About Us — PLUMS Limited

A PLUMS skills coach with an apprentice in a salon

20+

Years of specialist apprenticeship delivery in hair and barbering

RoATP Main Provider

ESFA-contracted since 2003

Our Story

Built for the salon sector, by the salon sector

PLUMS Limited was founded in 2003 by practitioners from the hairdressing industry who believed that apprenticeship training was failing both learners and employers. The standard provider model — large, generic, high-volume — was not built for the particular demands of salon work.

We built a different model. A small provider, deliberately focused on a single sector, with Skills Coaches who are qualified hairdressers and barbers before they are educators. Coaches who visit learners in their salons, understand the realities of a busy appointment book, and can demonstrate the techniques they teach.

Over two decades we have completed over 850 apprentices, maintained an average EPA pass rate above 90% and built long-term partnerships with independent salons across Bedfordshire and the East of England. We are not the largest provider of hair apprenticeships in England — we are one of the most focused.

Registered on the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers (RoATP) as a Main Provider
Contracted directly with the ESFA — no subcontracting to other providers
All Skills Coaches hold minimum Level 3 in Teaching and Training (AET / TAQA)
DBS-checked staff and robust safeguarding framework
Quality improvement plan updated annually, reviewed by external verifier
Continuous Professional Development minimum 30 hours per coach per year

Meet the Team View Our Policies

Quality & Compliance

Regulated, recognised
and accountable

PLUMS operates under multiple layers of regulatory oversight. These are not badges — they are active obligations that shape how we deliver, assess and improve our training.

ESFA / DfE

Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers

PLUMS is listed as a Main Provider on the RoATP, contracted directly with the ESFA to deliver government-funded apprenticeship training. Main Provider status means we hold primary responsibility for the quality and compliance of all learning we deliver — we do not subcontract to other providers.

UKPRN: 10048792 | Main Provider

Office for Standards in Education

Ofsted Registration

As a Further Education and Skills provider, PLUMS is registered with Ofsted and subject to inspection under the Education Inspection Framework. Our inspection readiness is maintained year-round through an internal quality assurance schedule aligned to the EIF themes of Quality of Education, Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development and Leadership & Management.

EIF Skills Provider | Registered

Awarding Organisations

City & Guilds & VTCT/NCFE — Ofqual Regulated

All qualifications awarded through PLUMS programmes are issued by Ofqual-regulated awarding organisations. City & Guilds and VTCT/NCFE qualifications in hairdressing and barbering are the most widely recognised by UK employers and are accepted for progression to further vocational study.

Ofqual-regulated | Sector-recognised

Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education

IfATE Approved Standards

The three apprenticeship standards delivered by PLUMS — ST0045, ST0014 and ST0043 — were developed by industry trailblazer groups and approved by IfATE. IfATE sets the knowledge, skills and behaviours that every apprentice must demonstrate, ensuring consistency of standards across all providers.

ST0045 | ST0014 | ST0043

Data Protection

ICO Registration & GDPR Compliance

PLUMS is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) as a data controller. Our data protection framework is governed by our GDPR and Data Protection Policy, which is reviewed annually and available in full on our Policies page. We process personal data only as required for our contractual and regulatory obligations.

ICO Registered | Annual GDPR Review

Safeguarding

Safer Recruitment & Designated Safeguarding Lead

All PLUMS staff who work with learners hold an Enhanced DBS certificate and complete annual safeguarding and Prevent Duty training. We have a designated Safeguarding Lead and a published Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy. Our safeguarding arrangements are reviewed annually and upon any change to the statutory guidance.

Enhanced DBS | Annual DSL Training | Prevent Duty

Self-Assessment & Improvement

How we hold ourselves
accountable

Quality improvement is not a compliance exercise for us — it is how we get better. Each year we conduct a rigorous Self-Assessment Review and publish a Quality Improvement Plan that shapes our priorities for the year ahead.

01

Self-Assessment Review (SAR)

An honest, evidence-based review of our performance across all Quality of Education indicators, conducted each autumn. Our SAR is informed by learner and employer feedback, EPA outcomes, observations of teaching and internal quality reviews.

02

Quality Improvement Plan (QIP)

The QIP sets out specific, measurable improvement actions arising from the SAR. Progress against each action is reviewed at quarterly management meetings and shared with the board. The QIP is available to employers and learners on request.

03

Learning Observation & CPD

All Skills Coaches are observed delivering learning at least twice per year by our QA Manager. Observations are graded and feed directly into individual CPD plans. Coaches complete a minimum of 30 hours of CPD per year, including mandatory safeguarding, Prevent and sector updates.

04

Learner & Employer Voice

We survey learners and employers three times per year — at induction, at the midpoint and on completion. Results are analysed by management and fed into the SAR. Where themes or concerns are identified, actions are implemented within 30 days.

05

External Quality Assurance

Our internal quality assurance processes are supplemented by external verification from both City & Guilds and VTCT/NCFE. EQA visits review our assessment practices, sampling of portfolios and record-keeping, providing independent confirmation of our assessment quality.

06

Continuous EPA Monitoring

We track EPA outcomes in real time and investigate any result below a Pass grade within 5 working days of it being issued. Where systemic issues are identified, we update our EPA preparation curriculum and retrain coaches accordingly.

Our People

The team behind your
apprenticeship

Our Skills Coaches are qualified hairdressers and barbers first, educators second. Every member of the PLUMS team is chosen for their industry experience and commitment to learner success.

CP

Claire Patterson

Director of Training

22 years in education, former senior stylist. Oversees curriculum, quality assurance and the overall direction of PLUMS training delivery.

MR

Marcus Reid

Lead Skills Coach — Barbering

Former award-winning barber with 18 years' industry experience. Leads all barbering apprenticeship delivery and VTCT liaison.

PS

Priya Sharma

Lead Skills Coach — Hairdressing

City & Guilds assessor, HABIA-accredited educator. Leads Hair Professional and Advanced Creative Hair delivery.

Meet the Full Team

Transparency & Governance

Our policies are
publicly available

As an ESFA-funded provider, PLUMS is required to maintain and publish a range of policies. All documents are reviewed annually and available in full on our Policies page.

Welfare

Safeguarding & Child Protection

Compliance

Prevent Duty Statement

Data Protection

GDPR & Data Protection

Equality

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Safety

Health & Safety Policy

Governance

Complaints Procedure