Four Paws Groom School

Terms & Conditions March 2026

Four Paws Groom School Ltd

59 Clifton Drive

Leftwich

Northwich

Cheshire

CW9 8BQ

Registered company number: 08970517

VAT registration number: 282178585

Four Paws Groom School Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fizz Star Group Limited. The group incorporates a range of animal care and education based businesses, acting as a holding company. Brands within the group include iPET Network, Four Paws Groom School, The Dog Grooming Hub and Pet Training Courses. Although each business is individually operated, the group shares Shareholders, Company Directors and Values – working to promote positive human and animal bonds.

Four Paws Groom School Herefordshire Ltd

7 The Southend

Ledbury

Herefordshire

HR8 2EY

Registered company number: 13422900

VAT registration number: 433776476

Four Paws Groom School Herefordshire Ltd sits outside of the Fizz Star Group Limited due to different shareholders and Directors operating the business. However, it works closely with all the related businesses.

When making a booking through www.fourpawsgroomschool.co.uk your booking will be allocated to the business where the physical training takes place. However, online and remote courses are allocated based on Tutor delivery and skill. Therefore, when making a booking through the website, you are agreeing to either business completing the training and for your details to be shared accordingly. In these Terms & Conditions Four Paws Groom School refers to Four Paws Groom School Ltd and Four Paws Groom School Herefordshire Ltd collectively.

Payments

Deposits – The deposit taken at the time of booking your course is non-refundable. Deposits are required prior to any course registration and to secure your place on the course.
Full course payments – If payment is made in full, we automatically allocate a £500 plus VAT non-refundable deposit as being included.  This deposit allocation will not be refunded if you cancel your course. For courses that are less than £500 plus VAT the full amount of the course will be non-refundable. Please see the cancellation and termination paragraph included in this contract.
Final balance – 3 weeks before your in-person training begins your course’s final balance is due. All payments are to be made via bank transfer using your name as the payment reference. Bank details for each school location can be found above. 

Payment plans / instalments – Payment plans are agreed on an individual basis and will be discussed with you during enrolment. All regular payments must be set up via our ‘Go Cardless’ system. Until full payment of the course has been paid, certification will not be processed and failure to pay an agreed instalment will result in suspension of services, access to e-portfolio systems and qualification certification.

Health & Safety

You will be given a health and safety talk on your first day if you are completing an in-person course at a Four Paws Groom School location. It is your responsibility to make us aware of any disabilities or notable attributes before you attend your course so that we can ensure we meet your health and safety requirements at all times. Failure to do so exempts Four Paws Groom School from any or all liability. Your Tutor will provide verbal and written instruction throughout your course which you must follow at all times to maintain our health and safety policy. If you fail to follow Health and Safety instructions, this could lead to course termination (see the cancellation and termination paragraph below). 

We encourage all students to visit or call us prior to registering on any course. We want you to be happy in your Training Provider and course choice. Some of our courses at Four Paws Groom School offer taster days to ensure you feel comfortable with your chosen course and future career aspirations. Please note that all Four Paws Groom School sites are smoke and vape-free, and no smoking or vaping is allowed anywhere at the location.  However, if you wish to have cigarette/vape break please discuss this with your Tutor who will advise of off-site areas. Four Paws Groom School locations use CCTV cameras which are for the purpose of crime prevention and internal use only. Footage from the cameras is strictly prohibited from being distributed and requests to view will be denied (without legal enforcement).

Equipment

Any damage or defacement of equipment should be reported immediately to your Tutor. Where damage has been caused via misuse or where damage remains unreported, liability for the cost of repair will reside with you.

Completion Of Course

You will be provided with the Four Paws Groom School learning resources which will contain all the information you need; this will be provided via a paper or online portfolio. If you are completing any iPET Network qualification, it is important that all the requirements of the course are completed thoroughly with respect to the number of learning hours, assessments and where applicable in-person days completed. The successful completion on the assignments and assessments are completed with no major faults or issues. Your Tutor will provide feedback on your progress and document your learner journey in order for you to successfully complete the qualification. Should you not be able to demonstrate the skills required to meet the requirements of the qualification, health and safety, animal welfare and/or complete the assessments then you may be required to train for additional days.

