Have you seen our FAQ page here?
Please check on this page first before contacting us as your
question may already have been answered.
Please note we are open to respond to E-mails from Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm, excluding bank holidays.
We aim to respond to all E-mails as quickly as possible within these hours, thank you.
Click on the question below to reveal the answer, many of your enquiries will be covered here.
For our advanced courses like Hot Stone Massage, MLD, Deep Tissue, Pregnancy massage etc we require a level 3 qualification in full body massage and A&P.
We require an NVQ level 3 (or equivalent) in full body massage with A&P (all in one qualification or two is also fine), so if your qualification is to that level then we can accept you onto these courses.
If you are unsure of the level please check this with your training provider for the course you completed.
We tell you on this information page some of the certificates that cannot be accepted to help you find out if you training is to the standard required.
For more information please click on the link below:
Yes, we still go ahead with the class if only 2 people are booked for our one day courses - please note for the longer ITEC courses we require more, however we have not had to cancel a course yet for the longer courses.
If you are the only one booked and the course is cancelled by your tutor due to lack of numbers (we require at least two students to run our one day courses), you will be offered another date with the same or a different tutor. However, if we do not have at least two other dates to offer you, we can offer you a full refund.
We specialise in small classes to ensure one-to-one tuition, which we feel is very important. Many other courses on offer will have between 25 - 35 students on them and as a consequence the teacher will take much longer to supervise the class, making the course itself longer and of course more expensive.
For our one day courses we usually take 6-8 students (for some courses only 4) at a time, ensuring individual attention at all times and of course you will learn the same techniques as you would learn on longer courses.
Many students tell us they learn more in one day with our tutors (due to their experience and their clear teaching methods) than they have learnt elsewhere on a 2 or 3-day course in the past. We take small numbers per class, which also ensures individual attention.
Other schools' training courses will also include Anatomy and Physiology, making the course a lot longer, but A&P is not always needed to gain insurance. The tutors will cover the relevant A&P in your course manual when required and we also send you an accredited A&P manual by email which is free of charge, before you attend our course. You are NOT required to read this beforehand but it is great extra information for you to save you having to buy books on the subject - this is our gift to you. Some students have found this is a great reminder if they studied a long time ago and for beginners it is a fantastic introduction to the subject.
We follow the guidelines of the professional therapy associations and insurance companies and only ask for massage and A&P if it is required. For many of our one day courses, it is not a legal requirement to have massage or A&P to attend; this allows our courses to be shorter and more affordable.
Please note if you wish to join FHT or Embody their regulations state that you must have a level 3 qualification in full body massage and A&P, however those of you without this can join another professional body called The Beauty and Holistic Guild, who both do not require this. Information about Insurance and Professional body cover will be explained by your tutor on the day of your training.
Unfortunately, our prices are already as low as we can make them, meaning we can't offer any discounts for multiple bookings.
Due to small classes, we cannot offer discounts as our courses are already very good value.
We are not the most expensive and we are not the cheapest when it comes to courses, be aware of companies offering block course booking discounts as you get what you pay for. We often have students coming to us to train again as they were not happy with other schools' training when they paid a low price elsewhere.
We believe you will be more than delighted with our courses & we do not discount our courses or de-value our tutors' time.
Our teachers are excellent at what they do and our prices, which we believe are affordable, reflect the high quality training & the price you pay.
We do not compromise on our costs which would then compromise the training you would receive. There are other courses out there offering lower prices and discounts but be aware that you get what you pay for.
As a suggestion maybe you would like to attend one or two courses first to make sure you are happy with our training before booking the rest, you will find the one-to-one tuition you get from smaller classes is a great benefit and our established history (and an award-winning school) offering accredited courses for over 23 years gives you confidence that you are getting good value for money.
No, you do not need to bring a model with you as you will work with another student on the day. For many courses like beauty courses, a dummy's head is also provided. If, however you prefer not to be worked on (if you have a medical condition), you are able to bring a model with you, but this needs to be arranged with the tutor directly once you have booked your course.
No, we are sorry we cannot do this, we have to stick to the advertised numbers due to specialising in small classes and not having room at the venues to take more people.
The best and the quickest way you will be able to attend is to book onto the next date available that you can make and when filling out your details, there is a note box section within the booking form. You can request here that you can be moved to the earlier date if there are any cancellations, so you can be prioritised and contacted if we have anyone drop out.
This way you do not miss out on the next date and if we get an earlier cancellation the tutor can contact you straight away to offer to move you to an earlier date as sometimes people cancel due to illness or they have to work etc.
All course times can be found on each course page
VENUE TIMES FOR MOST OF OUR ONE DAY COURSES: 10:00am to 4:30pm Weekdays or 10:30am -5:00pm Weekends (For some of our advanced courses the times are slightly longer usually by one extra hour like our advanced deep tissue massage course.) Please check each course page to confirm the time it starts.
Longer courses, for example our ITEC Level 3 massage course, run from 9.30am - 5.30pm
Please check each course page to confirm times - thank you
No, sorry we do not as they were not taking on any new training centres when we approached them, however our courses are very popular so as a suggestion maybe you would like to attend one of our courses first to make sure you are happy with our training before booking the rest.
You will find the one-to-one tuition you get from smaller classes is a great benefit and our established history offering accredited courses for over ten years gives you the confidence that you are getting good value for money.
Most private schools do not take private funding, if this is needed you will have to sign up to a local college course, as they are more likely to have this available.
We then hope that even without the ILA help you may be able to book with us and experience the quality of our training.
We do not accept private 24 hour loans, these are sometimes allowed by your local colleges but not private training schools like ourselves.
We do offer instalment payments for our courses, to help you budget when paying.
You do not need to bring anything with you for the one day courses as everything is included (materials used on the day) within the price of your course and supplied on the day.
The tutor can also advise where to get affordable equipment and kits on the day of your training, so you know where to buy everything you need to use with your clients after you have finished the course with us.
