Application to train
The training of an Assistant comes in 3 sections, the Application, the Training and the Final Assessment which is expected to be completed within two years. The cost of training an Assistant through the Royal College of Podiatry Assistant Practitioner Training Programme (Level 3 of the HEE Standards) is £858.75* (as of 1 August 2023).
This cost includes:
- Associate membership of the Royal College of Podiatry (two years)
- A full 3-day ticket to the Podiatry Conference (to be redeemed within period of training)
- One training manual for the Assistant and supporting documentation for the Supervising Podiatrist
- Ongoing online pastoral support during training
- Access to a network of fellow support workers
- Online examination (case-based viva)**
- Post course certificate
*Please note: this is a one-off fee unless there is a need for a re-take of the examination and this would come at an additional cost of £200.
**Please note: Once within the examination process a trainee may resubmit their portfolio and resit their exam once. Resubmission of the portfolio must be within six weeks of the trainee being notified by the examiner that they have failed their first submission. After this it will incur the fees associated with the retake as mentioned above.
If in extraordinary circumstances the trainee requires longer than the allocated two years to complete the course, this must be agreed with the examination board and there will be further charges for trainee associate membership. Trainee associate membership is a pre-requisite of the course as it dovetails with the delegation and supervision professional standards document which aligns with the Royal College insurance provision.
Additionally, if the manual is damaged or a replacement is needed, there is a fee of £100.
How to Apply?
The first thing you will need to do is to click this link Assistant Practitioner registration form and complete the form. You can then email it to assistants@rcpod.org.uk.
- Once this has been received, the Royal College will send an invoice through to the invoice address stated on the form.
- Please ensure you have the correct address for invoicing purposes to avoid delays.
- Please check with your line manager/NHS Trust if you need a Purchasing Order. If you do require this and the PO number is not on the application form, this will incur significant delays regarding payment.
- This invoice must be paid within 30 days.
Included with the Assistants Training Manual will be the Supervisors Guidance Document and further information on how to create a Reflective Portfolio.
Code of Conduct for Assistant Practitioners
Assistant Practitioners are valued members of the podiatry team. As Associate Members of the Royal College, Assistant Practitioners are required to abide by a Code of Conduct that guides their relationship with other podiatrists and the wider health and social care team. Please click on the link below to download and view the most recent version of the Assistant Code of Conduct, published in October 2016.