Foot health practitioner courses

RE: Foot health practitioner courses

Hi Dive710,

I'm thinking of doing a foot health practioner course too. Can you let me know which course in particular you are looking at? I was thinking of the BSY course but if there's a better one I'd love to know the details please.

Sarah x

RE: Foot health practitioner courses

hi sarah
i haven't decided which one to do yet although i hadn't actually seen the BSY one until you mentioned it. i have looked into the smae institute and have spoken to someone briefly via email who did it there and said it was fine. there is a college of fhp near me in the midlands in rowley regis but it seems very expensive compared to the others. i'm probably going to go and have a look at both - i want to know that they are reputable before i part with my cash! anywayi'll let you know how i get on if you're interested?
lou

RE: Foot health practitioner courses

sarah, the BSY one also only has 2 days of practical training although this is reflected in the price as it's much cheaper than any of the others i've looked at, but i don't personally feel that 2 days is enough before being unleashed on the general public!
lou

RE: Foot health practitioner courses

A friend of mine has done the s.m.a.e. course at Maidenhead, theclients I have refered to him have always given good feedback !

steve

RE: Foot health practitioner courses

Hiya, yes I qualified last summer, I took the qualification thru the SMAE Institute in Maindenhead. I found the course very interesting and the 2 week practical was useful for the hands on practice, I agree that 2 days practical is a little too short. I am picking up clients very well, the only thing I would say is that once you qualify you are best to ensure that your advertising is based around the problems that you can deal with, because noone knows what a Foot Health Practitioner is!!!
If you wish to talk about the SMAE course let me know - they also have a forum which once you have joined the course keeps you in touch with students and qualified people who offer all sorts of advice. Oh - and I REALLY enjoy working with my clients, they are such a lovely bunch of people!!
jules
x

RE: Foot health practitioner courses

You're right, 2 days isn't much is it.

The SMAE looks very interesting - thanks Steve.

RE: Foot health practitioner courses

Hello,

I did a very similar course with the West Midlands School. This had 2 weeks practical training. I did this in Feb 2005 and have done bits here and there but i have a problem getting going and my confidence is not great. I bought all the equipment and it just sits in my study. I do know some people, one man was very welcoming and offered for me to sit in while he treated and he had been doing it for 12 years with great success. He had his garage converted and had some big contracts with factories. He had studied with the SMAE which is pretty much the same, so they must be good. I did consider doing it with them but the West Midlands were doing a special offer at the time but i wish i had gone to the SMAE.

RE: Foot health practitioner courses

hi kazziem
can i ask how long it took you to complete your course? and may i ask if it was very expensive to buy all the equipment you needed to start? thanks
dive710

RE: Foot health practitioner courses

Yes dive710

It took me about a year and a half to do the theory which was downloaded by email. Then they did the 2 weeks training once a month i think.I found the theory quite tedious as you tend to read things but they dont really sink in and if you asked me things now i couldnt remember much - hence not much confidence.! I think the whole thing including the 2 weeks was about £2,000.

When i finished the course we were all so eager to get going that most of us spent quite a bit with the college (very good salesman by the way)! The autoclave was about £700, the other machine which vibrates the debris off (memory problem again) was about £250, a burr machine (never used it) which has a water spray to keep the heat down was about £600. Then we all bought clippers, probes, files, and god knows why but i have sheets of padding that i never use! and all the little bits like sprays, lotions etc.(Id say this amounted to couple of hundred as i bought good clippers about £50 each).
God when i type this out and look at the expense it puts me to shame that i havent got off my butt to do it!

To be honest i wish i had waited and bought the essentials, i think the college pushed us with the sales pitch! Most of the stuff you dont need. For insurance reasons and hygiene you need the autoclave and obviously some good clippers and other essentials but there are ways round the rest that i didnt know at the time.

RE: Foot health practitioner courses

Wow, sounds like a lot of money when you add it all up! Although I suppose it's a lot cheaper than doing a full time degree in podiatry for three years which is what I have also been considering doing! I have been quoted £1750 for the course at SMAE which has two weeks practical, but the course in the midlands now costs £3200-3400 which seems extortionate to me!
That is really useful advice though about buying only the essentials to start with......maybe it would be cheaper for me to source the items elsewhere rather than getting carried away with the college's sales pitch? I'm sure I could probably get them cheaper off the internet. Do you think you'll give it a go? It seems a shame not to after you spent all that money and did the work ........ I have a nursing background so I feel confident about working with 'patients' in their own homes - it's just taking a scalpel to someone's foot that worries me slightly! Still, I'm sure I will be able to practice on friends and family before I am unleashed on the general public!

