Career Suggestion

Speech and language therapy assistant

Speech and language therapy assistants support people who have difficulties with communication, or with eating, drinking or swallowing.

Average salary (a year)

£25000.0 to £31000.0 (starter to experienced)

Typical hours (a week)

37.0 to 40.0

You could work

between 8am and 6pm on a rota

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role
  • applying directly

College

You could do a college course to get into this job. Relevant subjects include:

  • Level 2 Certificate in Health and Social Care
  • Level 2 Certificate in Healthcare Support Services
  • Level 3 Diploma in Healthcare Support

Most health and social care courses include work placements so this could be a good way to get practical experience.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

More Information

  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • funding advice|https://www.gov.uk/further-education-courses/financial-help
  • search for courses|/find-a-course

Apprenticeship

You can do a Healthcare Support Worker Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship or a Senior Healthcare Support Worker Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.

Entry requirements

There are no set entry requirements but it may help you to get in if you have:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

More Information

  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide

Work

You could start as a healthcare assistant and move into speech and language therapy assistant work, through further training and promotion.

Volunteering

Volunteering in the NHS is a good way to get work experience in healthcare. This can be helpful when you apply for jobs or training.

Direct Application

You can apply directly for jobs if you've got relevant skills and experience from working in a healthcare setting. Some employers may ask for a qualification in healthcare and GCSE subjects like maths, English and science.

More Information

Career Tips

You would be expected to have an understanding of how the NHS values would apply in your work.

Further Information

You can find out more about how to become a speech and language therapy assistant from Health Careers.

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • sensitivity and understanding
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • knowledge of psychology
  • active listening skills
  • the ability to understand people’s reactions
  • to be flexible and open to change
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • the ability to work well with others
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

You'll need to be able to speak a second language that is spoken in the community to work as a bilingual speech and language therapy assistant.

Day-to-day tasks

In this role, you could:

  • work with clients on a one-to-one basis
  • run group work and activities
  • update patient records
  • work closely with speech therapists and education professionals
  • advise clients and colleagues on cultural and language differences if you're bilingual

Working environment

You could work at a health centre, in an NHS or private hospital, at a client's home, in a nursery or at a school.

Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.

With experience, you could:

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