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Foot Health courses

Discussion in 'Foot Health Forum Notices' started by Tracey2011, Jan 5, 2011.

  1. Tracey2011

    Tracey2011 New Member


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    Hi,

    I am hoping someone can provide me with some advice I am looking to complete a course in Foot Health to qualify as a Podiatry Assistant / Non-surgical foot care specialist so I can work either privately or in a private practice, I would like to know if I complete either of these courses below does this enable me to carry out this kind of work either privately by self once insured etc or to be able to work alongside a qualified podiatrist in a practice. The two courses I am looking into are;

    The SMAE Institute this is an approx 12 month course with modules each month along with a 2 week practical course
    At the end of the course I will be awarded a Diploma in Foot Health I have eligibility for membership of the college of foot health professionals and would be able to use MCFHP & MAFHP after my name.

    &

    BSY Group with modules per month along with a 2 day practical course
    At the end of the course I will be awarded the BSY Diploma and entitled to us the letters BSYA (Non surgical footcare) after my name they also offer professional indemnity insurance so I can start working.

    What I would like to know is if I did complete either course does this enable me start working privately for myself and to also work in a private practice alongside a qualified podiatrist?

    Any help or info would be much appreciated.

    Thank you
     
  2. DavidMiller1

    DavidMiller1 New Member

    This course is made up of twelve lessons of theory training, which you complete from the comfort of your own home, and one week’s practical training, which is completed at one of our state-of-the-art Foot Health Training Centres. For more information on the practical training, please visit our dedicated Foot Health website at plexuscostreview.com.
     
  3. samdavid123

    samdavid123 New Member

  4. KatieP

    KatieP New Member

    Tracey2011,
    I see that I am coming quite late to this thread, however, this might be of use to others.

    The courses you quote are at two different levels.
    The BSY course only has 2 days of practical training - however, you will also need to check what insurance you will need while you complete this practical training.
    It is unlikely that any Podiatrist would employ you with such minimal raining.

    The SMAE course has a larger practical content.
    You might be able to get some p/t employment with a Podiatrist but I wonder why you would want to do that as this course is designed to train you to be a stand-alone practitioner?

    In either case you could not call yourself a "Podiatry Assistant" as this is an NHS post and the NHS would not recognise either of these qulifications for employment.
    The NHS have their own training requirements and will expect you to have literacy and numeracy skills. It may help to have GCSEs (or equivalent) at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) in English, maths and a science.

    Paid or unpaid work experience in a caring role or as a receptionist in a medical practice could give you an advantage.

    Working privately in footcare (as opposed to Podiatry) is challenging at present.
    At the time of writing the market is flooded with people who all have low-level footcare qualifications and it is very difficult to get a foothold (pardon the pun) in the marketplace. The result of this is to create a price war and drives the cost per treatment down.
    Footcare practitioners in the Manchester area are charging £7.00 for a treatment at care homes. You'd get more money stacking shelves at TESCO.

    You will also need an investment of about £4,000 at least to set yourself up in practice.

    You will need an autoclave to sterilize instruments (with a servicing contract, pressure vessel insurance and distilled water to fill it), pouches for instruments, ultrasonic cleaner for instruments and cleaning liquid, a nail drill, masks, instruments (about 10 sets to start with), uniforms, disposables, padding, strapping, ointments, creams, professional malpractice insurance, stationary, advertising materials, adverts, business insurance for your car, a clinical waste contract and somewhere to store all your equipment, clinical waste and a decontamination area.
    Having your autoclave on the kitchen worktop is just unprofessional and might invalidate your Pressure Vessel Insurance.

    I would suggest you arrange to visit both a Podiatrist in your area and also a footcare practitioner and see what they do and the differences in the levels of treatment they provide. This show you how little you will be able to do once qualified.
     
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