Job Overview
Are you enthusiastic, flexible, and self-motivated qualified podiatry assistant? Do you have excellent communication, organisational, interpersonal, problem solving and time management skills?
We all struggle with our feet from time to time; they can hurt us, we can damage them, or a medical condition can have an impact on our feet for example. Would you like the opportunity to help people with these types of problems and conditions, to keep them as mobile and independent as possible by providing hands on care, advice and/or supporting podiatrist's as they provide care to patients.
If so, we would like to hear from you as an opportunity has arisen for a qualified podiatry assistant to join our podiatry service. The role is varied and includes nail care for people with problematic / pathological toenails, undertaking foot assessments for people with diabetes, assisting with nail surgery, wound care, to name but a few. You will be part of the wider podiatry team and see patients who have been referred to you by a podiatrist as well as new patients within your competencies. You will work on your own mainly and have your own caseload but will be required to work under direction of the podiatrist / team lead.
Our successful candidates will deliver high quality care to the local population and will be based within above locality; however, we are a Countywide Service, and the post holder will also be required to work within clinical locations and attend meetings across the county of Leicestershire.
It is important that you can work on your own initiative as well as part of a team. No previous qualifications are essential but NHS / clinical experience would be desirable. You will also need to be comfortable with IT as we are fully electronic with regards our records and booking etc.
We provide excellent support and development for all staff through regular clinical supervision and team meetings; we also aim to provide clinical supervision and external training as required - you need to be committed to continuing professional development.
It is essential that you have a full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle that can be used for work purposes.
For further information please contact Rachel Norton
Job Description Summary (Main Duties And Responsibilities)
* Operating with quality in everything you do and maintaining a safe environment.
* To undertake an unsupervised clinical caseload, including new patients within your competencies.
* To undertake interventions / courses of interventions as prescribed by the podiatrist.
* Recognise, prioritise, respond, and escalate appropriately to urgent and emergency situations, seeking guidance from the podiatrists as necessary.
* To work, and have a degree of autonomy, within given parameters.
* To provide advice to patients, carers, health professionals and other appropriate parties on basic foot and nail care / hygiene.
* Review clinical status of patients and assess when referral back to the podiatrist is appropriate e.g., change in medication, new diagnosis, change in foot health, deterioration in tissue viability etc.
* To assist podiatrists during minor surgery sessions.
* To provide treatment to patients to maintain their mobility and independence.
* To provide care to patients in a variety of settings health centres, homes, hospitals, residential /nursing homes.
* Deliver footcare training packages.
* To undertake other appropriate duties as directed by the Podiatry Leads.
* Ensure stock supplies are maintained.
* Work with and support new staff, students etc to deliver safe and effective care.
We may close the advert early, if we receive a sufficient number of applicants, so please apply as soon as possible.
About Us
Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) provides a range of community health, mental health and learning disability services for people of all ages. Delivered through over 100 settings from inpatient wards to out in the community, our 6,500 staff serve over 1 million people living in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
We aim to develop a workforce that reflects our community. We actively implement equal opportunities in employment and service delivery and seek people who share our commitment. We strongly encourage applications from all sections of the community, particularly from underrepresented groups.
Details of our benefits, leadership behaviours and other important information can be found in the Information for Applicants, please view the supporting documents.
We will consider requests to work alternative hours or varied working patterns in line with our flexible working policy.
For all substantive roles, new staff (excluding medical staff) are appointed subject to a 6-month probationary period (see Probation Policy).
All jobs will require permission to work in the UK.
For all jobs the cost of any DBS disclosure required will be met by the individual. This will be deducted from salary once started.
Applicants at risk within the local NHS who meet essential criteria will have preference for interview.