beauty Therapy, Complementary Therapies, teaching, Human Biology, Nutrition and advanced skin, alongside extensive professional and brand training.
She has continued to work directly with clients and professionals throughout her career, while running an established salon and supporting other businesses within the industry.
This means the standards behind HABD Verified haven't been created by someone simply checking documents from an office.
They have been developed with an understanding of how professional hair, beauty and aesthetics businesses actually operate.
More Than a Document Check
Insurance and qualification evidence matter, and they form an important part of our verification process.
But professional standards cannot always be understood from certificates alone.
Depending on the type and scope of verification, HABD may also consider the wider professional picture — including the business information available to clients, professional claims, reviews, online presence and other relevant indicators.
The purpose isn't to decide whether a business is fashionable, expensive or popular.
It is to consider whether what is being presented to consumers is consistent with the professional standards expected for HABD Verified status.
Experience Beyond the Treatment Room
Professional standards aren't only about holding a certificate.
Over her career, Helen has worked across education, professional development and the wider industry, including as an educator, industry judge, speaker, columnist and business mentor.
Her work has included judging professional competitions and awards, speaking at industry events, contributing to professional publications and helping other professionals understand areas including business development, online visibility and professional standards.
She has also been recognised throughout her career through numerous industry awards and finalist positions.
This broader experience has provided exposure to professionals, businesses, educators and standards across many different parts of the industry.
Transparency Is Part of the Standard
HABD doesn't claim to verify things we haven't checked.
Every verification has a defined scope.
We make clear what has been reviewed and what the verification covers, rather than allowing a badge to imply that every employee, treatment, qualification or aspect of a business has automatically been assessed.
That distinction matters.
It protects consumers, protects the professionals who have genuinely met the standard and protects the credibility of HABD Verified.
The value isn't simply in displaying a tick. It's in being able to see what sits behind it.
Independent Verification — Not Regulation
The Hair & Beauty Directory is an independent industry platform.
HABD Verified is an independent verification scheme. We are not a government regulator, statutory licensing body or accreditation organisation, and we do not claim to be.
Our role is different.
We set published professional verification requirements, assess the relevant evidence and information against those requirements and clearly communicate the outcome and scope of our checks.
Verification is not automatically awarded because someone has paid for membership.
Where our requirements are not met, further evidence may be requested or Verified status may be refused.
Standards That Continue After Verification
Professional standards aren't something that should only matter on the day a badge is awarded.
HABD verification is reviewed periodically, and a verification can be reconsidered where relevant circumstances change or credible concerns are raised.
Our standards and verification processes will also continue to develop as the professional industry changes.
New treatments emerge. Training develops. Consumer expectations change. Regulation and professional guidance evolve.
HABD Verified is designed to evolve with them.
Accountability Works Both Ways
If we expect professionals to be transparent, HABD should be transparent too.
That is why our verification requirements, process and scope are available for professionals and consumers to understand.
We welcome legitimate questions about our standards and will continue working with professionals, educators and the wider industry as HABD Verified develops.
Our aim isn't to position HABD above the industry.
Our aim is to help good professionals demonstrate the standards that already set them apart.
Trust Should Be Earned
HABD Verified brings together professional evidence, industry understanding, independent assessment and transparency.
For professionals, it provides a way to turn the standards behind their work into visible trust.
For consumers, it provides more information on which to base a decision.
And for HABD, it creates a responsibility to apply our standards consistently, fairly and transparently.
We don't ask you to trust our tick.
What the Professionals Say
Loved the recent zoom training, very helpful. Looking forward to what’s to come as a member of The Hair and Beauty Directory!
I highly recommend the "Google My Business" webinar. Helen went through everything very clearly, step by step. It was jam packed full of tips and tricks, most of which I had no idea you could do on your Google listing! A must for any business.
this is the place to be if you are in the beauty, hair and aesthetics industry as a solo business owner, employment or a training provider. Helen Ward has pioneered an amazing platform and courses to support the professional. Focusing of elevating standards, skills, trends and business. Absolutely recommend you join and connect with Helen and the community. See you in there!
Tracy Fensome
Frequent Asked Questions
What authority does HABD have to verify professionals and businesses?
HABD Verified is an independent industry verification scheme operated by The Hair & Beauty Directory.
We are not a regulator or government accreditation body, and we don't claim to be.
Our role is to set clear professional verification requirements, assess evidence and information against those requirements, and transparently show what has been checked and what each verification covers.
Our standards have been developed with almost 30 years of professional industry experience behind them.
Who carries out HABD verification?
HABD's verification process has been developed under the direction of founder Helen Ward, an experienced beauty professional, salon owner, qualified educator, industry judge, speaker and business mentor who began her career in 1996.
Verification is not simply an administrative document-upload process. Evidence is assessed within the context of the professional industry and the type of business or professional applying.
Is HABD Verified a government accreditation?
No.
HABD Verified is an independent verification scheme. It is not government accreditation, statutory licensing or regulatory approval.
We deliberately make that distinction clear because transparency is central to the way HABD Verified operates.
Can someone simply pay to become HABD Verified?
No.
Payment for HABD membership does not guarantee Verified status.
Applicants must meet the relevant verification requirements. We may request further information or evidence, and where the required standard isn't met, verification can be refused.
The HABD Verified mark cannot simply be bought.
What makes HABD verification different from a normal directory badge?
Transparency.
We don't simply place a tick beside a business and expect consumers to trust it.
HABD makes clear what has been checked and what the verification covers.
We don't ask you to trust our tick. We show you what sits behind it.
Does HABD decide whether someone is qualified to practise?
No.
HABD does not replace awarding organisations, insurers, regulators or any statutory requirements that may apply to a particular profession, treatment or country.
Our role is to review specified evidence and professional information against our own published verification requirements.
Does HABD verify every qualification and treatment?
Only where this forms part of the stated verification scope.
A business being HABD Verified does not automatically mean every qualification, treatment or individual member of staff has been separately assessed.
We make the scope clear because we don't want the HABD Verified mark to imply checks that haven't taken place.
How do you know the documents submitted are genuine?
HABD reviews the evidence provided and may use available information such as qualification details, certificate information, awarding organisations, insurers and other relevant sources when carrying out checks.
Where information cannot be satisfactorily established, we can request further evidence before making a verification decision.
Do you only look at certificates and insurance?
No.
Those are important trust signals, but professional standards can extend beyond documents.
Depending on the verification being carried out, we may also consider business information, professional claims, client-facing information, reviews, online presence and other relevant indicators.
We are not assessing popularity, follower numbers or how expensive a business looks. We are looking at the wider professional picture relevant to the verification being applied for.
Can HABD remove someone's Verified status?
Yes.
Verification is not a lifetime entitlement.
Status can be reviewed where information changes, required evidence expires or credible concerns are raised. Where the verification requirements are no longer met, Verified status can be suspended or removed.
Our Mission
To raise standards, strengthen visibility and help the public make safer, better informed choices, while giving real professionals the platform they deserve.
We built this platform with a clear purpose, to bring trust, clarity and real expertise back into the industry.
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