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

We are looking for an enthusiastic and highly motivated Podiatrist to join our friendly team within NELFT. We welcome applications from new graduates and students about to graduate. 

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.

Your clinical work would be across an array of community & domiciliary settings across these boroughs, and acar driver is therefore essential to this role.

Our client base is primarily high-risk and you will be responsible for treatment planning for foot complications associated with diabetic, rheumatoid and vascular / ischaemic long-term conditions.

Main duties of the job

Responsible for assessment, diagnosis, planning and implementing and evaluating care for a wide range of general clinical needs Ensuring that a high quality and evidence based treatment is provided. Working within codes of practice and professional guidelines Support peers and the team leadsr and be an effective team member whilst also working using your own initiative.  Actively involved in the provision of foot health education and advice to patients, relatives and carers and participate in training events where appropriate To manage a caseload within the allocated time including domiciliary patients.

Working for our organisation

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 focusing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.

Certificates of Sponsorship

 Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all job roles. Please check your eligibility under the UKVI points based system

 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.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

This vacancy would suit a newly qualified Podiatrist or student about to qualify this year or a qualified Podiatrist who would like to join the NHS who enjoys challenges and wants to progress. 

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 effectively communicate. We are also on Twitter @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'.

We have an MDFT at Whipps Cross Hospital and work closely with the MDFT based at The Royal London & St Bartholomew Hospitals, which will provide fantastic shadowing & learning opportunities.

We encourage newly qualified Band 5 Podiatrists to complete a Preceptorship Program within NELFT, and time is set aside in order for this to be completed. 

Following completion of successful probation, and where vacancy allows, we also pride ourselves in being able to further develop our Band 5 podiatrists with Band 5/6 progression posts, so that they are able to become fully fledged Band 6 Specialist Podiatrists.

We have shadowing opportunities within the following specialist areas:

High Risk - diabetic foot ulcer  Biomechanics & Paediatrics Nail Surgery

We are committed to CPD and training initiatives to achieve personal as well as service objectives.

Annual Leave starts at 27 days a year plus bank holidays.

The Podiatrist will be expected to support their team, department and organisation to achieve the Trust’s Values in their day to day work. These are the 5P’s:

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

The Podiatrist will be a member of the Royal College of Podiatry and registered with the Health Care and Professionals Council (HCPC)

The post holder will be a member of the podiatry team and will be responsible for assessment, diagnosis, planning and implementing and evaluating care for a wide range of general clinical needs. Ensuring that a high quality and evidence based treatment is provided. Working within codes of practice and professional guidelines.

The post holder will support peers and the team leader and be an effective team member whilst also working using their own initiative. Will demonstrate decision making skills when identifying patients requiring intervention of other health professionals or departmental clinical leads by following departmental referral clinical pathways. Will participate in at least one departmental rotation eg Nail Surgery, Specialist diabetes care, Biomechanics annually. Will be actively involved in the provision of foot health education and advice to patients, relatives and carers and participate in training events where appropriate. As part of team will contribute to the development of the podiatry service reviewing policies and procedures, proposing changes to general service procedures which may have an impact other health professionals. You will provide clinical care in the community clinics, domiciliary settings, including King George and Whipps Cross Hospitals. As a Podiatrist you will be based in the West (Redbridge and Waltham Forest) .

Managerial

To be responsible for managing and prioritising your own day to day work load attending CPD events and team meetings as required. To participate and contribute to departmental clinical audit and Research initiatives. Will be flexible and show initiative in coping with changing circumstances relating to day to day planning of clinical duties. To manage a caseload within the allocated time including domiciliary patients. Will have the ability to supervise podiatry students and podiatry assistants demonstrating clinical skills and procedures. To have an understanding of service performance targets To take responsibility for monitoring stock levels and security of stock and maintenance of equipment within your own clinical area escalating any shortages following the service procedures.

Leadership

To actively engage and support the implementation of changes that maybe required in the podiatry service. To understand the necessity for integrated health professional working. To support the development of a positive and ‘supportive’ team culture. To take an active interest in working parties and groups within the podiatry service in order to develop and improve on service delivery, protocols and guidelines To share your current knowledge of best practice, with colleagues in the podiatry team.

Clinical Skills

1. Will have the ability to act autonomously using professional judgements to access complex medical, social and podiatric problems of patients using clinical reasoning skills and diagnostic techniques.

2. Will develop tailored packages dependent on patient need taking advice from senior colleagues when necessary.

3. To perform diabetic assessment and review in community clinics where duties will include the use of specialised diagnostic equipment in vascular and neurological assessment, Doppler and monofilament. Identifying the correct risk category for the patients.

4. To partake in clinical rotations in specialist areas of the service.

5. Will assist in providing training and education opportunities for the general public and other health professionals when required.

6. Assess, treat and educate a wide range of patients according to service demand (including diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, circulatory problems and the elderly), in Community Clinics, Hospitals – Out Patients and wards, Day Centres, Residential Homes for the Elderly and to undertake domiciliary visits. Taking advice regarding operational and clinical matters from senior colleagues when necessary.

7. To have highly developed physical skills, using a scalpel to debride a variety of lesions, demonstrating precision hand/eye co-ordination for prolonged periods.

8. To work safely within clinical infection guidelines when treating foot lesions which may involve exposure to bodily fluids and infectious materials.

9. To have capability to position and handle patients who may be immobile, wheelchair or bed bound often working in difficult conditions which are at times unclean, confined in terms of space, with poor lighting/ventilation, to conduct the treatment.

10. To identify when patients require the intervention of other professionals eg. Requesting the prescription of antibiotics. Also referring to Podiatry Specialist Teams following agreed department referral to clinical pathways.

11. To act as a role model to podiatry students and podiatry assistants.

Please refer to the Job Description & Person Specification attachment.

High Cost Area Supplement - London

This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of your basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £4,551
and a maximum payment of £5,735 per annum

COVID-19 Vaccination
We continue to encourage all staff to ensure that they have been double vaccinated and received their booster. We recognise that taking the vaccine provides the best defence against COVID 19 for our patients, our staff and their families.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

BSc Diploma/Degree in Podiatric Medicine (NB - student will not have this yet) Registration with HCPC (NB student may not have this yet) Evidence of continual Professional Development (as part of studies if student)

Other

Essential criteria

Able to travel efficiently throughout the area - Applicant will need to be a car driver with a 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

Knowledge

Essential criteria

An awareness of NHS priorities

Desirable criteria

Knowledge of current NHS strategy , and clinical governance priorities Knowledge of local Health Priorities including cultural diversity

Experience

Essential criteria

Able to plan and organise activities

Desirable criteria

Experience of governance , quality and audit

Skills

Essential criteria

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 Basic awareness of IT and IT skills Excellent communication skills Excellent organisational and clinical skills Enthusiasm, integrity, confident, positive attitude Commitment to own development

Desirable criteria

Leadership skills

Demonstration of Trust Values

Essential criteria

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

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.