FOR ITEC ONLY
What to Wear
Please be aware that a black polo shirt or professional tunic and black trousers and black flat shoes are mandatory for the course.
What to Bring
2 Bath sheets, 1 bath towel, 2 hand towels
Antiseptic wipes
Antibacterial hand gel
Black polo shirt, black trousers, black flat shoes
Course books (see ITEC book list - which can be found on the ITEC website, the tutor can send this to you on request when you book)
ITEC is an independent, professional examinations board whose examinations are recognised nationally and internationally.
Yes, we offer you a free training day if you feel one day was not enough (this is available for 6 months from your training day) however with only very small classes and one to one tuition, 99% of students feel one day is fine.
When learning massage with us, we also offer many free DVD downloads which go over the full routine if you require a visual reminder and back up of what you have learnt. We have been offering courses since 1998 and students have been very happy with our training. We have all our courses assessed and accredited by many professional bodies with very high standards.
Please note, to book onto any of our courses Gateway only takes the deposit for the course (we do not take the full payment). Once you have booked your details are sent directly to the tutor and they will contact you with regard to the balance.
Payment Instalments Are Available on Course Balances to help you budget - your tutor will send you full details.
We give you this option as many students do not wish to pay in full for their course straight away as they have limited funds, so often if you book in advance this can allow you to only pay the deposit and then pay the balance later.
Instalments are available on course balances, to help you budget.
You will have a choice to pay the balance straight away if you wish or 21 days before your course start date or sooner if it is a last-minute booking. You can book up to 24 hours before a course as tutors check their bookings daily, you will receive a confirmation email from the tutor once you have booked and within this email it will give you the information you require so you can pay the balance to them direct.
If you are a company paying for a student to attend, please email us as we provide a Proforma invoice if required, we are happy for the tutor to contact you direct to charge the full amount, so you do not have to pay in two payments (please note this is only available for company bookings). We can arrange this for you on request.
All massage beds, chairs, all equipment, beauty products and creams etc. are all provided on the day of your training course so you will not have to bring anything with you.
The tutor can advise you on where to get affordable products on the day of your training or visit our Gateway products shop and links pages on our website, where you can get affordable and reliable massage beds and hot stone kits etc.
We work with a lot of large companies who can offer discounts to our students on products and equipment that you may need.
If you are a complete beginner, you do NOT need any previous experience for the following one day courses:
Chair Massage Seated Acupressure Diploma Course
Hand, Arm, Leg & Feet Massage Diploma Courses
Indian Head Massage Diploma Course
Massage For Beginners, Singles and Couples introduction Workshop
Natural Lift Facial Massage Diploma Course
Reiki and Seichem Healing Course
Thai Foot Massage Diploma Course
And many of our attendance Beauty Courses and our online courses too
We also offer our Hopi Ear Candling Diploma Course
You are able to attend as a complete beginner and you will be able to get insurance and use the therapies above with the general public and charge.
WE ARE ADDING NEW COURSES ALL THE TIME - PLEASE CHECK OUR WEBSITE COURSE PAGES THAT WILL TELL YOU IF THE COURSE IS ACCEPTABLE FOR A COMPLETE BEGINNER OR AN EXPERIENCED THERAPIST WITH A LEVEL 3 MASSAGE QUALIFICATION TO JOIN - AS WE HAVE A WIDE VARIETY OF EACH.
Yes you can.
The only ones that aren't certified and insurable are any of our workshops like for example the massage for beginners and couples workshop; however, this is perfect for those who would like to learn this massage to use on partners, friends or family, couples or for qualified therapists who are rusty and would like a refresher.
All our Diploma massage, beauty and holistic training courses on offer are insurable, which means you can offer them to the public and charge for them.
Yes, we will be happy to organise whatever is required, please email us with more information so we can help you further.
You are able to bring an interpreter if required, as the day is mostly practical it makes it very easy for our overseas students to learn with us and you will receive a full manual on the day of your training going over everything that was taught on the day, with lots of extra added information.
The tutor will work hard with you on the course day with the practical and the manual material, however as you only have a day, they need to give their time equally to all students. We aim to be as helpful as possible so if they feel that you would benefit from returning to the class to re-take the course if they cannot pass you first time around, they will let you know on the day.
The tutor is not allowed to issue any students with a certificate unless the student can demonstrate that they have safely picked up the routine correctly.
If the tutor needs to hold back your certificate, this is not personal as they want you to pass and if you have to return, please feel free to bring someone with you to help with any language barriers, if you feel this will be helpful to you. We welcome this and some students have bought an interpreter with them to make learning easier for them and we encourage this if required.
Please note that this needs to be arranged with the tutor before you attend a class for the first time or a repeat visit.
Often colleges will offer these courses with Anatomy and Physiology included or even ask students to undertake case histories; however this is not a requirement or a legal prerequisite. You are able to take private courses and obtain a recognised certificate and get insurance as a practitioner (which allows you to use these therapies with the general public and charge for it). We do however include all the essential A & P you will be required to know in your course manuals.
YOU WILL BE SENT AN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY MANUAL BEFORE YOUR COURSE - THIS MEANS YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO PURCHASE A BOOK ON A & P BEFORE YOU ATTEND OUR CLASS WHICH WILL SAVE YOU HAVING TO BUY BOOKS ON THE SUBJECT.
YOU DO NOT HOWEVER HAVE TO READ THIS BEFOREHAND IT IS THERE WHEN YOU REQUIRE IT AFTERWARDS AS OUR FREE GIFT TO YOU.
Colleges often place the massages they teach under one umbrella which is easier for their administration which means they teach it with A&P which is not a requirement for many courses and makes it a lot longer than is required. This is why our one day diploma courses are so popular as they are insurable making them accepted to use professionally.
Many massage courses, for example, the ITEC Holistic Massage course or Reflexology do require A&P as part of the training programme and it is easier for them to offer all courses with Anatomy and physiology, even though it may not be required.
