Podiatry assistant
Podiatry assistants provide foot treatments and nail care under the supervision of a podiatrist.
Also known as: Chiropody assistant, footcare assistant
- Starter salary£25,000 a year
- Experienced£27,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 42 a week
What you'll do
As a podiatry assistant you could:
- make appointments and get patients ready for treatment
- support podiatrists during a procedure
- treat patients who have already been assessed
- cut toenails and apply dressings
- give advice on foot and nail care, particularly for patients with diabetes
Working environment
You could work at a health centre, at a client's home, in an NHS or private hospital or at a GP practice.
You may need to wear a uniform.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- knowledge of biology and how the human body works
- customer service skills
- thinking and reasoning skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- sensitivity and understanding
- the ability to work well with your hands
- the ability to use your initiative
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
How to become a podiatry assistant
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- applying directly
- specialist courses run by private training organisations
College
You could do a college course to help you to become a podiatry assistant.
Most health and social care courses include work placements and this can be a good way of getting experience.
You could do a Level 2 Diploma in Skills for Health and Care Professions or a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
Apprenticeship
You could do a Senior Healthcare Support Worker Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, which has a training option for podiatry assistants.
When recruiting, employers might choose apprentices who have experience as a support worker.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
Work
You could start as a healthcare assistant and learn on the job. You could then move into podiatry through training and promotion.
Volunteering
Volunteering in the NHS is a good way to get work experience in healthcare. This can be helpful when you apply for jobs or training.
Direct application
You can apply directly for podiatry assistant roles if you've got relevant skills and experience.
You might need a qualification in a health related subject and experience of working with people.
Other routes
You could be self employed and provide foot care to the general public, rather than in the NHS.
You'll need to take a Diploma in Foot Health Practice.
You'll then need to become a member of The Alliance of Private Sector Practitioners and work as a foot health practitioner.
Restrictions and requirements
You might need a driving licence and access to your own transport to visit clients in their own home.
Career path and progression
With experience you could:
- move up to become an assistant practitioner
- train to become a podiatrist
- set up your own business, if you're self employed
Career tips
You would be expected to have an understanding of how the NHS values would impact your work, if applying for jobs in the NHS.
Guides for this industry
Related roles
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0