Certification Process

All iPET Network qualifications are Ofqual regulated, meaning that they need to go through a thorough quality assurance process before students receive their certificates. Typically this process can take between 3 to 5 months, however, should not receiving your certificate impact on your business we can request the process be completed quicker but this is not always guaranteed. We are also able to offer an in house ‘certificate of completion’ in the interim. Below is the timeline of the certification process: 

• All documents and assessments are completed by the Student 
• The Tutor marks all work and provides feedback 
• Any resubmissions required are submitted and passed 
• The Tutor requests Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) at iPET Network 
• The IQA provides the Tutor with feedback and requests any actions to be completed, either by the Tutor or the Student
• The IQA requests External Quality Assurance (EQA) at iPET Network
• The EQA issues certificates to the Training Provider
• The certificate is sent electronically to the Training Provider, who will send on to individual students

Please note, iPET Network now only issues electronic certificates inline with industry standards.  However, physical copies can be purchased directly from them via www.ipetnetwork.co.uk

Social Media

During your in-person course, we will publish updates on your progress via social media websites.  However, if you would rather, we didn’t name you/use your picture please tell your Tutor prior to starting the course to avoid any mistakes. Please also note that as a business we have a policy for our customers and students not to ‘friend’ or ‘follow’ individual team members on private social media. Therefore, please do not be offended if personal requests are declined. We are happy to share our business pages and like to keep things professional. We feel this is the most appropriate way to manage social media and we advise the same policy for you if you set out on a new business venture. 

Cancellation & Termination

Our cancellation policy is outlined below. All requests for cancellations and/or date transfers must be received in writing. 
Not started course – If you have not started your course, then the in-person training course dates are transferrable with prior agreement, but they must be requested and authorised 8 weeks in advance of the initial start date.  Please see cancellation period refund table below should you not wish to start your course. 

Started course – We try our utmost to accommodate our students needs and understand there may be a need to change your training days once your course dates have been confirmed or commenced. However, it is difficult for Four Paws Groom School to fill your training days with a new student therefore we are unable to accept a change to training days unless 8 weeks’ notice is given. Any training days that are changed are chargeable.   Please note you cannot get a refund for any cancelled days once a course has begun and/or whether you decide you do not wish to continue to complete the qualification or course. We stress that for you to complete a specific qualification or course, you must undertake the appropriate number of training hours/days required to achieve. Therefore, days that are not completed or attended for any reason will have to be made up at the discounted training day rate of £145.00 per day if you still wish to complete the qualification or course.     

We encourage all students to complete the course or qualification on time and within the individual qualification requirements. Where possible, if you are completing an in-person course all theory work should be completed alongside the practical training days and completed simultaneously. Any unused training days will be forfeited outside of a 6-month period.    The appropriate cancellation charge will apply based on the cost of your booking, as shown below. 

Cancellation period – Calendar days’ notice before the start date of the course and Refund applicable 

• 56 calendar days or more 
• Full refund minus deposit and a £129.50 + VAT administration fee 

• Between 27 and 55 calendar days (inclusive) 
• 50% refund minus deposit and a £129.50 + VAT administration fee 

• Between 1 and 26 calendar days (inclusive 
• No refund will be given 

• Failure to attend 
• Treated as late cancellation and no refund given

Termination by Four Paws Groom School

We expect all students to comply with Four Paws Groom Schools codes of conduct, qualification delivery plans and health and safety. At any time during your course Four Paws Groom School has the right to terminate the training agreement without prejudice and a refund may be given but only at the discretion of the Directors. The following deductions will be made to any refund given – deposit payment, administration fee, costs of registration to iPET Network (if applicable), and number of training days remaining.

Feedback & Reviews

We rely on your feedback throughout the course and ask that you inform us as soon as possible if we can make your experience better in any way. We pride ourselves on having a friendly and professional team who can assist you with most requests. On completion of your course, we will again ask for feedback via a questionnaire. Your views and reviews are important to us as they help other students decide on the course for them.  You can leave us a review on Facebook or Google, and we really appreciate them.  The only thing we ask is that if you are dissatisfied in any way, you will provide us with the opportunity to discuss improvements prior to publishing your comments so we can address them immediately. Four Paws Groom School operates an Equality and Diversity policy that ensures students, our staff, and the general public are not discriminated against for their age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality, and ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, sex (gender) and sexual orientation. Four Paws Groom School will always strive to provide the highest quality of service on all matters.

