Podiatry Health Care Assistant

Cheshire & Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; Chester; On-site; GBP 19,000 - 23,000; Full time

Job summary

Cheshire & Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Clinical Support Worker to support our podiatry services across wound care, vascular assessment, and minor nail surgery within community clinics.

You will work with podiatrists, manage your own caseload at times, and contribute to a proactive, learning-focused team environment. Training through the P2C induction will be provided and ongoing professional development is encouraged.

Qualifications

• Demonstrate empathy and sensitive patient care.
• Maintain confidentiality and professional standards.
• Effective collaboration with podiatry teams and community staff.

Responsibilities

• Support podiatry clinics in wound care, vascular assessment, nail procedures.
• Manage own caseload with independence where appropriate.
• Assist with minor nail surgery and offloading in community settings.
• Work alongside podiatrists to deliver high-quality patient care.

Skills

Empathy

Confidentiality

Teamwork

Education

Healthcare Assistant Level 3 qualification or equivalent apprenticeship

Care Certificate (in-house 2-day training within 3 months)

Job description

The successful applicant will report to the Podiatry Professional Lead and Clinical Leads and will be given additional training to support our clinics within wound care, vascular assessment, nail surgery and varying aspects of Podiatry within the community. As an HCA working in Podiatry you will have time to be able to evolve and create some aspect of your own roles and responsibilities as you will be working independently at times and managing your own caseload. Other aspects of the role will be working alongside other Podiatrist's within wound care clinics, offering support with vascular assessment and offloading as well as assisting with minor nail surgery procedures. This role is currently in its infancy, being new to the Podiatry service, we hope that together we can formulate a stimulating working environment for continual learning and development of specialist skills as we move forward. Any informal visits or if you'd like to chat, please do not hesitate to contact us. All new starters will commence in post on one fixed start date each month, in line with our Prepare to Care (P2C) induction programme date. P2C offers up to 3 weeks training to support you to meet the induction / initial training requirements of the role. Whether you are just starting out in your career or looking to use your existing skills and experience in a new role, you'll find something to suit you at CWP. Detailed job description and main responsibilities Please download a copy of the job description (see 'documents to download' section below) for full details of the main responsibilities for this role. At CWP, our recruitment selection processes are based on both competence (see person specification for details) and values. CWP recruits people that can demonstrate the Trust's Values in their everyday life and we use a values-based approach in our interviews, which explores not only what you do but how and why you do it. Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trust's Values and think about how these align with your own personal values. The supporting information section in your application should reflect your understanding of the Trust's Values and associated behaviours and you should provide examples from your work experience and/or personal life which demonstrate these values through your behaviours. An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page. If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the 'essential' criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer 'YES' to the question: 'Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?' Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes. The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post and encourages applications from armed forces reservists or cadet force adult volunteers. Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16 per year applies.

Qualifications and requirements

• Appropriate related qualification - or willingness to complete an apprenticeship appropriate to the Clinical Support Worker role.
• Completion of or working towards an apprenticeship and gaining qualification equivalent to level 3 or above in a subject relevant to the role of Healthcare Assistant
• To demonstrate a range of work procedures and practices and to exhibit your knowledge and abilities
• Completion of or commitment to complete the Care Certificate (CWP In-house 2 day training to be completed within 3 months of start date), Understanding of need for confidentiality; empathy and sensitivity

Desirable criteria

• Basic wound management
• Basic risk assessments and record keeping, The ability to demonstrate good quality care, whilst adhering to Trust policies and procedures, and working towards completing Care Certificate.
• Experience of working collaboratively i.e., with colleagues, wider teams, service users etc
• Supporting others in a care setting, whether this is experience in a professional or lived experience (friend, family, voluntary etc.)

Desirable criteria

• Basic clinical skills including: Venepuncture Skin care Wound care Clinical observations
• Experience of working in a community care setting including provision of personal care., Demonstrate alignment with Trust Values (6 C's: Commitment, Communication, Care, Courage, Compassion, Competency)

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP) provides health and care services for a population of over one million people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care, as well as the provision of three GP surgeries in Cheshire. We employ around 4,500 staff across 73 sites and have services across Wirral and Cheshire, as well as Trafford, Warrington, Bolton, Halton, Liverpool and Stockport. Our aim is to help improve the lives of everyone in our communities, adopting a compassionate, person-centred approach to everything we do. We are rated as Outstanding for Caring by the Care Quality Commission, with a Good rating overall. As a Disability Confident Employer, Rainbow Badge Scheme member, Veteran Aware organisation and proud holder of the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award, CWP is committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible and developing a culture that values differences, and welcome applications from people who have direct experience of accessing our services.