Emma - Speech & Language Therapist Emma has been a speech & language therapist for 22 years. She says that it is an Adele – Speech & Language Therapist interesting and challenging job and she has enjoyed “almost every day”. Adele has been working as a paediatric speech & language therapist for four years and said; She left school at 18 with "A" levels in chemistry, physics and maths. She didn't really know "I enjoy getting up for work every day". what she wanted to do although she was interested in medicine. At the end of her first year at university she decided on speech & language therapy. It appealed because it combined Adele disliked school and left at 17 with one O-level (equivalent to one GCSE at grade A-C) science and arts, working with people in a supportive team environment and yet being able and about five CSEs (equivalent to GCSE grades D-F). She didn't know what she wanted to to control her own work and make her own decisions. do and worked in retail and took a secretarial course, which she passed. This was the first time that she had enjoyed education. She obtained a job in Human Resources with the Emma’s course covered phonetics, linguistics, acoustics, psychology and child development. