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

nail surgery, high risk ulcer clinics manufacturing insoles.  National Diabetic Foot Audit

Your clinical work would be across an array of community & domiciliary settings across these boroughs, and acar 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:

provide delegated foot care (nail treatment) and actively encourage patient’s relatives and carers to take responsibility for their own foot health, where appropriate. be actively involved in the provision of basic foot health education and advice to patients, relatives and carers where appropriate.  be responsible for managing and prioritising your own day to day work load. 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:

Putting people first Prioritising quality Being progressive, innovative and continually improve Being professional and honest 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

Royal College of Podiatry (RCPod) Assistant Practitioner qualification

Knowledge

Essential criteria

An awareness of NHS priorities Knowledge of podiatric conditions and procedures Commitment to own Development

Skills

Essential criteria

Excellent organisational and clinical skills Excellent communication skills Enthusiasm, integrity, confident, positive attitude Basic awareness of IT and IT skills Ability to work autonomously and as part of a team Ability to balance competing priorities to meet personal and directorate targets within a fluctuating and demanding workload Enthusiasm, integrity, confident, positive attitude

Other

Essential criteria

To be able to travel efficiently throughout the area 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

Putting people first Prioritising quality Being progressive, innovative, and continually improving Being professional and honest Promoting what is possible, independence, opportunity, and choice

Experience

Essential criteria

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:

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. 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. 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. 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.