We make it clear on each course page if A&P is a legal requirement or not.
In larger classes of 25-35 students, tutors have to move around the class checking their techniques; on our courses you will learn and easily absorb the same techniques but in a smaller class, allowing tutors to observe you closely at all times.
We teach you the same courses in smaller classes, allowing you to absorb the same information in a shorter period of time and of course you spend less money. We want to allow these courses to be available for everyone & you have the reassurance of professional teaching as all courses are registered with many professional bodies like The FHT (Federation of Holistic Therapists) CTHA - EMBODY and The Beauty Guild, Thinktree and many more.
This varies but works out at about £60 - £80 a year depending which therapy you train in. Full details are given to you on the day of the course for new therapists, which can be found in our training manuals or if you are a therapist already and have insurance, you will be able to add your training to your existing insurance (we always advise you to check first before booking).
You do not need insurance to attend our courses but we advise you to act professionally and obtain suitable professional liability insurance before you practice with the general public. All this information can be found in your course manuals on the day of training and will be covered by your tutor.
Gateway highly recommend Westminster for therapist insurance. They are affordable, reliable and many of our students use them on a yearly basis.
They offer great prices - for more information please visit this page:
https://www.gatewayworkshops.co.uk/information/therapist_insurance/
Our one-day courses are very much intended as small, hands-on classes offering one-to-one tuition. As such they concentrate on teaching you how to give the massage in an effective, safe and professional way. To cover in-depth the history and philosophy of each massage would necessitate a 2-day course, double the price and involve accommodation costs for students travelling in from outside London.
To overcome this, we provide you with full manuals giving you all the information about the massage you’re learning; this saves you having to make notes on the day and gives you the in-depth information needed, in addition to much of this also being covered on the day. There is also a wealth of information available to students both from books and online, recommendations can be made on which books to purchase to further your knowledge.
The tutors will cover the information needed verbally before the practical part of the day, ensuring all your questions are answered.
Additionally, we have produced our own massage DVDs for many of the courses which show the techniques step-by-step exactly as you have learnt them; it also covers the contraindications. These DVDs are available exclusively to our students and cannot be bought without taking a class, as it's most important that you’ve both given and received the massage to do it safely and competently.
You can purchase these at a small cost OR ALTERNATIVELY you can download a FREE version from our website!
All our courses have been awarded CPD points (Continuing Professional Development). There are a certain number of points required by the various bodies (IFPA, FHT etc) to ensure that members are up to date with various therapies. For example, Aromatherapists are required every 3 years to keep their training in massage up to date and will look for CPD courses to be able to do this.
The courses we offer are fully recognised and accredited by the top professional bodies. We offer a diploma qualification for our one day courses and this means they are fully recognised by the insurance companies, allowing you to gain insurance and charge the general public for the therapy.
There is not a requirement to obtain an NVQ or ITEC qualification to practice professionally and the tutor will give out all the insurance information about how to set up as a professional therapist on your training day.
We do however offer longer ITEC courses - if you need further information about these do let us know and we will be happy to send this information to you.
All the courses that are accredited with many professional bodies are recognised by the councils, who have many of them on their list of approved qualifications to accept. However please be aware that some councils have different guidelines so you will need to contact the council direct before signing up for a course as they are all different, so it is best to check first.
We have been informed by the accrediting bodies in the past, that they are not really sure of each one’s criteria, they said that certain disciplines aren’t required to even get a licence i.e. chiropractors, osteopaths etc. They advise each individual student to speak direct to the council as they will only deal with individuals (the student) and not the training school as sometimes the therapist may have something that they will not accept as it is not always down to the qualification, but the individual.
Please note - we are not able to contact the council on your behalf as they will not deal direct with the schools, only with the therapists applying.
The council usually say that although they issue the licence they refer applications to the environmental health department for approval of qualifications – The Guild trade as an association as well, FHT for Westminster and other councils, we assume other councils are the same but it is advised to check first.
We have also spoken to the environmental health department (Tel 0207 641 3161) and they said that the qualifications are considered individually and if they are rejected then they will be sent paperwork listing the reasons why. They mentioned that a student should not go to the training school if a council have rejected their application to find out as they will not be told, it is between the student and the council and nothing to do with the training school and they would be happy to advise where necessary.
When a student has been rejected before (which is rare but can happen) we were told it is advised that the student speak to the council direct as they should have received a notification (if you get rejected for any reason) with the rejection paperwork as to the reasons why. They have the information regarding what qualifications the therapists have and they should have the information from the council as to why they were rejected.
It unfortunately has nothing to do with our training as it is to do with their criteria with regard to the individual student and this is out of our hands, however usually most councils will accept students' qualifications but will let them know why if there is an issue.
Accrediting bodies have stated the following:
Insurance versus Councils & Special Treatment Licences:
It is really important here that we split insurance and Council Licences so as not to risk confusion. Insurance is obviously a recommended (but not compulsory) undertaking for Therapists to protect them in the event of a claim.
Councils are unfortunately a different matter; because the beauty industry is unregulated, there are no centrally-agreed legal or Government guidelines for the industry. As a result, Local and District Councils have the autonomy to decide expenditure, priority, standards and approach to beauty therapists in the local area. They will decide this based on the number of complaints, insurance claims, the opinion of the person running it, if their constituents have demanded it etc. As a result of this diversity, the standards and requirements across the UK vary wildly and there are no definitive measures therapists can achieve.
What this means is that where possible, we (the accrediting bodies) will work with Councils to ensure that our membership can be used as an alternative to special licences or can at least help to reduce fees. Our success with the Councils varies Council by Council for example Westminster currently recommend us, but others don’t. Acceptance by Councils is not something we promise, nor are we likely ever to be able to promise, but neither can other accreditation providers; in fact, ours has the most penetration with Councils. We are also working on building relationships with more and more Councils each month.
