Final Course Requirements and Supporting Materials
Trainer Notes
- This course is designed for delivery across two full training days, or as twelve stand-alone 90-minute sessions for rolling CPD programmes.
- Each module follows a consistent structure: introduce learning objectives, deliver key content, run the practical demonstration, complete the training activity, close with reflection questions, and administer the knowledge check.
- Trainers should hold a recognised qualification or verified professional background in Afro-textured hair care, and ideally lived experience or specialist cultural competence training, before delivering this course.
- Where possible, deliver Modules 3, 5 and 6 with hands-on mannequin practice rather than observation only — competency in these modules should be demonstrated, not just discussed.
- Allow extra time for Modules 2, 3 and 11, which often generate significant group discussion and may surface trainers' or carers' own personal experiences — hold space for this sensitively.
- Group sizes of 8–15 carers are recommended to allow for meaningful hands-on practice and discussion.
- Trainers should have a clear safeguarding escalation route in mind in case a participant discloses a current concern about a child in their care during discussion.
Certificate Criteria
- Attendance at, or completion of, all twelve modules
- A minimum 80% pass rate across all knowledge check questions
- Satisfactory completion of all twelve practical assessment tasks
- Completion of a final reflective statement on how the carer will apply this learning in practice
- Certificates should be dated, state the awarding body/trainer, and be valid for a defined period (recommended: three years, with refresher training encouraged sooner where the carer's household composition changes)
📋 Download the Full Assessment Workbook (PDF)
Foster Carer Competency Checklist
- Can correctly identify a child's curl pattern, porosity and density
- Can explain shrinkage and other hair science basics to a child or colleague in accessible language
- Demonstrates culturally affirming language and practice around hair and identity
- Applies trauma-informed, consent-based approaches during hair care
- Can independently carry out a full wash day routine correctly
- Can detangle hair using correct sectioning and technique with minimal discomfort to the child
- Can install at least one basic protective style with appropriate tension
- Understands the specific needs of mixed-race hair without relying on assumptions
- Can select appropriate products and read ingredient labels critically
- Can identify common scalp/hair concerns and knows when to seek professional advice
- Has identified or engaged a local culturally competent hair professional
- Can advocate appropriately with schools on hair-related policy or discrimination
- Has created and maintains a current hair care passport for each relevant child in placement
Recommended Equipment List
- Mannequin heads with a range of textures (3A–4C) for practical training
- Wide-tooth combs, detangling brushes, sectioning clips and bands
- Sample product range covering shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner, leave-in, cream, oil/butter and light-hold gel
- Satin/silk bonnets and scarves for demonstration
- Spray bottles and clear bowls for porosity/stretch demonstrations
- Visual reference materials: curl pattern chart, scalp condition comparison chart
- Printed worksheets and assessment workbooks (or digital equivalents)
- Age-appropriate books/media featuring positive Black and mixed-race hair representation
Glossary of Black Hair Care Terminology
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Afro-textured hair | Hair that grows from an oval or flattened, curved follicle, producing a coily or kinky pattern; also referred to as Type 4 hair. |
| Big chop | The act of cutting off chemically processed or damaged hair to return to one's natural texture. |
| Colourism | Prejudice or preferential treatment based on skin tone, typically favouring lighter skin. |
| Cornrows | A style in which hair is braided flat against the scalp in continuous rows. |
| Density | The number of individual hair strands per square inch of scalp. |
| Detangling | The process of removing knots and tangles from the hair, ideally with the aid of a slip product. |
| Edge control | A light-hold styling product used to smooth and lay down hair along the hairline. |
| LOC/LCO method | A moisture-sealing technique applying a Liquid, Oil and Cream (or Liquid, Cream and Oil) in sequence to lock in moisture. |
| Locs | A style formed by matting or coiling hair into rope-like strands over time, requiring ongoing specific maintenance. |
| Porosity | How easily the hair's cuticle allows moisture to enter and escape; categorised as low, medium or high. |
| Protective style | Any style that tucks away the fragile ends of the hair to reduce manipulation and breakage (e.g. braids, twists, buns). |
| Sealing | Applying an oil or butter after moisturising to help lock hydration into the hair shaft. |
| Shrinkage | The visual difference between the stretched length of hair and its resting, coiled length. |
| Texturism | Prejudice favouring looser curl patterns over tighter coily or kinky textures, including within communities of colour. |
| Traction alopecia | Hair loss caused by sustained tension or pulling on the hair, often from tight styling. |
| Twist-out | A style created by unravelling two-strand twists once dry, producing a defined curl pattern. |
| Wash day | A dedicated session covering detangling, shampooing, conditioning, deep conditioning and styling. |
Further Learning Resources
- National and local Black hair care professional directories and associations
- Trichology referral pathways for persistent scalp or hair-loss concerns
- Current national guidance on school uniform policy and race discrimination
- Books and age-appropriate media featuring positive natural hair representation for children
- Peer support networks for foster and adoptive carers of Black and mixed-race children
- Refresher and advanced CPD modules (e.g. advanced protective styling, loc maintenance, chemical treatment safety for older teenagers)