Speech and Language Therapy

Useful Links

Job Profiles

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/speech-and-language-therapist

https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/allied-health-professionals/roles-allied-health-professions/speech-and-language-therapist

https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/speech-and-language-therapist

Values Based Recruitment - NHS

https://www.nhsemployers.org/articles/values-based-recruitment

Look for job vacancies at:

HealthJobsUK
NHS Jobs
NHS Scotland Recruitment
RCSLT Jobs - jobs board of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

Specialist recruitment agencies such as Maxxima also handle vacancies.

If you decide to work in independent practice, you can add your details to the Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice's (ASLTIP) register of members, Find a speech therapist. This database allows you to showcase your skills to potential clients.

Speech and Language Therapist

Speech and language therapists help patients of all ages with varying levels of speech, language and communication problems, or difficulties in swallowing, drinking or eating.

As a speech and language therapist (SLT), you'll provide treatment, care and support to babies, children, adults and elderly people with a range of conditions, including cleft palate, stammering, language delay and voice disorders. These can be caused by a range of issues, including:

developmental delays
injury
illness
learning disabilities
mental health conditions
physical disabilities.

You'll usually work as part of a multidisciplinary team alongside other health professionals, and will often liaise with family, carers or teachers when developing treatment plans. You can also work in private practice.

Taken from : prospects 2021

Where do SLT's work ?

Speech and language therapists work in more places than you might think.

These include:

Hospitals in emergency care, acute care and outpatients
Schools
Prisons
Secure units
Child development centres
Care homes
Nurseries
Their own speech and language therapy business
Day centres for people with learning disabilities
Community clinics
Client’s homes

Qualifications

How to become a speech and language therapist

To become a speech and language therapist you’ll need to train and study at degree or postgraduate level. A degree apprenticeship has also been approved.

You'll need a degree in speech and language therapy that's approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

To get on to an speech and language therapy degree course you usually need:

two or three A levels, along with five GCSEs (grades A-C), including English language, maths and science
or alternative qualifications, including

BTEC, HND or HNC which includes science
relevant NVQ
science-based access course
equivalent Scottish or Irish qualifications

If you already hold a relevant first degree, you can apply for an accelerated postgraduate programme in speech and language therapy. These courses usually last two years.

Each institution sets its own entry requirements, so it’s important to check carefully.

Is it right for you?

Do you…

Enjoy working with people of all ages?
Enjoy working as part of a team?
Have good communication skills?
Enjoy solving problems?
Have the capacity to study?
Want to be part of a dynamic, rapidly developing profession which draws on science, education and medicine?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, speech and language therapy could be the profession for you.

University Course examples

https://www.bcu.ac.uk/courses/speech-and-language-therapy-bsc-hons

https://www.dmu.ac.uk/study/courses/undergraduate-courses/speech-and-language-therapy-bsc-hons-degree/speech-and-language-therapy-bsc-hons.aspx

https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/courses/speech-language-therapy-bsc

https://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/2021/11331/bsc-speech-and-language-therapy/

https://www.marjon.ac.uk/courses/speech-and-language-therapy/

University Application/ interview support

Personal statement Examples:

https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/university/personal-statements/speech-and-language-therapy/

https://www.mmu.ac.uk/media/mmuacuk/content/documents/hpsc/MSc-SLT-Personal-Statement-Guidance.pdf

Example Interview Questions

Some questions could include:

Why do you want to be a SLT?
What do you know of the roles and responsibilities of a SLT?
What qualities do you need to be a SLT? Think about how your talents and skills match the qualities needed..
Tell us about your work experience. What did you learn from it? Was it a daunting experience?
Why have you chosen to apply to this university; what do you know about our course; have you been to an Open Day?
What current issues in Speech and language/are of concern to you?
What do you know about the https://www.hcpc-uk.org/ ?