iPET Network and Pets at Home announce new partnership

iPET Network has created an exclusive dog grooming qualification, the iPET Network Level 3 Diploma in Professional Dog Grooming (Exclusive to Pets at Home) in partnership with Pets at Home.

The qualification, which is regulated by Ofqual, has been created especially for The Groom Room colleagues. It builds on the training Pets at Home already offers, and gives teams additional skills to provide grooming services.

As part of the programme, there are 12 units that colleagues will need to learn and demonstrate their skills to complete the qualification.

The first 400 colleagues will be enrolled into the programme in September, with hundreds more planned over the next two years across its 355 Groom Room salons.

The Groom Room colleagues currently benefit from a six-month internal training programme, a minimum of 1,000 hours of learning, and are continually assessed throughout their career.

The announcement is part of an ongoing commitment from both Pets at Home and iPET Network to raise awareness of professional dog grooming.

Sarah Mackay and Fern Gresty, founders of iPET Network, said: “We always find that owners are surprised to learn that formal qualifications, including first aid training, aren’t a legal requirement for dog groomers.

“We are delighted to have partnered with Pets at Home and The Groom Room on this initiative, which will ensure that more groomers than ever before receive top quality qualification. A step which is fabulous for the whole industry.”

Karl Atkinson, head of Grooming at Pets at Home, added: “Grooming is an essential part of our pets’ health and welfare, and that’s why providing our colleagues with the very best training is so important to us.

“We’re proud to be leading the way and empowering our grooming teams with the best knowledge in the industry, ensuring we can continue to deliver the best possible care to every pet we meet.”