Recent reports in national and regional media have shown shocking details of sometimes gross negligence in some spas and salons across the country. Improperly sanitized instruments, poor employee hygiene, risk of infection and worse are making headline news. But Canadian consumers are fortunate as Leading Spas of Canada recognized these challenges and created national Standards and Practices for its member spas over ten years ago.
Leading Spas of Canada provides the assurance that their member spas meet the most rigorous standards of safety, hygiene and service excellence through their voluntary adherence to the national Association's Standards and Practices, developed by spa industry professionals led by Dr. Wendy Smeltzer.
Leading Spas of Canada President, Donna Holtom, states, "Since many provinces do not have licensing or regulations governing the spa industry, LSC's Standards and Practices are, in many cases, the only standards and best practices by which quality spas can measure themselves or be measured by the consumer. Since we have members from coast to coast, consumers can visit our member spas from coast to coast with confidence."
Further positioning its members as the best in the country, Leading Spas of Canada will launch a Quality Assurance program with 30 pilot spas across Canada in 2009. Assessments will be carried out by Canada Select as a third party evaluator and based on criteria provided by LSC. The program will be administered and owned by LSC and will become mandatory for ALL member spas in 2010. To date, there are no other national spa associations anywhere that have a similar Quality Assurance program.
In addition, Leading Spas of Canada is currently working together with the Canadian Tourism Human Resources Council to develop competency-based National Occupational Standards for spa management in order to establish further credibility and conformity within the industry and with the Canadian Council of Massage Therapy Schools, to develop a Spa Competency document to address the same issues at the therapist level.
Leading Spas of Canada provides the assurance that their member spas meet the most rigorous standards of safety, hygiene and service excellence through their voluntary adherence to the national Association's Standards and Practices, developed by spa industry professionals led by Dr. Wendy Smeltzer.
Leading Spas of Canada President, Donna Holtom, states, "Since many provinces do not have licensing or regulations governing the spa industry, LSC's Standards and Practices are, in many cases, the only standards and best practices by which quality spas can measure themselves or be measured by the consumer. Since we have members from coast to coast, consumers can visit our member spas from coast to coast with confidence."
Further positioning its members as the best in the country, Leading Spas of Canada will launch a Quality Assurance program with 30 pilot spas across Canada in 2009. Assessments will be carried out by Canada Select as a third party evaluator and based on criteria provided by LSC. The program will be administered and owned by LSC and will become mandatory for ALL member spas in 2010. To date, there are no other national spa associations anywhere that have a similar Quality Assurance program.
In addition, Leading Spas of Canada is currently working together with the Canadian Tourism Human Resources Council to develop competency-based National Occupational Standards for spa management in order to establish further credibility and conformity within the industry and with the Canadian Council of Massage Therapy Schools, to develop a Spa Competency document to address the same issues at the therapist level.