Accommodation

If a commute to the school is not for you, you may want to follow in other student’s footsteps and turn your learning into a vacation.  We have several local B&Bs close to all the Four Paws Groom School locations, further details can be sent on request. Our Cheshire School also has self-catering accommodation available at just £35 plus VAT per night for a room.

Complaints

Complaints are rare as we strive to offer a fantastic service and experience. However, should you have a complaint for any reason Four Paws Groom School encourages students to verbally raise concerns, questions, and problems promptly and responsibly to the employee who it most directly concerns.  Every attempt should be made to resolve issues on an informal basis in the first instance, without recourse to a formal procedure. Prompt expression of concerns directly with the members of staff will normally lead to a quick and satisfactory informal resolution of most issues. These informal complaints may be discussed with other team members and Directors to prevent the issues from happening again, how the complaints are handled are at the discretion of the Four Paws Groom School team unless it has been clearly specified that the complaint to remain confidential or deemed of a serious nature, then the complaint must be put in writing by the complainant.

If the initial informal complaint is not resolved successfully then a formal complaint should be put in writing and sent to info@fourpawsgroomschool.co.uk. We aim to investigate complaints in a way that: ·        

• Encourages informal resolution of problems and facilitates their early resolution if possible
•  Is fair
• Treats complaints with appropriate seriousness and confidentiality where appropriate

In accordance with our Equal Opportunities policy, all complainants will be treated equally regardless of their status and will not be treated adversely as a result of them making a complaint. Communication about the complaint will be discussed directly with the complainant and no other third parties.

Formal Complaint

For a complaint to be considered as a formal complaint it must be submitted in writing. This may take the form of a letter or email. The complainant will be asked to make clear the specific nature of the complaint. Complaints should be made without undue delay. The normal time limit for submitting a complaint is within 1 week after having become aware of the matter the student is dissatisfied with. Should the complaint be raised after this period of this time the complaint will not be considered in the same light due to the impact of passing time on any investigation.

Confidentiality

Every effort will be made to maintain confidentiality, but proper investigation of a complaint may necessitate the disclosure of confidential information. In this case the specific complainant details may be kept confidential but the information about the complaint will be disclosed and should actions need to be taken to rectify the complaint then information from the complaint will be used and discussed with the employees, students or other stakeholders involved. Should the details about the student making the complaint need to be disclosed in order to carry out the investigation then the student will be notified to check that they wish to proceed with the complaint. If the complainant does not agree for their details to be disclosed the complaint will be not longer be investigated but any identified actions to improve the product/service will be implemented.

Should a complaint involve the conduct or actions of a member of staff, such parties will have the right to see any evidence or documents including the initial complaint from the complainant as part of the investigation. No complaint will affect the way a student is treated or assessed in their study.

All complaints will be judged on their individual merit and will be dealt with in confidence unless the complainant has clearly indicated otherwise. Any decisions made by the Four Paws Groom School team to resolve any complaints are done fairly and with the best intensions to find a solution. Current students, and those accepted onto a course of study at the Four Paws Groom School can complain under this procedure. A student may also submit a complaint in writing up to 1 week following their certification.

Groups of students may submit a collective complaint subject to the complaint being individually signed by each student concerned. Anonymous and/or third-party complaints will not be accepted.

GDPR & Digital Consent

You agree that by completing the qualification, course or assessment, you may need to be videoed and agree to be videoed and photographed and the evidence will be used as part of the qualification and stored for a minimum of 3 years. The storage of evidence complies with our Terms and Conditions of service including the Privacy Policy.

Terms & Conditions relating to Grooming Courses

Equipment dog grooming courses – As part of your course you will need to buy the Four Paws Groom School Student Equipment Starter Kit direct from our supplier or source your own. You will be required to use your equipment whilst you are training at the school and accept full liability for it at all times. There is also an option to rent the equipment for £10 per day and full payment for the course duration must be paid in full on your first day. If you are completing a course of 10 days or more, we recommend you buy the Four Paws Groom School ‘Student Equipment Starter Kit’. Your tools will become your best friend and it’s important that you start your new career using tools you can practice with at home, and you can call your own. By purchasing this equipment, you will achieve the best experience throughout your training. A starter pack is a compulsory purchase for courses of 15 days or longer. 