Unfortunately, the decision makers in the Council do not always have relevant or current information to make their decisions; requesting an NVQ or City & Guilds is naive given that a) there are other Awarding Organisations and b) there are many treatments which have bespoke qualifications because they are so new, yet no C&G qualification. This is where we will work to help out / educate.
The accrediting bodies have said when they get the following email this is how they respond “I got our courses accredited with you as I thought you were an approved body by the councils”. Our accreditation scheme does not claim Council acceptance but does enable your students to be insured by us. Many Councils do recognise us as one of, or the only professional association in the industry, but not all. From here, we will get in touch with the Council and see what we can do to resolve the situation.
So, it is advised if this happens to any students to get in touch with the professional body they are a member of and have insurance with, for them to help you.
You have to be at least 16 years old to attend a Gateway course
Your tutor's contact details can be found in your confirmation email you were sent when you booked with us, there is a link that takes you to your tutor's information with their email and phone contact details.
The tutor will also confirm your booking by email, giving you all the information you need for them and the full details for the venue and directions and final balance payment information.
UK law is very specific on maternity care:
Only midwives or doctors or those in training under supervision are legally permitted to take sole responsibility for a child-bearing women except in an emergency. This legal situation means that any therapies used during pregnancy, including massage must be complementary rather than alternative to normal maternity care.
The FHT clearly state that before treating a pregnant client, therapists must obtain permission from the midwife and/or GP and not carry out treatment during the first trimester (12 weeks).
We would suggest you seek the permission of your GP in writing first, however if you prefer not to be worked on you will not require this but you can bring a model instead.
Yes
All our tutors hold teaching qualifications and are experts in their fields, they all have professional qualifications in all the subject areas that they teach, with years of experience so you know you will receive the best training available.
Yes
You will be teamed up with another student on the day or if needed the tutor will provide models for you to work on, giving you plenty of time to practice what you have learnt. You will receive a treatment as well as give it unless for any reason you do not wish to be worked on.
We find that students are very happy with the amount of time they get to practice and your tutor will give you the aftercare needed if you have any questions once you have finished your course.
We do not insist that you wear a tunic or uniform, however if you have one and wish to wear it, that is fine. Any clothing should be comfortable with short sleeves or sleeves that can be rolled up.
Jewellery, watches etc (except wedding rings) should be removed, so for safekeeping we recommend that you leave most jewellery at home.
For our beauty courses please check each course page to find out what is required as there may be special requirements if you are working on nails etc.
Yes
Our CPD courses are recognised qualifications and accredited with the top bodies, which means you will be able to get therapist insurance, allowing you to work professionally with the general public and charge.
Also for those students studying the longer ITEC courses with us, the resulting qualification is more than enough to gain employment and to work with the general public. This qualification is also internationally recognised too.
We also team up with Urban massage who can help get therapists work. For more information, please visit this page:
YES!
We offer many discounts on the products our tutors use, so you can be sure you get reliable products to use with your clients at a great price!
Great Discounts on Eyebrow and Lash kits
All products will be provided on the day of your training (within the price of your course) that you use on the day whilst learning.
The tutors will be able to advise you on the best and affordable kits to buy when you train with them so you can use these with your clients, or if you wish to buy them before you train, you can!
Gateway Workshops Limited are pleased to confirm that we have agreed a discount with Eyeluvlashes which can be used by all of our students. Simply use Discount Code ‘Gateway’ at the checkout stage for a 10% Discount on all eyebrow and lash kits and all other products too.
They will give you a 10% discount on ALL orders, ongoing, when you use our discount code. For more information and prices please click on the link below:
Hot Stone Kits & Heaters Plus Warm Bamboo Kits
The UK's top supplier for beauty products, hot stone kits/portable hot stone bags and bamboo kits.
Hot Stone Heaters for salons, portable heaters, Bag & stone sets and much more! Use what our tutors use as they are fantastic products, reliable and safe and we are offering a great discount off the normal price as a special offer for all Gateway buyers.
For more information, please click on the link below:
https://www.gatewayworkshops.co.uk/products/hot-stone-kits-heaters/
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ATTEND ONE OF OUR CLASSES TO BENEFIT FROM DISCOUNTS FOR PRODUCTS, YOU CAN BUY AND STILL OBTAIN A DISCOUNT AND SHARE THE DISCOUNT CODES WITH YOUR FRIENDS TOO!
Please note we have our full terms and conditions on this page of our website:
https://www.gatewayworkshops.co.uk/information/tandcs/
However, we are also including below a summary of the FAQ regarding cancelling and our terms and conditions.
Cancellation Policy
All deposits are strictly non-refundable & non-transferable, unless enough cancellation notice period has been given by the student or company/salon booking in writing. We adhere to and comply with the Distance Selling Regulations and also the Consumer Contracts Regulations, which states that any cancellations must be made in writing within 14 days from the date the course was booked on the Gateway website (and not the date of the course).
i.e
If you booked on our website on the 1st January (for a course for example not starting until May), we would have to be notified in the first two weeks in January, within 14 days (which legally includes the weekends). If you then wish to cancel or transfer you would have to do this by 14th January, unless the last day falls on a weekend or bank holiday which means an extra day would be accepted.
The 14 days cooling off period is required under the DSR - Distant Selling Regulations.
Please note all cancellations must be made in writing to Gateway Workshops by email or post to head office or in writing by email to your Gateway tutor.
We are unable to accept a cancellation notification via PayPal, Worldpay or any other third party payment system you may have used when booking. It is not their responsibility to let us know of any cancellations as they may not contact us in time. Any cancellation must be made by the student direct in writing to Gateway Workshops LTD.
Please note by ticking our terms and conditions agreement box when you book, you are fully accepting the T&C's for both your deposit paid to Gateway Workshops and also the balance paid directly to your tutor.
Yes
All booking fees (deposits) are inclusive of VAT, Gateway is registered for VAT as a school and booking/promotional agent. The 'course' fee (balance) payable to the tutors is VAT exempt, as VAT is not applicable to Education.