RE: Foot health practitioner courses

Hi Dive710,it is easy to purchasethings whilst on your course, and therefore easy to perhaps purchase things that you may never use. Have a look at [link= http://www.baileyinstruments.co.uk ]www.baileyinstruments.co.uk[/link], (they have a really helpful, practicalsalesforce) podiacare.co.uk (part of smae), canonburyetc, there are a few very good suppliers, also the autoclave can be bought direct form a company in Bristol who even advertise on ebay. Lots of options.

I began with the autoclave, the membership + insurance, some stationery a dremel drill (from B & Q-commonly used) and some of the necessary cleansing items, afootstool, tray, and a domicillary bag and have bought more sets of nippers etc as I am building my client base.

As to the use of the scalpel, you get lots of help on the practical!

jules
x

RE: Foot health practitioner courses

Thankyou so much colourful, your info is invaluable in helping me to reach a decision x

RE: Foot health practitioner courses

Hi dive710
Its very difficult for training institutes to give you the one to one we all need aswe qualify.
Its essential tobuild up lots of friendly contacts in this profession, as they will become invaluable for information andbeing their understudy once you complete your training.

steve

RE: Foot health practitioner courses

Hi, I'm interested in doing a Foot Health course. Am i going mad - i cant see a course on the BSY website? Can you help?
Jenny

RE: Foot health practitioner courses

I am looking to do a diploma in foot health has anyone any reports on the Stonebridge College in Cornwall?

RE: Foot health practitioner courses

Hi Jenny, the BSY course is called 'Non-Surgical Foot Care Specialist'.
Lou

RE: Foot health practitioner courses

hi all, am new to all this, please bear with me, have found two courses to do re; fhp, one is with smae, the other with stonebridge, has anyone done either of these courses? if so what did you think of them?
it's a nightmare trying to find the right one to do isn't it?

thanks,
sue.

RE: Foot health practitioner courses

i have just started a foot health practitioner diploma course with stonebridge. i would love to gain a little work experience. would anyone in the ealing area help?

Hello

As a Podiatrist I am fully trained in the medicine, anatomy, physiology, & function underlying foot pathologies. I also received 1200 hours of clinical training, supervised by experienced & qualified (to MSc level, in most cases) podiatrists prior to graduating.

As such, I graduated with a minimum level of competence to deal with all that I saw in my clinics, including advanced peripheral vascular disease, ulcers & chronic wounds, pain of mechanical cause, infection, etc.

I am concerned that these FHP courses do not offer a similar level of training & experience, and as such fail to see how anyone who completes the course can consider themselves competent to deal with the conditions they may have to deal with. It is all very well to think that all podiatrists do is cut toenails & corns, but I assure you that there is very much more to even such apperently simple tasks than it first appears. By which I refer mainly to the possibility of underlying (possibly undiagnosed) pathology, e.g. peripheral vascular disease, neurological impairment, etc etc.

I am sure I will have inadvertently offended someone with this post - but I have on more than one occasion had to deal with former patients of people whose training was most certainly not the equivalent (or even close) to the full-time tertiary degree/diploma.

The public are not protected because there is no regulation of FHPs - they are working outside the legislative framework for Allied Health Professionals.

I reckon the best thing you could do for your wallet & for the benefit of those you seek to help would be to get onto the proper course, i.e. BSc(Hons) Podiatry. Some institutions now offer the course as a part-time option, if full-time is too much for you.

I long for the day when the powers that be change the legal framework & protect the function of AHPs, rather than just our titles. Then, & only then, will the British public have the protection it deserves.

PP

Foot Health Practitioner courses

I would agree 100% with everything you say, Proper Pod.

It is great mistake for anyone reading these posts to think that any training school can fast-track you into the profession of podiatry.

Whilst a great many patients may initially present with a request for "only toenail cutting", I can assure you there is no such thing as a "simple nailcut" in a patient with peripheral vascular disease. Such a patient will need their vascular status carefully monitoring and referral pathways must be speedily acessible in the event of deterioration.

I also spent over 1,200 clinical hours looking at all types of feet from healthy to high-risk. I was taught how to recognise malignacies, perform neurological asessments and interpret the findings. I was taught to recognise the subtle changes in colour and temperature that heralded the onset of a medical condition that needed referral for specialist treatment. This represented only a very small part of my 3-year training.

The problem with fast-track footcare courses is that the student is not given the detailed underpinning knowldge to understand the subject and the practical side of the courses is too short.

Far too many individuals are seduced by the rhetoric of the private training schools and think that they can do the same as chiropodists/podiatrists and earn the same money. They can't, and the private sector can be a lonely place to be when you have an unregulated, little known qualification.

