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Chiropody assistant
Hours
37.5 per week
Starting salary
£13,600 + per year
Chiropody assistants (also known as foot care assistants or podiatry assistants) work under the supervision of registered chiropodists to provide general foot treatments and nail care to clients. If you have a caring personality and can work accurately with your hands, you might enjoy this job.
To do this job you should be able to relate to a range of people. You will need strong spoken and written communication skills. You will also need the ability to work alone and in a team.
You may not need any formal qualifications to become a chiropody assistant. However, many employers will prefer you to have a good standard of general education.
WorkDesc
The work
As a chiropody assistant, your duties would often include:
- cutting toe nails and applying dressings
- providing advice on foot and nail care
- treating patients who have already been assessed by a chiropodist/podiatrist
- preparing patients for treatment
- supporting a chiropodist during a procedure
- carrying out general clerical tasks and making appointments
- organising your time to manage a caseload of clients.
Your clients could include older people, those recovering from injury or surgery, and people with circulation problems or diabetes.
HoursDesc
Hours
You would typically work 37.5 hours a week as a full-time chiropody assistant. There may also be opportunities for part-time work and job sharing.
You could be based in a local clinic, health centre or hospital, and you may also visit some patients in their own homes. In the private sector you may be based in a private clinic or the chiropody department of a retail outlet (such as a large pharmacy chain).
You will usually wear a uniform for this work.
IncomeDesc
Income
Starting salaries for chiropody assistants can be between around £13,600 and £16,700 a year. With experience and relevant qualifications, this could rise to around £21,800.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
EntryRequirementsDesc
Entry requirements
You may not need any formal qualifications to become a chiropody assistant. However, many employers will prefer you to have a good standard of general education, possibly including four or more GCSEs (A-C) in subjects such as maths, English and a science.
It could be an advantage to have paid or unpaid experience of working in a caring role or as a receptionist in a medical practice. Contact the voluntary services coordinator or manager at your local NHS Trust for further advice.
You could get experience through a Cadet Scheme or Apprenticeship (in many parts of the country cadet schemes have been replaced with Apprenticeships). Schemes vary between NHS Trusts, but will usually include clinical placements and studying towards an NVQ Level 3 in Health.
For more information on Apprenticeships, visit the Apprenticeships website.
You could also contact your local NHS Trust for details of both Cadet and Apprenticeship schemes.
You may need a driving licence and access to your own transport for posts that involve visiting clients in their own home.
TrainingAndDevelopmentDesc
Training and development
Once working, you will receive on-the-job training from your employer. This will usually involve around 500 hours in clinic, and studying a range of subjects such as:
- skin and nail pathology
- microbiology
- anatomy
- circulation
- podiatric conditions.
Your training could also include preparing a treatment room (for example, sterilising instruments and getting equipment ready for use) and learning the techniques needed to support a chiropodist during a procedure. You will have written and practical tests during your training.
You may also be encouraged to take:
- relevant external courses, such as those run by the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists
- NVQ Level 3 in Health: Allied Health Profession Support (General) – this includes units specific to the assessment, care, maintenance and treatment of feet.
With experience, you could apply for an assistant practitioner post and study for a foundation degree in a subject such as health care (associate practitioner), health and social care, or assisting professional practice. With this level of qualification, you may be able to join year two of a degree course leading to registration as a chiropodist. This may be part of a secondment, with financial support from your employer.
SkillsAndKnowledgeDesc
Skills and knowledge
To be a chiropody assistant, you should have:
- the ability to relate to a range of people
- a caring and understanding manner
- good hand-eye coordination
- strong spoken and written communication skills
- good practical skills
- the ability to work alone and in a team
- the ability to organise your time and manage your workload.
MoreInformationDesc
More information
NHS Careers 
PO Box 2311
Bristol
BS2 2ZX
Tel: 0345 60 60 655
www.nhscareers.nhs.uk
Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists
1 Fellmonger's Path
Tower Bridge Road
London
SE1 3LY
Tel: 020 7234 8620
www.feetforlife.org
Alliance of Private Sector Chiropody and Podiatry Practitioners
www.thealliancepsp.com
Health Learning and Skills Advice Line
Tel: 08000 150850
OpportunitiesDesc
Opportunities
You could find work within the NHS, in private practice and occasionally within retail, for example in a footwear chain or pharmacy setting.
If you would like to provide routine foot care to the general public, in a self-employed capacity rather than in the NHS under the supervision of a qualified chiropodist, you could take a Diploma in Foot Health Practice, apply to join the relevant voluntary register and work as a Foot Health Practitioner (FHP). For details, see the Alliance of Private Sector Chiropody and Podiatry Practitioners website.
As a chiropody assistant, you would have valuable experience of the work of chiropodists, which would be an advantage if you decide to go on to train and qualify as a state-registered chiropodist. However, you will still need to complete the same qualification as those without relevant experience.