Clothing – We suggest you wear casual clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty, hairy, along with comfortable footwear during your training. We have small lockers which students can use on a daily basis.  Four Paws Groom School accepts no liability for loss or damage to clothing or personal possessions. 

Training time – Training hours are approximately from 9.15am to 4.30pm daily. If you complete your groom(s) ahead of schedule, you can use this time to complete your course work in the school environment and ask the Tutor questions. However, you must complete the correct number of learning hours each day if you are completing a qualification course. Should you miss days, please see our cancellation and termination paragraph regarding additional fees. You will have a 30 minute lunch break every day.  A kettle, microwave, fridge and toaster are available in our small kitchen area and we recommend you bring a packed lunch and suitable snacks.  Please help yourself to tea/coffee during your training and take short breaks that maintain your comfort and well-being, keeping your Tutor informed of your location. 

Completing your course or qualification -You will be provided with the Four Paws Groom School learning resources which will contain all the information you need, this will be provided via a paper or online portfolio. However, it is always useful to make additional notes as you go along so we recommend you bring a pen and notebook too.   You will need to take pictures of your grooms before and after as evidence for your portfolio. Please bring a camera or phone along with you.  Before and after shots will help jog your memory when you have finished your course. We ask that you limit your photographs to your own work and not that of other people, the salon or the wider site. These images must only be used for your portfolio and not shared for personal or professional use such as social media platforms, websites etc. This is for security and GDPR purposes. All animal models are booked in advance of your course to ensure you get the best possible selection of breeds and styles for you to groom.  Should a pre-booked model fail to arrive on the day due to circumstances beyond our control, we will endeavour to replace it immediately with another model from our database. If unsuccessful you may need to share an animal with another student. Although a rare occurrence we ask for your patience and understanding should this situation occur. 

Your own Dog / Cat -Your own dog/cat can be used as a grooming model for you to learn on (especially for the groom your own dog/cat courses) but we request that you arrange this in advance of your course with your Tutor. For welfare and care reasons, dogs/cats that are not being groomed cannot be housed in the training school and we ask that you arrange suitable care.   

Four Paws Groom School Customer Terms and Conditions – You agree to comply with all Four Paws Groom School General Customer Grooming Terms and Conditions and understand our commitments to owners, our staff and our students – see Appendix 2.