Im confused now...

well I have been reading these posts on this subject and after having a long talk from one of our college lecturers on the work of a Foot healthcare practitioner we were left in no doubt that it is NOT a therapy anywhere near as well covered as podiatory or chiropody, our lecturer is a fully qualified FHP and she informed us that basically it is caring for the foot in a non surgical way as a few of us (studying reflexology) expressed our concerns over what it actually entails. She informed us that it involved trimming of toenails and foot massage , general hygiene of the foot especially for people who cannot do this for themselves and even some beauty therapy on the feet with regards to applying nail polish and rubbing creams into the feet so I am confused as to why someone who may go on a course for this would be unlikely to have the correct knowledge...??? we all know that podiatory is an intense course aimed at the more experienced person and I can understand why the 'experienced' person may have problems with some of these 'short courses' that are offered to students but they need to remember we dont all wish to be qualified specialists of feet, I have spent almost a year studying hard for my reflexology and I hope someone who has spent time on a longer course doesnt think I am not deserving of my qualification because throughout the beauty therapy industry we are all studying different things at different levels and if its a recognised qualification that someone stands to get at the end of any short course then I would be highly surprised if it mean that the person was lacking in knowledge and unable to practice safely otherwise they wouldnt pass in the first place.

I havnt posted that much on here as there seems to be a lot of 'shoot downs' to the people who are trying to study in as short a course as they possibly can in order to better their careers and services they can offer to people and its not really very nice to do that when the student has probably paid good money to do this and please dont insult them by suggesting that they will be practicing unsafely when Im sure they wouldnt dream of practicing unless they held the correct qualification however long it took them to get it. Some courses are much more intense dont forget than a course that may run a lot longer but it doesnt necessarily mean that student is any less knowledgable.

xx

Hello

I did the foot health practitioner course in 2005 and am now in the last stages of my 2nd year at university doing a degree in Podiatry.

I had also previously done a years ITEC in reflexology, aromatherapy and diet and nutrition. I really found the foot health course a waste of money and they did really play on the 'you can earn great money' and to be honest I was not that impressed. When trying to get going, I found it difficult, you come across things you are not sure about and I found my confidence just got worse. Having done the degree for 2 years now, I wonder how you could ever just lood at the feet so basically and like in the previous post there is so much to be aware off and this can be tricky as you are dealing with mostly elderly people at high risk.

My advice would be to enhance your reflexology, there is so much more to enhance on and it is a fantastic treatment which if you are good, people will pay you well for. I have a lady near me, admittedly she has other skills but her reflexology is fantastic and she is fully booked up at £35 a treatment.

Please dont think I think that this is a put down, it is just my opinion as I have done the fhp course and have seen what you learn.

Hi there,
I am a Chiropodist who has done the three year Bsc hons degree in Podiatry and belong to the Health professions council.I am curious..what is a foot health practitioner...What would be the difference between a foot health practitioner and a Chiropodist,and how would the general public know?What foot ailments are you allowed to treat? What if a patient is Diabetic or has ischaemia?Is it true there is only a two day practical course...wow I had to do three years worth. looking forward to your response
jasmine

Foot Health Practitioner Courses

Hello Jasmine,
I am surprised this was not covered in your BSc course?
I am sure you must know about the Standards that you must meet to keep your HPC Registration and that the HPC is the Government Regulator that was created by the Health Professions Act 2001 to protect the public?
For more information on the function of the HPC see
The titles "Foot Health Practitioner/Professional/Specialist" etc. are not Protected Titles by Statute and as such can be used by anyone regardless of training levels.
The training that non-regulated practitioners have varies from nothing, to 12 modules of distance learning plus 14 days practical training (at some training establishments the practical content of the course can be as little as 5 days)
It is up to the consumer to check with the HPC (on-line register or by 'phone) if they are not sure if a person is HPC registered or not. It is a criminal offence to claim to be a Chiropodist or Podiatrist of you are not so registered.
As for what conditions non-regulated practitioners treat, I cannot answer your question as their Scope of Practice is not clearly defined by Statute.

FHP courses

Hello again, jasmine,
There is more information here.

our lecturer is a fully qualified FHP and she informed us that basically it is caring for the foot in a non surgical way as a few of us (studying reflexology) expressed our concerns over what it actually entails. She informed us that it involved trimming of toenails and foot massage , general hygiene of the foot especially for people who cannot do this for themselves and even some beauty therapy on the feet with regards to applying nail polish and rubbing creams into the feet.

the student has probably paid good money to do this [complete a short course in therapy] and please dont insult them by suggesting that they will be practicing unsafely when Im sure they wouldnt dream of practicing unless they held the correct qualification however long it took them to get it.
xx

Let me address the 2 points I've pasted above:
1) Your lecturer has either wilfully misled you about the work Foot Health Practitioners do in the private sector or her practice differs from that of every FHP in this part of the county. MOST FHPs consider themselves on a par with Chiropodists/Podiatrists. They do not just trim the toenails and give a foot massage: they take a scalepel to any corns/callus etc as well. Some also dabble in Biomechanics as the SMAE & similar run short courses in that once you've "qualified" as a FHP.