Please see the chiropodist job profile for more information.
Jobs may be advertised in industry press, such as the British Journal of Podiatry, and Podiatry Now.
You may also find the following useful for vacancies (links open in new window):
Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.
We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.
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Related industry information
Industry summary
The health sector is represented by Skills for Health Sector Skills Council, which comprises three sub‐sectors:
- National Health Service (NHS)
- Independent Healthcare Sector (such as private and charitable healthcare providers)
- Third Sector (healthcare) (such as small local community and voluntary groups, registered charities, foundations, trusts, social enterprises and co‐operatives)
The health sector is made up of hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, dental practices, the ambulance service, nursing homes, residential care homes, complementary medicine and a huge range of other health related activities, from sight tests in opticians to research in medical laboratories. Most people in the health sector work in the publicly funded National Health Service (NHS), which includes:
- primary care (organisations which the public goes to first) – Doctors/General Practitioners (GPs), NHS Walk in Centres, NHS Direct, Out of Hours Emergency Care
- secondary care (organisations which the public are referred onto) – Ambulance Trusts, NHS Trusts/hospitals, NHS Foundation Trusts/hospitals, Mental Health Trusts, Care Trusts (provide joint health and social care activities)
NHS policy in England is directed from the centre by the Department of Health. Local organisations, known as Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), are in charge of providing and commissioning services, controlling the majority of the budget. PCTs are overseen by 10 regional organisations called Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs).
The independent sector includes companies and charities that offer hospital and specialist services usually after referral from a doctor. Operations and other work are carried out in private hospitals, independent treatment centres, mental health units and hospices.
Key facts:
- The health sector is the largest employer in the UK, representing 5.5% of the working age population of the UK and 7.3% of the working age population that are currently in employment.
- It is estimated that the sector employs over 2 million people, including:
- over 1.5 million people in the NHS (72%)
- over 0.5 million people in the Independent Healthcare sector (26%)
- almost 40,000 in the voluntary sector (2%)
- 56% of the workforce has a higher education qualification (or equivalent).
- The age profile for the sector shows an older than average workforce, which is due in part to the fact that it takes some professions a long time to train and can mean that people enter the sector later.
There is a varied list of jobs in the sector ranging from a diverse number of clinical roles, to support and infrastructure staff, for instance: Allied Health Professionals (AHPs); Ambulance Staff; Dental Staff; Doctors/Medical staff; Nursing staff; Midwifery Staff; Healthcare Scientists; Health Informatics Staff; Management; Wider Healthcare Team; Complementary Therapists.
National and regional data
High proportions of the health sector workforce are located in:
- London
- South East
- North West
East Midlands - The health sector employs 131,515 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
- The East Midlands employs 8% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 29% of all employment across the sector or 41,200 employees.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
East of England - The health sector employs 164,720 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
- The East of England employs 9.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 52,300 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 14% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 103,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
London - The health sector employs over 249,524 people, which accounts for 6% of all the employment in the region.
- London employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 33% of all employment across the sector or 78,500 employees.
- Vacancies in health and social work account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 146,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
North East - The health sector employs 89,201 people, which accounts for 8.7% of all employment in the region.
- The North East employs 5.3 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 23,800 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be almost 46,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
North West - The health sector employs 251,960 people, which accounts for 8% of all employment in the region.
- The North West employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
South East - The health sector employs 264,071 people, which accounts for 7.1% of all employment in the region.
- The South East employs 15.7% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 164,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
South West - The health sector employs 182,187 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
- The South West employs 10.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 60,700 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 105,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
West Midlands - The health sector employs 168,746 people, which accounts for 7.2% of all employment in the region.
- The West Midlands employs 10% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 43,000 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 9% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 108,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
Yorkshire and the Humber - The health sector employs 182,848 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
- Yorkshire and the Humber employ 10.9 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 24% of the total health care workforce or 42,000 employees.
- Vacancies in health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 97,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
Northern Ireland - The health sector employs 61,300 people.
- Northern Ireland employs 3% of the total health sector workforce.
- 81% of the workforce is female.
- 26% of the workforce is aged 35‐44 years.
- 96% of the workforce is white.
- 10% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 48% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 23% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
Scotland - The health sector employs 201,500 people.
- Scotland employs 10% of the total health sector workforce.
- 78% of the workforce is female.
- 30% of the workforce is aged 45‐54 years.
- 95% of the workforce is white.
- 14% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 39% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 23% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
Wales - The health sector employs 114,900 people.
- Wales employs 6% of the total health sector workforce.
- 74% of the workforce is female.
- 34% of the workforce is aged 45‐54 years.
- 94% of the workforce is white.
- 18% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 40% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 27% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
[N.B. Data derived from Labour Force Survey, 2008‐2009, Annual Business Inquiry, 2007, and Northern Ireland Census of Employment, 2007]
Career paths
Further sources
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