Appendix 2 – Four Paws Groom School General Grooming Terms and Conditions

1. Four Paws Groom School groom by appointment but we try to accommodate most requests and services such as nail trims which can be requested by dropping into a branch.
2. When booking your appointment, you will be asked several questions to help determine how long the appointment will need to be, however, all timings are approximate. 
3. Our prices are based on the time taken to groom a well-behaved dog/cat that is groomed regularly and with their coat in good condition. 
4. Please supply a current mobile telephone number as reminder texts will be sent out a day or two in advance of your appointment. 
5. Please ensure you arrive on time for your appointment. Arriving more than 15 minutes after your appointment time may result in your appointment being cancelled. Should this happen on more than 2 occasions, we may ask for payment in full to book further appointments.
6. If you cannot keep your appointment please provide 48 hours’ notice, 2 or more last minute cancellations may result in Four Paws Groom School asking for payment in full to book further appointments. 
7. If you fail to attend or cancel your grooming appointment with less than 48hrs notice, you will be charged an additional £10.00 on your next grooming appointment. 
8. Please ensure that your dog has had chance to exercise and toilet before arriving for your appointment.
9. Four Paws Groom School reserve the right to refuse to groom any dog/cat that displays aggressive behaviour.
10. If a dogs/cats coat is severely matted Four Paws Groom School will only attempt to de-matt the coat for a maximum of 20 minutes and will operate in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Four Paws Groom School reserve the right to perform a complete clip off of the coat if the matting is severe enough.
11. If a complete clip off needs to be performed Four Paws Groom School will try to notify you before doing so. However, if we cannot contact you and we believe the clip off is necessary on welfare grounds we will still undertake to clip off the coat and hold no responsibility for the style not being as approved or from any common reactions such as clipper rash which can happen with close shaves. It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure the dog/cat doesn’t scratch / lick short areas that can cause irritation. 
12. Severely matted dogs/cats will incur additional charges for de-matting and/or clipping off the coat. These charges will vary dependent on the time taken for the procedure but can range from £5 to £35. 
13. Four Paws Groom School reserve the right to refuse to groom any dog/cat that we deem too severely matted to safely carry out a clip off of the coat and will advise to seek veterinary assistance.
14. It is the owners responsibility to disclose any information about any allergies and/or skin conditions.
15. Four Paws Groom School will not be held responsible for any irritation, patchiness, abrasions or hair loss that may arise due to the grooming process.
16. If you fail to disclose information regarding any physical and/or medical conditions (such as elbow or hip dysplasia, epilepsy etc.) Four Paws Groom School will not be held responsible for any injury incurred during the grooming process. 
17. Four Paws Groom School will not subject any dog/cat to unacceptable levels of stress. If during the grooming process your dog finds any part of the grooming process too stressful that part will not be completed. If Four Paws Groom School cannot complete the groom price reductions won’t be implemented.
18. If your dog/cat is found to have fleas/ticks or other parasites during its groom, they will be washed in an appropriate shampoo.  However, due to the extra product and cleaning cost associated with parasites, you will be liable for a £10 surcharge on each groom. 
19. If your dog/cat requires urgent medical attention while in our care, Four Paws Groom School reserve the right to seek veterinary attention, any fees incurred will be payable by the owner.
20. An approximate collection time will be agreed with you when you leave your dog/cat with us, however we will contact you when your dog/cat is ready to collect, please do not arrive early as this can cause stress to the dog/cat and groomer. Please contact us if you are going to be late. Failure to collect your dog/cat at the arranged time, or notify us that you will be late, may incur a holding fee.
21. For the safety of dogs/cats in our care, we follow the veterinary recommended practice of crating dogs/cats whilst not being groomed. Although some dogs maybe tethered outside of a crate should their size or behaviour dictate.  We do not allow mixing of dogs/cats in the salon environment although dogs from the same family will be crated together where possible. 
22. Most of our locations enjoy air conditioning but some sites may not.  Therefore, we ask owner discretion when deciding if the environment is too hot for their dog/cats and extra care must be taken on hot days.  Should you wish to reschedule your appointment due to the heat, please call and discuss with the groomer.
23. All dogs/cats must be collected within the normal operating times of each location. If a dog/cat is not collected within business hours and contact with an owner cannot be made, we will deem the animal abandoned and contact the warden for guidance on how to proceed. 
24. Four Paws Groom School operates a 24 hour correction policy where we will modify a groom at a customer’s request, free of charge.  After this period, a fee will be payable. Complaints are rare but if the need arises, we ask you to contact the salon directly within 24 hours of your groom who will help to directly resolve any issues if possible.  If the salon cannot resolve satisfactorily, we ask that complaints about any aspect of our service must be made in writing a maximum of 7 days following the use of the service. 
25. An investigation of any complaint will follow and management will address any concerns raised on an individual basis, hopefully reaching a satisfactory outcome for all parties.  Complaints raised after this 7 day period are judged to have deliberately hindered the investigation process, limiting access to paperwork, CCTV and staff recollection.  Therefore, complaints after this period will be dealt this in line with legal requirement, not Four Paws Groom School Customer Satisfaction Policy.
26. Under Force Majeure rules, Four Paws Groom School cannot be held in breach of service nor liable for delay in performing, or failure to perform, any of its obligations if such delay or failure result from events, circumstances or causes beyond its reasonable control.
27. At Four Paws Groom School we take your privacy seriously and will only use the information you supply to administer your account with us. Due to the nature of our service we do require some personal information such as, your name, address and contact information. This will be stored in line with the Data Protection guidelines and is to ensure we can provide the best possible service to you and to ensure we can contact you in case of an emergency. By using our services you give permission to Four Paws Groom School, to collect, use and handle your personal data in relation to, and for the purpose of, your dog’s grooming appointments, in accordance with GDPR Guidelines but also for the purpose of marketing, services and/or products that may be of interest.  Contact maybe made by phone, text, email or post.
28. Dog/cat information and Grooming style notes do not fall under data protection guidelines and are viewed as a business asset therefore no requests for grooming notes will be accepted.
29. Muzzles, buster collars, leads and other training aids/restraint equipment will be used at the discretion of Four Paws Groom School employees.  They will only be used when deemed necessary by a Four Paws Groom School employee for the welfare of people and pets. 
30. Photographs and videos of dogs/cats in Four Paws Groom School care maybe used in promotional material or posted to social media sites such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. By using our services you accept and authorise all use. 
31. Four Paws Groom School holds appropriate insurance however, it is not exhaustive and we recommend all dogs/cats are insured adequately to protect them and people handling them.
32. Some Four Paws Groom School locations uses CCTV cameras which are for the purpose of crime prevention and internal use only. Footage from the cameras is strictly prohibited from being distributed and requests to view will be denied (without legal requirement). Sadly animals can pass away from natural causes and death can be unexpected in any animal. Should an animal decease in our care, we will follow owner wishes.  For business protection, we will gather evidence of the animals care through CCTV, photographs and witness description in order to indemnify Four Paws Groom School against claims.  Four Paws Groom School accepts no liability for injury or death of any animal in our care unless proven through our negligence and then it is limited to the animals purchase value (£2000 cap). Therefore, our insurance company does not cover costs associated with deceased animals and we advise you take your own insurance.
33. Exceptions to any Term and Condition can be made at a Managers discretion only. 
34. Four Paws Groom School will not accept bullying/abuse of any of our team and should incident occur, customers will be asked to leave and not return.  Suitable authorities will be informed of actions deemed threatening and appropriate action taken.

