Personal Footcare Guidance

5: Personal Footcare Educational Resources

To support the educational and training requirements to widely implement personal footcare across Scotland, a range of educational resources have been produced. There are two education pathways that help to support the implementation of the models described in the previous section.

1. Self care resources

The self care resources will provide support to allow individuals and unpaid carers to look after their own feet well where possible.

NHS Education Scotland (NES) Knowledge Services Group hosts these online resources via the Personal Footcare page that also includes information to download and print. A limited number of hard copy 'Looking after your feet' booklets and DVDs will be available via local NHS Podiatry services.

2. Education for care provider resources

These resources will support a consistent approach to education for those who provide personal footcare as part of the care given to an individual or as part of a dedicated service to others. It will allow care providers to be confident in providing personal footcare to others in a safe and effective manner. This pathway is based on the following learning outcomes.

On completion of training, individuals will be able to:

• Explain the importance of good personal footcare
• Clip and file toe nails safely
• Recognise why feet need checking on a regular basis
• Explain the importance of good skin care
• Describe the correct features of good fitting footwear
• Be aware of the referral criteria or pathway to their local NHS podiatry service and recognise when to make a referral

There are two components to the care provider education: theory on good foot health and a practical element on toenail cutting and filing. These can be delivered in three different ways;

• face to face group session
• online via the website
• DVD and booklet.

NES Knowledge Services Group hosts the online education resources via the Personal Footcare page that also includes information to download and print. A limited number of hard copy 'Looking after someone else's feet' booklets and DVDs will be accessible via local NHS Podiatry services.

NHS Podiatry services may also choose to use their own local education materials to support the learning outcomes detailed for care providers.

Information in written and DVD format covers the following topics:

• What is personal footcare?
• Why good footcare is important
• Checking your feet
• Keeping feet clean
• Skin care
• The personal footcare kit
• How to cut and file toenails
• How to cut and file someone else's toenails
• How to file toenails
• Footwear and hosiery
• What to do if there is a foot problem
• Frequently asked questions
• Useful websites

Resources for Facilitators and Educators

Educational materials have been developed to help facilitators and educators to provide group support for self care and address the learning needs of care providers. Podiatrists in NHS Fife have developed The Personal Footcare: Healthy Footsteps poster. This is a visual resource with a basis in adult learning theory and active learning. It is useful for stimulating discussion and tailoring learning to meet the personal objectives and goals of the participants.

The resource comprises:

• Education support manual
• Card prompts
• Facilitator information document
• Healthy footsteps fairground poster

All the educational resources are available online via the Personal Footcare page:
http://www.knowledge.scot.nhs.uk/home/portals-and-topics/personal-footcare.aspx