Debra Morris

Qualification Lead Health and Beauty
Having worked within the beauty industry for over 30 years, Debra is passionate about standards and qualifications.
Prior to working at VTCT Debra worked at Confederation of International Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology (CIBTAC) where she has worked from 2010- 2015 as their Education Officer and was responsible for managing and sourcing specialist teams developing qualifications and assessment materials for VRQs and NVQs for the QCF. Debra’s role at CIBTAC was crucial in not only initially obtaining recognition status from Ofqual, but in maintaining their regulatory compliance throughout her tenure. During her time at CIBTAC, she had the sole responsibility for qualification and assessment design as well as development of the associated resources that were needed, whilst overseeing examination development.
Prior to CIBTAC, Debra spent the previous 18 years in FE as a curriculum leader and lecturer of beauty, sport and complementary therapies; teaching in some of the most outstanding further education colleges in the Midlands, such as Warwickshire College, North Warwickshire and Hinckley College and Coventry Technical College. Debra has experience of internal and external verification and has successfully set up and run her own training Centre where she worked exclusively with VTCT courses. 

In her current role VTCT Debra works extremely closely with the assessment leads to ensure the qualifications developed have an assessment strategy that is valid, reliable and fit for purpose.
Technically, Debra has extremely wide ranging expertise; her repertoire includes many advanced beauty practices, in addition to sport and many complementary therapies. She was the UK and BABTAC representative on the CEN 409 European Standards Technical Committee for Beauty Salon Services and represented the UK as a technical expert at the CEN meetings in Malta and Brussels, working towards the development of a pan- European agreement on standards for beauty therapy. These standards have now been adopted as national standards by 33 countries in the European Economic Area (EEA), including the UK.
Debra is also still active on the CEN 409 and the UK Beauty Salon Services and Aesthetic Surgery and Aesthetic Non-Surgical Medical Services national committees CEN 403, maintained by the British Standards Institution (BSI). Additionally Debra represent VTCT on the Education and Training Committee for JCCP, and the Education Pillar for Hair and Beauty Industry Confederation Ireland (HABIC).