Dog/Cat Grooming by Student Groomers

1. All the above conditions for dog/cat grooming apply when grooms are completed by student or trainee/apprentice groomers.
2. In select locations, dog/cat grooms undertaken by a student groomer will be charged at a discounted price.
3. Dogs/cats will only be groomed by students with prior consent, however, they may assist a groomer throughout any process. 
4. All dog/cat models will be required to stick to a regular grooming pattern outlined by the course Tutor, repeat appointments will be arranged by the Tutor and sent via text message. 
5. Whilst we strive for a high professional finish each time, we ask that you be mindful that students are learning and, in some cases, have only been grooming a few days. Therefore, perfection maybe difficult to obtain. 
6. Students and dog/cat models will be supervised by a Four Paws Groom School Tutor. 
7. The dog’s/cat’s welfare is our number one priority and styling decisions will be made according to this (i.e. a shorter clip if the dog is very matted.) However, your style preferences will be discussed when you drop your dog off at the salon. 
8. Students need more time to complete each dog groom, dogs should be expected to be dropped off by 9.30am and collected by 4.30pm. 
9. For cat grooms we arrange the cats to be in the salon at set interval times and this can be discussed with the Tutor to arrange suitable drop off and pick up times.
10. It remains the owner’s responsibility to maintain good coat condition in between grooming appointments.  

Privacy Notice

1. Who We Are Four Paws Groom School Ltd (“we”, “us”, “the centre”) is a training and education provider.  We are the Data Controller for the personal data we collect and process. Contact Details as detailed in section 2.    2. What This Privacy Notice Covers This Notice describes how we collect, use, store and share personal data relating to: ·       people using our website ·       individuals completing online or paper forms ·       prospective and current learners ·       individuals who contact us by phone, email or social media ·       individuals whose data we process during complaints, investigations, regulatory enquiries or awarding organisation monitoring activities   This Notice applies to personal data we collect: ·       directly from you ·       automatically through our website ·       through our training and assessment activities ·       as part of a complaint, investigation, regulatory requirement or awarding organisation monitoring activity. It explains the lawful bases we rely on and your rights under UK GDPR.   3. The Personal Data We Collect Information you provide directly. Examples include: ·       name, address, contact details ·       date of birth ·       enrolment or application information ·       identification documents ·       assessment submissions and course-related material ·       reasonable adjustment requests, special condition requests, appeals and supplementary documentation supporting these processes ·       emails, messages, phone calls or complaint correspondence ·       information entered into paper and website forms   Information we’ll create or record as part of our work. We maintain internal records such as: ·       learner files ·       assessment records ·       internal quality assurance (IQA) reports ·       tutor/assessor observations ·       communications or case notes ·       investigation or complaint documents 

Information collected automatically via our website ·       IP address ·       device/browser settings ·       pages viewed and time spent ·       cookies and analytics Details are provided in our separate Cookie Policy.   Information received indirectly (occasionally): We may receive personal data incidentally where it relates to our training, safeguarding, or complaints management functions. For example: ·       a complainant may name another learner or staff member ·       an employer may provide information relating to a learner ·       an individual may raise a safeguarding concern   This information is processed only where relevant, necessary and proportionate.   Important clarification: We do not routinely obtain learner personal data from awarding organisations, regulators, or external bodies. However, we may be required to share personal data with those bodies (see Section 6).

