Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.
The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for three consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.
Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video
Job overview
Foot Care Assistant - Band 3
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Podiatry Assistant to join our friendly, supportive Podiatry Team.
Our Podiatry Department is a forward thinking, busy service providing Podiatry Services to GPs in Redbridge & Waltham Forest. The population that we serve are both multi-cultural and diverse. Our head office is based at Hainault Health Centre and we have clinics across both boroughs with fantastic transport links.
We are a very friendly, supportive, diverse team of clinicians and administrators. Our clinical team is made up from Podiatrists and Assistant Podiatrists.
Our Podiatry Assistants are valuable members and support the team of Podiatrists both in the community and hospital settings, assisting with
1. nail surgery,
2. high risk ulcer clinics
3. manufacturing insoles.
4. National Diabetic Foot Audit
Your clinical work would be across an array of community & domiciliary settings across these boroughs, and a car driver is therefore essential to this role.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be a member of the Podiatry (West) Team and will have completed the Royal College of Podiatry (RCPod) Assistant Practitioner qualification or equivalent.
They should also:
5. provide delegated foot care (nail treatment) and actively encourage patient’s relatives and carers to take responsibility for their own foot health, where appropriate.
6. be actively involved in the provision of basic foot health education and advice to patients, relatives and carers where appropriate.
7. be responsible for managing and prioritising your own day to day work load.
8. assist podiatrists in a variety of clinical settings, during nail surgery and whilst they deliver care to patients with serious foot pathology resulting from the complications of diabetes
Working for our organisation
NELFT uses a lot of digital technology and as a department we use laptops on a daily basis, thus it is important to have IT literacy.
NELFT and their teams pride themselves on their values:
9. Putting people first
10. Prioritising quality
11. Being progressive, innovative and continually improve
12. Being professional and honest
13. Promoting what is possible – independence, opportunity and choice
There are a variety of causes that NELFT supports, including Health & Wellbeing, Just & Compassionate Culture Programme and 10 established staff networks.
Probationary Period
This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).
Starting with NELFT
NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop in sessions focussing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Use of AI
Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.
Our organisation is driven by our strategic objectives and organisational values and we are looking for people who are strongly aligned with them.
Our friendly Podiatry Service prides themselves on their close working together as a very friendly and approachable close-knit team with effective communication. We are also on X @Nelft_Podiatry
As a department we pride ourselves on being innovative and forward thinking and have MolecuLight:iX technology as well as Toe Pressure Kits in all of our high-risk clinics to undertake the recently highlighted '2 minute Toe Pressure challenge'.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
14. Royal College of Podiatry (RCPod) Assistant Practitioner qualification
Knowledge
Essential criteria
15. An awareness of NHS priorities
16. Knowledge of podiatric conditions and procedures
17. Commitment to own Development
Skills
Essential criteria
18. Excellent organisational and clinical skills
19. Excellent communication skills
20. Enthusiasm, integrity, confident, positive attitude
21. Basic awareness of IT and IT skills
22. Ability to work autonomously and as part of a team
23. Ability to balance competing priorities to meet personal and directorate targets within a fluctuating and demanding workload
24. Enthusiasm, integrity, confident, positive attitude
Other
Essential criteria
25. To be able to travel efficiently throughout the area
26. Applicant will need to be a car driver with valid UK Licence (this criteria will be reasonable adjusted to meet the requirements of a disabled applicant) and access to a car for work purposes
Demonstration of Trust Values
Essential criteria
27. Putting people first
28. Prioritising quality
29. Being progressive, innovative, and continually improving
30. Being professional and honest
31. Promoting what is possible, independence, opportunity, and choice
Experience
Essential criteria
32. Able to plan and organise activities
Benefits
We believe in bringing your authentic and best self to work, in order to deliver the best care to our patients. We are committed to supporting our employees holistically. Here is a snapshot of what is on offer at NELFT:
33. A long-standing and award-winning approach to equality and diversity with supportive networks for ethnic minority staff, staff with disabilities or long term/chronic conditions and LGBT staff.
34. A commitment to supporting colleagues to achieve a work life balance, through flexible working opportunities and our effortsto support our working parents and carers. This has resulted in us being recognised as a ‘Top 10 Family Friendly Employer’ from the Working Families Charity.
35. Proactive health and wellbeing support, including access to our employee assistance programme, staff psychological support, individual wellbeing conversations and a network of health and wellbeing ambassadors.
36. Detailed information about our wellbeing and benefits offer can be found in this link.
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s a job share, part time hours or another flexible pattern.