New guidance for working with assistants

09 Oct 2025

Guidance to support podiatrists working with assistants has been released today.

Emphasising the importance of safe and effective person-centred care, Guidance for working with assistants in podiatry practice (the guidance) aims to support practitioners by highlighting key principles and practices from the Code of conduct and other regulatory documents that apply when working with an assistant.

‘The environment podiatrists practice in is changing, with new models of care, increased demand and evolving consumer expectations. Integrating assistants into the team can play a vital role in delivering high-quality foot and ankle care, and the new guidance is designed to support podiatrists in doing so while meeting their professional obligations’, said Dr Kristy Robson, Board Chair.

‘The new guidance aims to make obligations clear and to provide more flexibility when working with assistants. They also seek to reduce barriers to working with assistants and to support both podiatrists and assistants to work to full scope’.

An extensive consultation process informed the development of this guidance, with feedback helping to ensure it reflects the Board’s expectations of practitioners when working with an assistant.

Supporting case studies have also been developed to address key areas raised by some stakeholders during the consultation. These case studies provide additional information around a podiatrist’s responsibilities around delegation, escalation protocols and basic care. Additional case study examples will be published on a quarterly rotation.

You can read the guidance and case studies on the Board’s website.