In some cases, we collect or process special category data, for example: ·       information about health or disability where required for reasonable adjustments or safeguarding ·       information relating to safeguarding concerns ·       equality and diversity information (if collected voluntarily)   We process this information only where necessary and rely on the appropriate UK GDPR Article 9 conditions, such as: ·       substantial public interest (e.g., safeguarding and preventing harm) ·       vital interests (protecting someone’s life) ·       obligations in employment, social protection or education law ·       explicit consent (where applicable)   This information is always handled sensitively and stored securely. 4. Why We Collect Personal Data We process personal data for the following purposes: ·       responding to enquiries ·       course applications and learner registration ·       delivering training, assessment and certification ·       providing learner support and reasonable adjustments ·       maintaining quality assurance and internal verification ·       managing our website and improving user experience ·       handling complaints, appeals or investigations ·       ensuring regulatory compliance maintaining records for audit and legal obligations

5. Lawful Bases for Processing We rely on the following lawful bases under UK GDPR: ·       Contract – to provide education, training and assessment services ·       Legal Obligation – regulatory, safeguarding, funding and audit requirements ·       Legitimate Interests – centre administration, communication, quality assurance ·       Consent – only for certain marketing or optional activities ·       Vital Interests – where needed to protect someone’s life or wellbeing Where we rely on legitimate interests, these include: ·       ensuring the effective delivery and quality of our training and assessment ·       maintaining accurate learner and assessment records ·       monitoring and improving our services and website ·       managing centre administration and internal operations ·       preventing and investigating malpractice or misuse of our services ·       communicating with learners, employers and stakeholders in a proportionate manner. We only rely on legitimate interests where these are not overridden by your rights or freedoms.   We do not rely on consent where another lawful basis is more appropriate. We do not carry out automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects for individuals. All assessment decisions involve human judgement. 6. Who We Share Personal Data With We only share personal data where necessary and lawful. Awarding Organisations (AOs): We share personal data with AOs for: ·       learner registration ·       assessment, moderation and certification ·       external quality assurance ·       investigations (including malpractice or maladministration) ·       complaints and appeals ·       regulatory compliance   AOs act as independent Data Controllers.   Regulators and Statutory Bodies: Where required, we may share data with bodies such as: ·       Ofqual ·       Qualifications Wales ·       CCEA ·       ESFA ·       Ofsted ·       safeguarding partners ·       the police or other authorities 

Employers or Referring Organisations (where applicable). For example, when training forms part of employment or an apprenticeship.   Complaints, Appeals and Investigations: If a complaint or investigation arises, we may need to share relevant: ·       learner records ·       assessment evidence ·       internal notes and IQA records ·       correspondence ·       investigation documents. This may include information not originally supplied by the individual themselves if it forms part of the official record.   Data Processors (service providers): We use trusted third-party suppliers to support our operations, including: ·       secure cloud storage ·       email and IT systems ·       learning or assessment platforms   These organisations act only on our instructions and must keep your data secure.   7. How Long We Keep Your Data How Long We Keep Your Data: We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to meet our awarding‑organisation obligations, legal requirements, and legitimate business needs. Retention periods are determined by: ·       UK legislation ·       awarding organisation (AO) rules ·       Ofqual and regulatory requirements ·       safeguarding legislation ·       HMRC and financial regulations ·       operational needs for audit, quality assurance, and complaint resolution   We do not retain personal data for longer than necessary and follow the minimum retention periods set out in our Record Keeping and Retention Policy. Typical Minimum Retention Periods: ·       Learner registration details: 3 years after certification or withdrawal ·       Assessment evidence and decisions: 3 years after certification ·       Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) records: 3 years after certification ·       Appeals records: 3 years after resolution ·       Complaint records: 3 years after resolution (unless part of malpractice) ·       Malpractice investigations: 6 years after closure ·       Reasonable adjustment and special consideration records: 3 years after certification ·       Certification records: 3 years after issue 

