Advanced Podiatrist-Surrey Downs H&C | Surrey Downs Health and Care

Surrey Downs Health and Care Podiatry Team is seeking an enthusiastic, experienced and innovative Band 7 Podiatrist to work within a progressive and supportive community service based in Surrey. The successful candidate will work across community clinics and domiciliary settings, managing a varied caseload and treating a wide range of podiatric pathology, while acting as a source of expertise in nail surgery and other advanced podiatric therapies. The role includes teaching, mentoring and supervising students and podiatrists, alongside line management responsibilities. Applicants will be reliable, hardworking and committed to ongoing professional development, with strong self‑direction, efficient working practices and excellent organisational and communication skills. Experience in the case management of high‑risk patients is essential, with nail surgery and advanced podiatric techniques being desirable, and experience of working in community services required. Shortlisting will be based on meeting the essential job criteria. This is a part‑time post (4 days per week).

Responsibilities

• Lead and professionally support a team of podiatrists within Surrey Downs Health and Care.
• Lead in the evaluation, planning and implementation of service redesign and related policies and procedures, in liaison with podiatry clinical lead and operational manager.
• Be integrally involved in supporting both clinical lead and operational management of the podiatry service, embracing evidence‑based medicine and developments in podiatric practice.
• Lead podiatry team based continuous professional development (CPD) activities, participate in podiatry service wide CPD activities, and participate in the development of the podiatry service and co‑owners as a team of managers.
• Lead on clinical audits, service pilots/projects and other research activities to support the development of evidence based practice.
• Act as a source of clinical expertise and be the clinical lead for nail surgery within the Podiatry department, ensuring an effective, coordinated podiatry service is provided throughout the Surrey Downs Health and Care area.
• Provide highly specialist diagnostic assessment, treatment and advice, including surgical intervention for complex cases to maintain and improve patient’s mobility and independence and prevention of disability across the spectrum of podiatric care.
• Work as an integral member of the Podiatry team to deliver high quality, innovative and responsive programmes of Podiatric care to patients with a high‑risk need.
• Provide early intervention whenever possible, to maintain mobility and independence, and prevent disability.
• Use complex assessments, diagnose, develop highly specialised treatment plans and provide effective podiatric treatments, using a problem‑solving approach based on clinical need and evidence‑based practice.
• Be responsible for a highly complex and specialised caseload involving the implementation and coordination of highly specialised treatment regimens, including assessment, surgical intervention, post‑operative evaluation and alternative management plans when surgery is inappropriate.
• Evaluate all surgical interventions using appropriate outcome measurements.
• Commit to the philosophy of care with an emphasis on patient empowerment and independence by providing education and information to help patients manage their own foot needs (including footwear advice).
• Work as part of a multi‑disciplinary team with Consultants, GP's, & Allied Health Professionals and act as a source of advice to patients, carers, GP's and other health care professionals.
• Be highly proficient in comprehensive neurological and vascular assessment, wound debridement, advanced pathology, and gait analysis.
• Undertake diagnostic procedures effectively using appropriate equipment (e.g., Doppler ultrasound), competently interpreting, recording, acting on and reporting the results.
• Provide services at a wide variety of sites including a patient’s home, clinics, GP practices, hospitals and in challenging conditions, frequently working in isolation.
• Obtain informed consent prior to treatment plans commencing.
• Ensure all patients are appropriately assessed prior to surgery.
• Review and triage all patients (through their electronic system notes) assessed by colleagues for nail surgery, checking suitability for surgery and ensuring patient consent documentation is complete and liaises with the patient’s GP when appropriate.
• In cases of problems or issues, update and train staff as necessary.
• Undertake specialist surgical intervention for complex nail pathologies (e.g., nail avulsions and chemical destruction of the nail matrix with local anaesthesia).
• Lead colleagues in the event of a clinical emergency during surgical sessions (e.g., anaphylaxis, toxicity reaction, myocardial infarction, fainting, hypoglycaemic attack).
