Trainee Podiatrist Apprentice

The West Dorset Community Podiatry team are looking for individuals who are interesting in taking the next step in their careers and want to become an apprentice Podiatrist via the apprenticeship scheme.

The post would be based in and around Weymouth and Dorchester.

The team in West Dorset provides a range of podiatry services with the main bulk of the work focusing on routine and ulcer care for the patients with high-risk feet including patients with diabetes, rheumatoid conditions, and other complex health backgrounds. We also provide clinics to those with mental health conditions and a monthly homeless clinic.

As a very much rural area, and with a high number of elderly patients, the team also provides home visits to housebound patients. The ability to do regular home visits will form a key part of this role.

As part of your development, you would have opportunities to observe and challenge specialist areas such as the hospital based diabetic foot clinic, rheumatology, nails surgery and MSK. Some of these take place in East Dorset.

As an apprentice, you will be allocated a mentor who will supervise your development. Initially you will work alongside a qualified podiatrist, working towards undertaking your own clinics of work at appropriate levels.

It is essential that you are able to work flexibly and that you are a car driver with access to a car for work purposes and happy to drive in rural locations.

To develop and maintain knowledge, skills and competencies related to the role of a Podiatrist through your apprenticeship within the service as well as through completion of the Podiatry Apprenticeship training programme. This includes working in clinic and community care settings, and delivery of direct person-centred care. Whilst undertaking this training you will work within the service as a Podiatry Apprentice, where your role will reflect your learning.

The service aims to provide short courses of general footcare, basic chairside orthoses solutions and education to patients with a view to resolving foot problems and pain and facilitating and supporting self-care.

The Podiatry Apprenticeship Programme combines and integrates academic and work-based learning through close collaboration between employers and education providers. For the BSc you can expect to spend a minimum of 20% of your time accessing e-learning and a further 40% working in practice, under the direct supervision of a clinical mentor. As a Podiatry Apprentice you will be based as an employee within working in a variety of clinical settings. This will enable you to gain a wide appreciation of many health and care contexts, which will enable you to fulfil all the requirements of the BSc (Hons) Podiatry programme.

At Dorset HealthCare we’re on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through our outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We’re a dynamic, forward-looking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost 800,000 people.

We do things differently here - it’s one of the reasons the CQC rated us ‘outstanding’ in 2019. It’s also why 95% of patients across our services say they have a good or very good experience of our services and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference. Whether you’re looking to work with us in one of our bustling market towns, vibrant urban locations, thriving seaside spots, or among the rolling hills of Dorset, there are lots of ways you can make a difference in our communities.

Our 7,000-strong workforce is at the heart of what we do and our success is a testament to our brilliant people. We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities and we celebrate diversity. We’re an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be authentic, and we are all encouraged to be the best version of ourselves.

Working with us you’ll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, and teach us what we don’t know. And you’ll be working towards our vision to be better every day through excellence, compassion and expertise in all we do.