About this role
Job summary
A Podiatry Team Leader is an experienced and highly skilled clinician who will provide clinical, operational and professional leadership within the Podiatry Service, reporting to the Podiatry Clinical Lead. The post holder will lead and manage part of the team of podiatrists and support staff at Walsall, in order to deliver high quality, evidence-based care across a range of community, acute and specialist podiatry services.
The post holder will manage a defined clinical team, ensuring safe, effective and efficient service delivery whilst driving quality improvement, workforce development and service transformation initiatives. They will act as a clinical expert within their specialist area and provide advanced assessment, diagnosis and treatment for patients presenting with complex and high-risk foot health needs.
The Team Leader will maintain a significant specialist caseload and provide clinical leadership across a range of specialist services including diabetic foot management, wound care, nail surgery, biomechanics and offloading, and other high-risk foot pathways. The role requires close multidisciplinary working with consultants, GPs, nursing teams, allied health professionals and external partners to ensure excellent patient outcomes.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will provide day-to-day operational leadership for a team of podiatrists, assistant practitioners and support staff, ensuring that clinical services are delivered safely, effectively and in accordance with local and national standards.
Key responsibilities include:
Managing and supporting staff through supervision, appraisal, performance management, recruitment, induction and workforce development. Leading and contributing to service improvement projects, quality initiatives, audit programmes and the implementation of evidence-based practice. Monitoring service performance, activity and clinical outcomes to support achievement of local and national key performance indicators. Providing advanced clinical assessment, diagnosis and treatment for patients with highly complex foot and lower limb conditions. Acting as a clinical specialist within an agreed area of practice and providing expert advice and support to colleagues and multidisciplinary teams. Delivering and overseeing specialist high-risk podiatry services, including diabetic foot care, wound management, vascular risk assessment and limb preservation pathways. Assisting with risk management, patient safety, clinical governance and safeguarding within the team. Supporting education, mentorship and continuing professional development for students, newly qualified staff and established clinicians.
About us
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is an integrated Trust and the only provider of NHS acute care in Walsall, serving a population of 284,300. It provides inpatient and outpatient services at the Manor Hospital as well as a wide range of services in the community. Walsall Manor houses the full range of district general hospital services under one roof. The £170 million development was completed in 2010, and ongoing upgrades ensure the Trust now has state-of-the-art facilities, including a Critical Care Unit, Neonatal Unit, Obstetric Theatre, and Integrated Assessment Unit. A new Urgent and Emergency Care Centre, opened in March 2023, has significantly improved emergency care facilities and capacity, providing almost 5,000 square metres of additional clinical space.
Job description Job responsibilities
The post holder will be responsible for providing clinical, professional and operational leadership within the Podiatry Service.
Leadership and Management
Provide day-to-day management of podiatry staff and support workforce. Undertake recruitment, induction, supervision, appraisal and performance management processes. Support workforce planning, succession planning and staff development. Manage staffing resources and workload allocation to ensure safe and effective service delivery. Promote a positive culture of learning, improvement and staff wellbeing. Clinical Practice
Maintain an expert clinical caseload involving patients with complex and high-risk foot conditions. Deliver advanced assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning and evaluation of care. Provide specialist clinical interventions within agreed areas of expertise including wound care, diabetic foot management, nail surgery and biomechanics. Support clinicians with complex decision making and risk management. Ensure clinical practice is evidence based and aligned with professional standards and local policies. Service Development and Quality Improvement
Lead and participate in service redesign, transformation and improvement initiatives. Develop and review clinical pathways, policies, protocols and standard operating procedures. Monitor service performance and contribute to the achievement of key performance indicators. Lead clinical audit, quality assurance and service evaluation activities. Promote innovation and identify opportunities to improve patient outcomes and service efficiency. Clinical Governance
Ensure compliance with professional, organisational and regulatory standards. Support incident reporting, investigation and shared learning processes. Promote patient safety, safeguarding, infection prevention and risk management. Maintain accurate clinical records and ensure data quality standards are achieved. Education and Professional Development
Provide mentorship, clinical supervision and support for staff and students. Promote continuing professional development and evidence-based practice. Deliver training and educational opportunities across the team and wider organisation. Maintain own professional registration and specialist competencies. Partnership Working
Develop strong multidisciplinary relationships across health and social care services. Represent the podiatry service at internal and external meetings as required. Work collaboratively with consultants, GPs, community teams and partner organisations to support integrated care pathways. Act as a professional role model and ambassador for the podiatry service. This role offers an exciting opportunity for an experienced podiatrist to combine specialist clinical practice with leadership, workforce development and service improvement, making a significant contribution to the future delivery of podiatry services.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Degree (or equivalent) in Podiatry Current HCPC Registration as a Podiatrist Evidence of a postgraduate podiatry qualification equivalent to Master's Level POM Certificate Evidence of continuous and current clinical, professional, leadership and academic development, including attendance at postgraduate courses relevant to the clinical field Evidence of Continuing Professional Development through maintenance of a professional portfolio
Desirable
Clinical Leadership qualification or working towards completion Evidence of advanced training in high-risk foot management, wound care, vascular assessment or related specialist practice
Skills and Aptitudes Essential
Competent IT and digital skills Ability to contribute to audit, education and service development
Flexibility Essential
Ability to work across a range of community, clinic and hospital settings as required Willingness to undertake further training and professional development
Knowledge and Experience Essential
Advanced specialist knowledge of podiatry practices, including specialities such as diabetes, peripheral arterial disease, nail surgery, biomechanics and high-risk foot management Advanced knowledge of vascular assessment including Doppler ultrasound, ABPI/TBPI and clinical interpretation of findings Advanced understanding of wound healing principles, infection management, offloading strategies and prevention of ulcer recurrence Advanced knowledge of the evidence base underpinning podiatry practice Detailed knowledge of community-based and acute-based podiatry services and care pathways Experience of clinical audit, quality improvement, research and service evaluation Understanding of Clinical Governance and its application to patient care and service quality Experience of supervising, mentoring and supporting less experienced staff, students and assistants Knowledge of psychosocial, cultural and behavioural factors affecting health outcomes and treatment adherence Experience of working across both community and hospital settings, with the desire to work in both settings
Desirable
Up-to-date knowledge of NHS priorities, national policy and the impact on service provision
Key Competencies Essential
Commitment to service improvement and innovation
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust
Address Bentley Health Centre
Walsall
WS2 0BA
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://walsallhealthcare.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)