The person teaching the course is exempt from VAT as they are the trainers, Gateway trades as the school and also the booking agent. We do have the final say on who we promote as a Gateway tutor and we also promote other training schools on our website that are not associated or connected to Gateway, so any complaints must be directed to the school themselves, however we will be happy to assist with any complaint if required.
We pride ourselves on who we promote on our site and any complaints are taken seriously and investigated in full and if they are deemed to be serious we will look into whether we wish to continue to promote that school, course or tutor.
If you feel one day was not enough and you wish to repeat the course, you can do this free of charge (within 6 months of when you first took the course) with the same tutor (if they still work with us) at a time which is convenient to both parties.
This can be organised directly with the tutor that originally trained you or through the contact us page on the Gateway website. You are able to come back once without charge, if you need to repeat the course again, if you fail both times you will have to pay the full course fee once again, including the deposit.
We try to prioritise those students who may have failed the first time around, if you have passed and wish to repeat your training this will be offered a few days before a course that may have last minute cancellations or have places available - please contact your tutor to be put on the waiting list to be contacted for last min places to become available. You will be able to book your place the week the course takes place.
Contraindications
When you sign up for a course and by ticking you agree to our terms and conditions in full. You agree to adhere to this request below regarding letting us know about any health issues you may have.
Important - we put both the tutors’ and your safety and comfort first at all times and as with any treatments there are contraindications to consider which MAY affect you attending / your involvement/participation on the course. This also applies to all the other students on the course - the person or paying friend you will be pairing up with to practice. If you have any concerns, we are happy to cover these before the course.
By booking with us you agree to confirm by email to your tutor if you are under treatment from your GP and other practitioners for any of the following:
Pregnancy - Are you within the first three months? Cancer, HIV and AIDS, Epilepsy, HBP or heart conditions, Infectious skin disorders like chicken pox, Contagious illness, Diabetes (if skin is very thin bruising may occur), Paralysis or loss of sensation.
Recent surgery on neck or face (if attending Natural Lift Facial Massage/ Indian Head Massage any other facial course) You may need a letter from your GP stating that it is safe/appropriate for you to give and receive a massage treatment on a one-day course. Care should also be taken if you are suffering from the following during the day of the course. Again, this may affect your participation on the course:
Local Psoriasis or Eczema - open sores or infections to the skin or ears, cold sores, High temperature or fever, drunk or under the influence of other drugs, local pain such as toothache, sunburnt, hypersensitive or broken skin, acute inflammation or swelling, severe acne, procedures such as Botox in the previous three weeks, Conjunctivitis
We can only advise on insurance for the UK as you would have to contact an insurance company in the country you wish to practice to ask if they cover UK qualifications.
We do have a lot of people coming from Europe and also places like Australia etc., so we can only assume (but not confirm) it should be ok as we have never heard of anyone not getting cover. However, we always advise you check with your insurance company first in the country where you will be practicing before signing up to any of our courses. The USA can be more difficult as they have different criteria, but you would need to check this out first as we cannot guarantee that they will cover you as we are not given insurance information outside of the UK.
We state who accredits each course on each course page for insurance cover in the UK as these courses are taken in the UK and covered in the UK, however outside of the UK regarding insurance, we advise you check this first before booking. Please be advised by agreeing to our terms and conditions you fully agree it is the responsibility of the student to check their insurance cover before signing up for a Gateway course and if you are unable to add your training to your existing insurance or a new insurance we have not got listed as accepting one of our courses, we cannot take responsibility for this or offer refunds.
Our courses are accredited with many professional bodies like the Guild, FHT as well as other bodies, the councils recognise them both as they have them on their list of approved qualifications to accept. However please be aware that some councils have different guidelines so you will need to contact the council direct before signing up for a course as they are all different, so it is best to check first.
We have been informed in the past by the accrediting bodies that they are not really sure of each one's criteria, they said that certain disciplines aren’t required to even get a licence i.e. chiropractors, osteopaths etc. They advise each individual student to speak direct to the council as they will only deal with individuals (the student) and not the training school as sometimes the therapist may have something that they will not accept as it is not always down to the qualification but the individual.
Please note - we are not able to contact the council on your behalf as they will not deal directly with the schools, only with the therapists applying.
The council usually say that although they issue the licence they refer applications to the environmental health department for approval of qualifications – The Guild and also FHT are a trade association for Westminster, we assume other councils are the same but it is advised to check first.
We have also spoken to the environmental health department (Tel 0207 641 3161) and they said that the qualifications are considered individually and if they are rejected then they will be sent paperwork listing the reasons why. They mentioned that a student should not go to the training school if a council have rejected their application to find out as they will not be told, it is between the student and the council and nothing to do with the training school and they would be happy to advise where necessary.
If you are looking to work as a therapist and require a licence from your local council - please be aware that all councils have different criteria with regard to the qualifications they will accept and that you are required to have. They may like FHT and CTHA require for you to have a level 3 qualification in full body massage before they will award you a licence, so we advise that you check with your local council first, before you book with us to make sure our qualifications are accepted.
We have been trading for over 20 years and we have found that most councils are accepting our qualifications but things constantly change and we are not in control of their requirements and they do not always update us! We always advise you check with your local council first if you require a licence to practice. We have thousands of students who have successfully obtained a council licence with our training and who become professional therapists and if someone is turned down it often has nothing to do with our qualifications or training but other aspects linked to the student, but always best to check first. If you require a level 3 in full body massage or a level 2 or 3 in beauty training, we also offer these on our website if required.
When a student has been rejected before (which is rare but can happen) we were told it is advised that the student speak to the council direct as they should have received a notification (if you get rejected for any reason) with the rejection paperwork as to the reasons why. They have the information regarding what qualifications the therapists have and they should have the information from the council as to why they were rejected.