• Support the team with domiciliary visits within a geographical area, including time management skills.
• Maintain clear, comprehensive and accurate records.
• Update patient medical history, evaluate progression and work with the client to develop the treatment plan as required.
• Ensure best practice (personally and for team members) when exposed to unpleasant working conditions and maintain infection control standards in challenging environments.
• Manage clinical risk within own patient caseload and support a team of podiatrists in managing their identified risks.
• Provide emergency and annual leave cover for colleagues when required.
• Teach and assess colleagues, students, newly qualified podiatrists and podiatry assistants in local anaesthetic administration and surgical procedures.
• Lead and educate the department on infection control issues, reviewing and acting on infection control guidance, and lead participation in the infection control audit cycle.
• Work as an autonomous clinician within professional, departmental and SDHC guidelines, using clinical reasoning and decision‑making skills to achieve positive clinical outcomes.
• Be aware of one’s own scope of practice and refer to peers or other professionals as necessary.
• Takes a lead role in departmental clinical governance initiatives (e.g., designing audit projects, collecting audit data, research, and developing clinical standards within specialist areas of practice).
• Keep up to date with clinical and professional developments and use evidence based practice.
• Complete and maintain clinical competencies identified for the post.
• Maintain and update individual Professional Portfolio, and achieve statutory hours of CPD per year.
• Ensure that self and team attend mandatory training in line with SDHC employment and professional need.
• Actively participate in personal development reviews and lifelong learning.
• Lead, promote and participate in clinical support (clinical supervision) whilst facilitating team members to utilise reflective skills.
• Support and represent the Podiatry department in any projects, programmes and training events as required.
• Lead on any relevant Podiatric contribution to national guidelines (e.g., NICE), proposing and developing new policies and service changes with impact on the department and others, and represent the department to senior leadership.
• Line manage a number of podiatrists, podiatry assistants and, when required, students, sharing information to keep them abreast of changes within the organization.
• Plan and allocate team members’ work, rotations, and ensure clinics are covered while managing timetables to cover sickness or leave.
• Screen, prioritise and allocate referrals within the Podiatry service.
• Monitor new patient and follow‑up appointment waiting times within specialist clinics and specified locations.
• Work with the Operational manager and podiatry clinical lead to review new methods of working to streamline services.
• Prevent professional isolation for staff working in the community by creating and maintaining systems for encouraging and supporting communications between podiatrists.
• Collaborate closely with other team leaders and managers to improve inter‑department integration, ensuring consistent delivery of clinical standards across Surrey Downs Health and Care.
• Cover for a team leader and/or deputise for the Clinical Lead Podiatrist when unavailable or on leave.
• Supervise staff and students, providing specialist training in areas of expertise.
• Ensure staff learn from incident reporting, near misses and complaints, fostering a learning culture.
• Facilitate in‑service training programmes, liaising with internal and external trainers and other professional leads.
• Participate in staff recruitment, reviewing job descriptions, shortlisting, interviewing and inducting new staff members including bank staff and locums.
• Contribute to the department's strategy and annual business plan, producing objectives in line with it for the team.
• Take responsibility for clinical governance with the team, including team objective setting, recording and evaluating teams audits and developing standards, guidelines, policies and protocols.
• Undertake team members’ annual appraisals, maintain 90% compliance and interim reviews, while promoting lifelong learning and professional development.
• Ensure all team members receive appropriate training and mandatory statutory training as required.
• Monitor team performance and manage in accordance with trust policy.
• Investigate complaints for podiatry clinical lead.

Qualifications & Experience

• Reliable, hardworking, committed to ongoing professional development.
• Strong self‑direction, efficient working practices, excellent organisational and communication skills.
• Experience in case management of high‑risk patients (essential).
• Nail surgery and advanced podiatric techniques (desirable).
• Experience working in community services (required).
• Part‑time (4 days per week).