At the University of Huddersfield, the podiatry team’s vision has always been to provide a rounded degree experience incorporating excellent theoretical teaching with authentic practical experience. They work to achieve this vision through a culture of collaborative practice. Huddersfield is a post-1992 institution with a rich history of widening access and a focus on developing graduates fit for professional careers.
Podiatrists are allied health professionals (AHP) regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Their clinical focus is the assessment, diagnosis and management of lower limb health conditions. The HCPC stipulate 1,000 hours of clinical practice must be completed during undergraduate training; ensuring there is variation and authenticity in these hours is one of the main contextual challenges of delivering podiatry education in HE and has been a key driver for their collaborative work. Members of the team are experienced in podiatry practice and related fields. They have a rich history of successful educational delivery and innovation to lead and adapt to changes in podiatry, health service and HE sectors. They are a self-sustaining team who constantly adapt and have a story to tell about how collaboration has underpinned their excellence. Their collaborative work with students, NHS partners, national regulatory bodies, industry and community-based health teams delivers engaging, meaningful and impactful podiatry teaching and learning. They have successfully developed new practices built from a foundation of complex and effective inter-dependency and teamwork. Their work has directly impacted the lives of homeless people within the community, it has seen the establishment of co-working with industry for screening and prevention of vascular disorders and the formation of new educational pathways to create qualified surgical podiatrists.
The team’s desire is to continuously evolve in line with the changing landscape of healthcare to ensure their students are prepared to meet the challenges of practice in the workplace of today and the future. They see collaboration as a direct pathway to achieving their vision and securing success.
Advance HE recognises there are different views and approaches to teaching and learning, as such we encourage sharing of practice, without advocating or prescribing specific approaches. NTF and CATE awards recognise teaching excellence in a particular context. The profiles featured are self-submitted by award winners.