2) Now, imagine you have gained A-levels or the equivalent of them and studied for 3 years full time or 4 years part time. You try to set up a private practice but find that most people do not know what a Podiatrist or Chiropodist does. They consider you toenails cutters or pedicurists. When you explain your charges they reply "I'm not paying that! Jenny only charges £12".

Our profession (podiatry/chiropody) is undermined at every level by Foot Health Practitioners. They are unqualified to do any more than cut non-pathological nails on low-risk clients: yet their training does not even give them the tools necessary to decide who is within their remit. WE are the ones insulted by our governments refusal to properly close the profession or protect the public. If we - who do KNOW whereof we speak - denigrate FHP's and advise everyone against doing a mickey-mouse course to gain that title, then it is with good reason.

I speak as a Podiatrist with 17 years experience in the NHS and private practice who cannot speak lowly enough of the FHPs I've come across.

FHP courses

I would agree with your sentiments entirely, charliemouse.
I would also query what is meant by a "fully qualified FHP". The title FHP is not regulated by statute and can be used by anyone regardless of training levels. "Fully qualified" means nothing unless you have a benchmark to measure it against.
Non-regulated practitioners in the footcare industry are minimally trained and do not have the underpinning knowledge to advise their clients or know when to refer on when they get outside their remit. I would go as far as to say that it it dubious where their remit actually is.
For example there are 24 medical conditions/syndromes that result in numbness/lack of feeling in the feet.
Would one of these so called "qualified" persons know what basic tests to do to establish what the problem was and then have the referrral pathways in place to make sure the patient was seen by the appropriate specialist a soon as possible?
I don't think so.
I rest my case.

I still stand by what I say. Of course you are all entitled to your own opinions as I am too.

I shall inform my lecturer who has 25 years of teaching experience and qualifications that according to certain people on here it seems she is misleading all the 400 odd students shes teaching....and the many more she already has taught throughout her profession , Im sure she can live with that as she knows that is a complete unjustified remark!

Apparently a foot health care therapist should NOT be taking a scalpel to ANYONES feet, that was clarified to our class on wednesday- that is the work of a chiropodist or podiatrist- so someone has the wrong information here. Like I said, all well done to those of you who are in a 'higher' profession but it doesnt give you the right to hold contempt against therapists who choose to differ their careers from yourself and may be happy just doing the basic beauty therapys. I have worked damn hard this year for my qualification and I will be practicing in a safe and legal manner as I have been taught, (reflexology), my exisiting case studies are very happy and they will also be very happy should I embark on a three day course somewhere to maybe learn some new techniques as long as it is a recognised qualification and I have learnt what needs to be learnt whos to say Im less qualified than someone who may have taken a longer course but less intense studying???

Anyway, I have had my say and as I said before stand by everything I said in my earlier post. Sorry if you dont like it but some of us like to speak up for what we believe in, maybe this forum needs a few more of us to do that.
I look forward to earning my £30 treatment charges...will I give a thought to someone who rants on about how much more qualified they are because theyve done blah blah blah years training and its not fair???...hell no! Its dog eat dog in this highly competitive business Im afraid.

Have a nice day

xx

I can see both sides to this, however, coming from an industry that is regulated, and now working in an industry that is unregulated, i find it frustrating that there are lots of 'mickey mouse' training companies out there.

In my experience of running multi-disciplinary clinics for many years, it can work both ways.....I have had clients come with serious problems, that have previously seen other (unregulated) therapists, and I have also had clients come with serious problems that have been treated by GP/Hospital/other Stat regulated therapists, and they have missed the problem.....just because someone has a medical degree, or works in a statutorily regulated profession does not make them perfect, nor does it always make someone a better therapist.

I do agree that in this instance a podiatrist/chiropodist is better qualified and can offer a much wider range of treatments, however if someone has been trained as a FHP, or any other therapist for that matter, and works within their remit, then there shouldnt be a problem, if they go outside their remit, then it becomes a problem.

There are many many people that use the services of FHP because there appears to be a shortage of Podiatrists/Chiropodists, would anyone want to see these people suffer because they cant get in to see someone that is state registered? It is the same in physiotherapy, the waiting times on the NHS are so long, that people go private, but should we tell these people to suffer, and wait for their NHS appointment?

I have been treated by both a FHP and a state registered chiropodist, and I had exactly the same non-invasive treatment from both, and was quite happy with the service, although, I unlike a lot of people researched the qualifications first, I wouldnt, for example, use the services of someone that did the Stonebridge or BSY FHP course, because I dont feel that there would be enough practical training involved to be able to even just give me a 'foot rub'.

One a last note, there are many many state (HPC) registered chiropodists/podiatrists that have not got a degree, and most of those are SMAE trained.