Podiatry Assistant - Level 2

Podiatry

Podiatry assistants treat and care for people whose feet and legs have been affected by injury or illness. Their work helps people live full and independent lives.

Podiatry assistants are sometimes known as footcare assistants and treat people of all ages with a variety of conditions. For example:

• children with lower limb pain or problems walking
• diabetes sufferers with circulation problems who may be at risk of amputation
• elderly people
• people with sports injuries
• dancers whose long hours of rehearsing and performing put stress on their feet causing injury
• people needing minor procedures such as nail surgery or laser treatment, using local anaesthetic
• people wanting advice about footwear or foot health

Skills and knowledge

To become a Podiatry Assistant you will need to be:

  • willing to handle other people’s feet
  • calm and reassuring
  • caring and dedicated
  • able to follow procedures and instructions
  • willing to work alone or in a team
  • able to explain treatment to patients
  • good manual (hand) skills
  • organisation skills
  • communication skills
  • customer service skills

Qualifications

There are no set entry requirements to become a podiatry assistant. Employers expect good literacy and numeracy and may ask for GCSEs, or equivalent. They may ask for an NVQ, BTEC or equivalent qualification in health and social care or healthcare.

Employers often ask for relevant work experience. Even where this is not specified, it would be an advantage if you have worked in health or social care, either in paid employment or voluntary work.

Routes into this job

You could do a college course, which may help you when looking for work.

Courses include:
- level 2 Diploma In Preparing for Further Study in Health, Social Care and Social Work
- level 2 Diploma in Health and Social Care
- level 3 National Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care
- T Level in Health

Most health and social care courses include work placements which is a good way to get experience.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

You could do an apprenticeship.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

You can apply for a role in the NHS where you will work in hospital departments, clinics, health centres or GPs surgeries.

Some podiatry assistants visit clients who cannot leave home or are in a nursing home.

Some podiatry assistants work in private clinics or footcare centres.

You'll find it useful to get some paid or volunteering experience in care. This will help when you apply for jobs.

You could contact the voluntary services co-ordinator at your local NHS trust for advice about opportunities.

You can also find volunteering opportunities through The National Council for Voluntary Organisations and Do IT.

Career progression

You will get the training you need to work as a podiatry assistant. This includes:

• diseases and conditions of the skin and nails

• anatomy and physiology

• conditions of the feet and legs

• nail operations

• You may also have the opportunity to do an apprenticeship.


Some podiatry assistants join the Royal College of Podiatry as associate members. They run courses, conferences, and seminars where podiatry assistants can update their skills and network with others doing similar work. You could apply to train as a podiatrist.


Senior Healthcare support worker - Level 3

Senior support workers will use more advanced skills under the supervision of registered staff and may also work alone, with access to a registered member of staff on site or via the telephone. Responsibilities include the direct delivery of clinical, technical, or scientific activities following training. They may demonstrate own duties to other support workers, students, or less experienced staff. They will also carry out administration tasks related to patient care and the wider service. At this stage, senior support workers will contribute to service improvement and be able to make fact-based judgements.

Assistant Practitioner - Level 5

Assistant practitioners work at a level above that of healthcare support workers and have more in-depth education and understanding about factors that influence health and ill-health, for example anatomy and physiology. Support workers at this level will possess enhanced skills in their area of work, which may be a specialist clinical area. They will provide routine and non-routine care and support, including to service users with more complex needs and making assessment of progress. They can demonstrate own activities to new or less experienced employees and provide training to others.

Podiatrist Practitioner BSc - Level 6

Podiatrists are registered healthcare professionals specialising in the lower limb (feet, ankles, legs), providing high-quality clinical care to people of all ages. A Podiatrist’s job is to work to protect people’s feet, providing preventative advice, care, assessment, diagnosis and treatment of a range of problems affecting the lower limb. Keeping mobile and retaining independence affects the quality of people’s lives. Podiatrists aim to reduce the impact of disability and dysfunction and have a role in rehabilitation. They play a pivotal part in reducing the risk of amputation, infection, pain, deformity and hospital admissions. They will undertake a range of podiatry interventions including wound care, routine skin and nail care, nail surgery, scalpel work or care for long term conditions. They provide musculoskeletal assessment and then instigate a treatment plan to improve or enhance movement or reduce pain. They prescribe functional insoles for the management of foot / lower limb conditions.

Enhanced Clinical Practitioner - Level 6

This occupation is found in the health and care sector. Enhanced Clinical Practitioners are qualified health and social care professionals who are working at an enhanced level of practice with specific knowledge and skills in a field of expertise. They manage a discrete aspect of a patient’s care within their current level of practice, which will be particular to a specific context, be it a client group, a skill set or an organisational context. This is in contrast to Advanced Clinical Practitioners who have developed their knowledge and skills to an advanced level of practice and would manage the whole episode of a patient’s clinical care, from the time they first present, through to the end of the episode.

Advanced Clinical Practitioner - Level 7

Advanced Clinical Practitioners are experienced clinicians who demonstrate expertise in their scope of practice. Advanced Clinical Practitioners manage defined episodes of clinical care independently, from beginning to end, providing care and treatment from the time an individual first presents through to the end of the episode, which may include admission, referral or discharge or care at home. They carry out their full range of duties in relation to individuals’ physical and mental healthcare and in acute, primary, urgent, and emergency settings (including hospitals, general practice, individuals’ homes, schools, and prisons, and in the public, independent, private and charity sectors). They combine expert clinical skills with research, education, and clinical leadership within their scope of practice. Advanced Clinical Practitioners work innovatively on a one-to-one basis with individuals as well as part of a wider team. They work as part of the wider health and social care team and across traditional professional boundaries in health and social care.