·       Assessor and IQA competence records: 3 years after last activity ·       Conflict of interest declarations: 3 years Safeguarding Records: Safeguarding records may be kept until the learner reaches age 25 if they were under 18 at the time of the concern, unless statutory agencies require a different period.   Other Records Financial records: 6 years (HMRC requirement) Website analytics data: 12–26 months General communications (e.g. emails, enquiries): 12–24 months, unless part of an ongoing case or investigation   Full retention periods, including qualification‑specific and awarding‑organisation‑specific requirements, are set out in our Record Keeping and Retention Policy. 8. Your Rights You have the right to: ·       access your personal data ·       request correction ·       request erasure (where lawful) ·       restrict or object to processing ·       request data portability ·       withdraw consent (for consent-based processing) ·       complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)   To exercise your rights, contact us at: info@fourpawsgroomschool.co.uk. You have the right to submit a complaint to ICO: https://ico.org.uk. 9. How We Protect Your Data We use appropriate technical and organisational measures including: ·       secure and encrypted systems ·       password protection and access restriction ·       staff data protection training ·       secure transmission of data to awarding organisations ·       regular audit and monitoring. 10. Updates to This Notice We may update this Notice periodically.

Dog/Cat Grooming Customer Satisfaction Policy

It is important to us at Four Paws Groom School that all people and pets using our services are happy! However, we recognise that sometimes, for different reasons, we may not meet customer expectations, and a complaint is made. We will try to address and resolve any verbal complaints immediately, however, if this is not possible your complaint must be put in writing within 7 days of the initial activity completed. A member of our team will complete our form and forward the complaint to a Manager who will address it within 48 hours. Communication will usually be in person or via telephone at this stage.

Matted Dog/Cat Disclaimer

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offense to cause unnecessary suffering to an animal. This includes prolonged ‘de-matting’ which is painful and detrimental to the welfare of the animal.  If you bring in your pet with more than 20 minutes of de-matting work, we will clip your dog short humanely or refer you to your vet to do the same.   At Four Paws Groom School, we will only attempt to de-matt 5% of a dog or cat coat. This equates to about a 50p-sized mat behind each ear, the same size in the armpits and perhaps one or two in the groin or tail area.  When a Four Paws Groom School groomer has assessed your dog’s/cat’s coat and found it to be matted, they will make the decision for it to be clipped short. This can be prevented by daily brushing with a slicker brush and comb – your groomer will be happy to explain the correct way to brush your dog and suggest a grooming programme that will allow us to achieve the look you would like for your dog/cat, this may involve more frequent visits to Four Paws Groom School and will certainly involve daily grooming at home.   

When a dog’s/cat’s coat becomes matted, it causes discomfort as the matts pull tightly on the skin, and underlying health conditions may not be visible. When a matted coat is clipped short, it may reveal sore, reddened, and irritated skin, this is due to the skin not being able to breathe, lack of air circulation, and dirt that has accumulated underneath.   Clipping a matted coat can take longer and cause additional wear and tear on our equipment so a further fee maybe chargeable in addition to the normal groom price.   

Should the groomer find the coat matted, any personal preference for how your dog/cat should look after their groom will not be taken into consideration. Four Paws Groom School we will only do what is best for your dog/cat. In clipping short, you acknowledge that any irritation to the skin is due to the removal of a matted coat and is not the responsibility of your groomer. When clipping a severely matted dog/cat the chances of the skin being cut increases but this is not due to negligence from the groomer but rather a sign of the coat condition before the groom. On the rare occasion that this occurs; you may need to seek veterinary advice following the groom and you will be liable for the full cost of any treatment.   

Dogs/cats feel different after being fully clipped and it can take time for them to adjust to the way their skin now feels.  However, we assure you that your dog/cat is much happier without the matted coat.   
I agree to all Four Paws Groom School terms and conditions and agree that by leaving my dog/cat in the care of any Four Paws Groom School location that these terms and conditions come into effect.