It unfortunately has nothing to do with our training as it is to do with their criteria regarding the individual student and this is out of our hands, however usually most councils will accept students' qualifications but will let them know why if there is an issue.
Insurance versus Councils & Special Treatment Licences:
It is really important here that we split insurance and Council Licences so as not to risk confusion. Insurance is obviously a recommended (but not compulsory) undertaking for Therapists to protect them in the event of a claim.
Councils are unfortunately a different matter; because the beauty industry is unregulated, there are no centrally agreed legal or Government guidelines for the industry. As a result, Local and District Councils have the autonomy to decide expenditure, priority, standards and approach to beauty therapists in the local area. They will decide this based on the number of complaints, insurance claims, the opinion of the person running it, if their constituents have demanded it etc. As a result of this diversity, the standards and requirements across the UK vary wildly and there are no definitive measures therapists can achieve.
What this means is that where possible, the accrediting bodies will work with Councils to ensure that their membership can be used as an alternative to special licences or can at least help to reduce fees. Our success with the Councils varies Council by Council for example Westminster currently recommend us, but others don’t. Acceptance by Councils is not something we promise, nor are we likely ever to be able to promise, but neither can other accreditation providers; in fact, ours has the most penetration with Councils. We are also working on building relationships with more and more Councils each month.
Unfortunately, the decision makers in the Council do not always have relevant or current information to make their decisions; requesting an NVQ or City & Guilds is not always correct given that a) there are other Awarding Organisations and b) there are many treatments which have bespoke qualifications because they are so new, yet no C&G qualification. This is where we will work to help out / educate.
The accrediting bodies have said when they get the following email this is how they respond “I got our courses accredited with you as I thought you were an approved body by the councils”. Our accreditation scheme does not claim Council acceptance, but does enable your students to be insured with us. Many Councils do recognise us as one of, or the only professional association in the industry, but not all. From here, we will get in touch with the Council and see what we can do to resolve the situation.
By booking a course with Gateway Workshops LTD you fully agree to our terms and conditions in full, which includes that Gateway Workshops LTD cannot take any responsibility for any councils turning down your application with our training as we are fully accredited by the professional bodies and we have taken every step to get our courses passed but each council have their own criteria and we cannot give refunds to any students who are not accepted by their council, as often it has nothing to do with the training you have received.
You will need to complete all 5 days to complete the ITEC Massage course and complete 6 days for the ITEC Sports Massage course and take the exam which is held approximately a month after the course ends.
If you miss a date due to illness (a doctor’s note will be required), you can catch up with the routine via our online video. You will then be required to have a Skype session with the tutor to ensure you stay up to date with the class.
You will be required to catch up on anything that you have missed in your own time so you can continue the course and take the exam.
One course date can only be missed with proof of a doctor’s note and if two course dates are missed, you will need to start again from the beginning, pay for the course again and any payments you have made will be lost, both deposit and balance. If you are not in agreement with these terms and do not tick our terms and conditions box in full agreement, we are unable to allow you to attend a course with us.
By ticking you agree to our terms and conditions on the payment page (before your deposit payment can be accepted), you fully agree to our terms and conditions with regard to the above transport, work, weather, illness, childcare or council issues you may have which would be out of our control and always the responsibility of the student and not that of Gateway Workshops LTD.
All our students are aware of this and always arrive in good time, if you are running late, please call your tutor to inform them. We have a lot to cover in our classes so in fairness to all students, if you arrive more than 30 minutes late you will not be permitted to join the class and your course fee including the deposit will be lost.
If you fail your course and you are not awarded a certificate you are not entitled to a refund or a transfer to another course - you are entitled however, within 6 months to come back at a date convenient to you and the tutor to take the course again free of charge.
However, you are only able to come back and re-take this course once, if you fail again and you want to come back and take the course again, you would be required to book again on our website, paying the full fee agai
Please note this ONLY applies to the one day Gateway training courses and not the online courses or any courses that are more than one day in length.
If you require information for the ITEC Massage full body course:
ITEC Complaints Policy and Procedure
ITEC Malpractice and Maladministration Policy
or
ITEC STUDENT CHARTER
Please click on the link to view this information:
https://www.gatewayworkshops.co.uk/news/
This is for the ITEC full body massage course run over the 3 months and the ITEC Sports massage Course and not any of the other Gateway courses advertised on this website - all cancellations and complaints procedures can be found on this page above.
Code of Ethics and Practice
The information contained within our courses are for informational and educational purposes only, once professional training has been completed. It is not an attempt by the writer, course tutor or Gateway Workshops Ltd to diagnose, prescribe, or use such techniques taught in an inappropriate manner. We are a professional training company and do not condone inappropriate contact or unprofessional behaviour at any time.
Once qualified Gateway Workshops Ltd would expect our students to conduct their therapies in a way that is a credit to the professional industry. We have provided some guidelines below on the expected conduct of therapists whilst carrying out treatments with clients.
Maintaining an appropriate and professional relationships with a client is crucial.
Therapists must never use their position of trust to exploit or manipulate the client in any way, maintaining professional boundaries between the therapist and the client at all times. The Therapist must ensure that the client feels “safe” and minimise the risk of a misunderstanding or complaint.
Therapists must avoid inappropriate touch, dress or conversation with their client.
Therapists should use extra caution when treating near an intimate area of the body, if a treatment requires touching the client near an intimate area, the therapist must explain this to the client in a clear and professional manner.
If a client does not wish to have an area of the body treated as they do not feel comfortable or safe, no pressure or force should ever be placed on the client. You should advise the client if avoiding this area may potentially impact the benefits of the treatment.
It should be outlined in the consultation form that working near an intimate area was discussed, which the client in turn must sign to confirm that they have understood and are happy to proceed with the treatment.
Therapists must establish and uphold clear sexual boundaries with clients, to avoid breaking trust, compromising the reputation of the profession, and potentially committing a criminal offence.
By signing up to a course with Gateway Workshops LTD you are legally agreeing to adhere to our code of ethics and practice.
