Support Resources

Support for educators and students

A suite of 83 videos have been developed by the Southwest podiatry managers to support podiatry degree apprenticeships. Some of these online learning resources may be useful to support trainee support workers and mentors /educators 

New Podiatry undergraduate and post-graduate apprenticeships course are now available. Visit elearning for healthcare.

Below are links to educator training modules that are free to access for those within the NHS.

The first link is for a course that provides non-registered AHP assistants and support staff with training to develop their understanding of student education, and to develop their skills in supporting students and educators within their teams. During this course, users will learn about the student journey, from the beginning of their studies to qualification and how practice placements form part of their learning. The resource will also offer an understanding of what is expected from students during placement, how to give feedback to students and educators and how to recognise and support a student who may be struggling. By developing these skills, non-registered staff will be able to contribute to the delivery of Practice Based Learning, improving the quality and capacity of placements.

Supporting AHP Students – elearning for healthcare (e-lfh.org.uk)

This link takes you to a modular elearning practice educator programme. The aim of this training programme is ensure a standard level of practice educator training for AHPs. Facilitate the building of quality learning environments and to increase practice educator confidence to supervise learners and support them to develop their role as an educator.

Delegation and Accountability

The Standards provide a clear understanding of the footcare treatments that podiatry support workers are trained to provide upon qualification. The Standards are threshold and set out what a newly qualified practitioner can safely provide for their patients in the NHS. It is recognised that as individual practitioners gain experience and undertake additional qualifications, their role boundaries and scope of practice may increase. The educational level of the Standards is from level 3 – level 5. In many cases support workers will work under the supervision of a podiatrist. The supervision provided may be direct or indirect, with podiatrists holding overall responsibility for a patient’s treatment. In some instances, foot health treatments may be provided as part of other treatments within a multidisciplinary team. In this case, the service may not be a podiatry led service. In these circumstances it may be appropriate for an alternative appropriately qualified registered health care professional to provided immediate support and supervision. However, the Standards require that the support worker should be responsible to a podiatrist within a wider podiatry service for their clinical and professional support.

• As part of the ongoing work to develop AHP support worker roles NHS England had provided guidance and support resources around delegation and supervision.
• This link will take you to the guide that has been written on supervision, accountability and delegation of activities to support workers.
• A guide for registered practitioners and support workers - supervision and delegation.
• The Royal College of Podiatry also provides information of delegation and supervision.