Podiatry Support Workforce Toolkit

The toolkit has been produced to aid the implementation of the standards for the foot health workforce in an NHS setting. The resource will be of interest to NHS podiatry leaders and managers looking to develop their podiatry support workforce within an NHS setting. Existing support workers who are interested in developing within role, or looking at progression routes may also find the toolkit useful.

The toolkit may also be of interest to anyone who is not yet part of the NHS community but who are considering joining the NHS as a podiatry support worker. For this group, liaison with the Royal College of Podiatry (RCPod) is also advised. The RCPod are developing an accreditation process for those individuals who wish to join the NHS podiatry support workforce. Please visit the RCPod website for more information.

Who are the NHS Podiatry Support Workforce?

Within the NHS, the podiatry support workforce provides essential patient and non-patient facing services under the delegation of a podiatrist. The support worker title is a generic title that incorporates roles such as foot care assistants, podiatry assistants, and assistant practitioners. Podiatry support workers may carry out a range of clinical and non-clinical tasks depending on the level of training they have received.

How can this toolkit help you?

In 2021, the Standards for the foot health workforce (the Standards) were published. This toolkit is an aid to the implementation of the Standards. The toolkit provides links and guidance to essential resources for those looking to develop their Podiatry support workforce. The development team have written the content with both support workers and leaders and managers in mind. It provides worked examples of service developments as well as how individuals can use the Standards as a self-assessment tool, and how they can also be used to identify and support service and individual development needs.