We reserve the right to update our website at any time (including the prices of our courses which are subject to change) and our terms and conditions are subject to change.
Any complaints or concerns are to be addressed to Sue Bailey - Director/Owner of Gateway Workshops email:
Tutor Cancellation Policy
If for any reason you have to cancel your place on the course, please provide your tutor with at least 10 days written notice and you may be required to produce medical evidence if you are cancelling for a medical reason.
If a student has paid a deposit to Gateway Workshops and then wishes to cancel their place on a course, they must give not less than 10 days’ notice in writing to the tutor, to expire at 9am on the morning of the course they have booked.
If a student has given the notice required under point 2 they will then be entitled to a refund of 50% of the balance payment of the course fee owed after payment of the deposit.
If student fails to give the notice required under point 2, they will not be entitled to any refund of the course fees paid unless the tutor is able to fill the student’s place on a course.
If you do not turn up on the day or you cancel your attendance on the course day and/or have given no written notice that you will not be attending the course, then the full course fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.
You have/ have not paid your final balance by previous arrangement with the tutor and do not arrive for the course; you will still be held liable for payment of the full remaining course payment.
YOUR TUTOR (their name will appear in this section for their terms and conditions in the confirmation they send to you) cannot accept responsibility for students’ changes to work commitments, illness or personal circumstances within this 10 day period.
If a course is cancelled due to low numbers or for reasons beyond our control, we will endeavour to transfer you to another course date or offer you a full refund.
Please note the balance payment is paid to your tutor, who is solely responsible for refunding your balance if your course is cancelled and not that of Gateway Workshops LTD and they will refund any balances due in a timely manner. This includes if the course is cancelled for any reason, including if they leave Gateway Workshops, so you are legally covered for any balance refunds by your tutor.
Yes, our Natural Lift Facial Massage has the popular movements from the Indian face massage - Natural Facelift technique, or Facial Rejuvenation. The treatment has different names, depending on who companies are targeting with regard to their clients.
We are the only course provider in the UK to offer this exclusive Facial Massage course, which incorporates a unique blend of highly effective techniques from Indian Face Massage (also known as Facial Rejuvenation or the Natural Facelift) with complementary techniques from Japanese Facial Massage, and also Acupressure and Reflexology for the face, new therapies that are becoming increasingly popular with clients.
We offer this course in one day due to our very small classes of no more than 6 students. Again, we pride ourselves on giving one to one attention. The same course can be found elsewhere running over 4-6 days due to the very large amounts of students that attend.
Other course providers may ask you to do case studies and /or an exam, which is not necessary for insurance purposes. This makes other courses much longer and very expensive. We include all the A&P you will need in your course manuals as well as a DVD you can buy on the day, which is a reminder of the entire technique step by step for your reference.
Our tutors have studied with many of these larger companies; in addition they offer their own expert knowledge of other facial techniques, so we offer the same technique but for much more sensible prices, making the course affordable for all and include many facial movements that are in demand by the clients of today.
You are not required by the insurance companies to do case studies or exams; you do not need A&P to attend this course and it is accredited and recognised by many of the top professional bodies.
Many people who have studied reflexology come to this course, as it is quite different. We work on the legs as well as the feet and this popular course is fully certified; you do not need Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) to complete the course. Although it includes elements of reflexology, this is not a diagnostic massage. All the A&P you require will be included in your course manuals. This course uses Thai sticks, which is the traditional way to work on the feet in Thailand.
For those who do not wish to learn this technique we also offer a hand, arm and feet massage course without the use of sticks.
You may have thought about training as a reflexologist but were worried about getting RSI and painful thumbs. You might like to consider this course as it is a popular alternative and has very similar results for your client.
We accept overseas students and the only thing that needs to be in place is your Student Visa however please be aware that is something that we cannot arrange for you.
By attending with a school in the UK this does NOT automatically allow you to obtain a student visa. We would suggest that all students arrange this ahead of time by contacting your embassy as they will have all the information that you will need. Alternatively, you can contact ITEC for more advice - their number is 0208 994 4141
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WE CAN ARRANGE FOR ANY STUDENTS AS THIS IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STUDENT IF COMING FROM OVERSEAS TO TRAIN WITH US.
Yes we offer a FREE Download to all of the massage DVDs we have filmed these are our gift to you.
If you want to buy a hard copy you can - however good DVDs cost a lot to produce after all the filming costs (Gateway does not make any profit from selling these DVDs) but we have to cover our costs so if we included them in the course we would have to put the course fee up to cover the cost. As you can imagine as not everyone wants or needs a DVD we felt that it would not work hence selling them on the day for a small fee for those only who want a copy.
We did this so people who need it can have a DVD as a great reminder of the course they came to learn with us as they are not sold for profit, it is an extra tool to help students who perhaps do not remember the routine very well. However, most students seem to be happy remembering the routine by reading it again from their manual once they get home. As a lot of students don't feel they need the DVD as they also have our guarantee if one day is not enough, they can always come back free of charge to take the course again (within 6 months if needed). We did not feel it was fair to raise the course costs and include a DVD.
Many schools do not offer DVDs for one day courses but we felt this was very important to have these available for as many massage courses as we could, for those who wanted them. Many do not as they often have good memories but we are happy to have them available for anyone who wishes to purchase them. We do not however as mentioned put this onto the cost of the course and charge extra (as some other schools do) to give a free DVD away (as it is never really included in the course cost, you do end up paying for it if a school does this) as we found not all students wanted or needed it, so in conclusion we only charge £10 instead of the usual £15 - £20 others charge if a student would like one.
We would prefer to keep the cost of the course down and give this as an added extra if needed. We also feel as we have excellent manuals and not just one page handouts as many other schools offer, that the information in them should be enough to allow you to remember the routine if you go home and practice very soon after your course, as advised by your tutor.
WE NOW HAVE A FREE DVD DOWNLOAD AVAILABLE FOR MANY OF OUR MASSAGE COURSES, FOR YOU TO ACCESS FREE OF CHARGE AFTER YOU HAVE ATTENDED A COURSE WITH US
Yes we do - you can find everything we offer at discount prices here:
Gateway cannot be held responsible for any transport issues or transport cancellations, weather problems, if you have to work suddenly, cannot find a child minder or if you or your child become unwell and you cannot attend a course. We can only refund students if you cancel a course place within the 14 days cooling off period or if a tutor cancels a course.
We are always flexible and fair so if enough notice is given, we can consider each request on a case-by-case basis.
By ticking you agree to our terms and conditions on the payment page (before your deposit payment can be accepted), you fully agree to our terms and conditions with regard to the above transport, work, weather, illness, childcare or council issues you may have which would be out of our control and always the responsibility of the student and not that of Gateway Workshops LTD.
We trade under the trading standards laws and regulations. In the same way if you buy a theatre ticket and you are not well or have to work, or you get stuck in traffic or have public transport cancellations you cannot change the ticket for another date, we trade in the same way as other training schools and adhere to the trading standards rules and regulations - our site has been checked by them and passed as using the correct terms and conditions.
If enough notice is given, we can refund part of your balance paid to your tutor (please check the tutors terms and conditions on this page for the balance payment).
We are as flexible as we can be when it comes to one off situations - for example if there is severe snow and you are unable to get to a class and enough notice is given, we can in extreme situations give a transfer and another date choice.
We are unable to refund outside of 14 days if your train or plane is cancelled due to a disease like Coronavirus or similar - The general advice is to make sure you are covered by your travel insurance for any current diseases that may be causing issues with travel, so you can claim back any losses via your insurance company as Gateway Workshops cannot be held responsible for any travel cancellations and cannot refund or transfer a place booked on a course outside of the 14 days required to inform us of any changes.
We are unable to refund you if you find out you require a visa and you do not have one in time to travel or attend with us, we are not able to get involved with a student application for a visa as this is not something we can legally help with as you would be required to organise this ahead of time independently.
We train thousands of students each year and we get a lot of returning happy therapists; this is because we are fair and understanding, so if you have a medical reason and you have to cancel, with supporting evidence and enough notice given - we can always review your case for you.
If you have to self-isolate and you are unable to attend a course with us we will require proof and if given we can offer you a last minute cancellation place so you do not lose your money. We can only offer this with proof and no refunds or specific dates can be offered unless you cancel within the 14 day time period required.
By ticking our terms and conditions box when booking a course with us, you fully agree to our full terms and conditions outlined on this page of our website, which are fully available to view before you book a course with us.
What happens if a course date is cancelled by us
This is rare but the good news is that there are usually more dates available to transfer you to, which legally means the contract we have with you the student can be performed. We are legally required (if a course is postponed and not cancelled) to offer you another date (a minimum of two other options) to fulfil our contract with regard to your booking and by having other dates on offer, this means this course is still being offered and we are able to transfer you to another date. If we are not able to offer you at least two other date options for any of our tutors, you are then entitled to a refund under the trading standards distance selling regulations of your deposit and any balance payment you have paid to the tutor will be refunded in full.
However, if we are able to offer you at least two other date options and you do not accept them and decide not to transfer, we are not liable to refund you as the course is deemed legally to still be running (postponed course and not a cancelled course) as the course is still being offered on alternative dates.
If we cancel a course and it is no longer running with no alternative dates available then we will refund you in full.
We do also allow students to transfer their payment to not only the same course (different date) but a different course completely if preferred. Please note we cannot be held responsible for any travel plans made by students when a course is cancelled by one of our tutors, if you have bought train tickets or taken time off work etc we cannot be held liable for any refunds of travel tickets or monies lost for time taken off from work or money paid to child minders etc. We are unable to reimburse any students for any outlays lost when a course is cancelled.
Transferring to a new date must be taken within 6 months from the cancelled date, this also applies if you are wishing to change your date within 14 days of your booking - the new date can be taken within 6 months of the original course date. However if the tutor cancels a date and is unable to run any further dates within a 6 month period (which may run into the following year if you booked a course near to the end of the year), the tutor is under contract to refund the student the full balance but also the deposit payment as it was their decision and not that of Gateway to cancel and they are legally under contract to refund the student in full.
If we are shut down by the Government for COVID-19 or any similar virus or situation beyond our control, the 6 months is extended to 12 months to allow us to be able to run courses when we are allowed to open so we can fulfil our bookings with any students that booked before a lockdown or regional closure. This means that if you booked a course in March and we cannot offer new dates until the following year, this is seen as reasonable due to being possibly shut for months at a time and the 6 months not being possible due to closures.
However, if a course is postponed and we are able to offer at least two other date options within a 6 month period from re-opening, then no refund is given if the course is still able to go ahead - transfers will be offered instead or a credit note option given for you to choose another date within 6 months at your convenience.
By ticking our terms and conditions box when booking a course with us, you fully agree to our full terms and conditions outlined on this page of our website, which are fully available to view before you book a course with us.
Please inform either your tutor or head office in writing or you can complete and return this form below only if you wish to withdraw from the contract, or you can contact by email.
You can also contact us by post. Print off the form and post it to us at Gateway Workshops LTD 85 Great Portland Street, First Floor, London, W1W 7LT. Or simply write to us at that address, including details of your booking, when you made it and your name and address.
Please be aware when you book a course with us you enter into a legal contract and by doing so you fully agree to adhere to our terms and conditions of trading.
To Gateway Workshops Limited, 85 Great Portland Street, First Floor, London, W1W 7LT
Tel: 0333 121 0742, email: sue@gatewayworkshops.co.uk.
I/We [*] hereby give notice that I/We [*] cancel my/our [*] contract of sale of the following goods [*]/for the supply of the following service [*],
Ordered on [*]/received on [*],
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Date
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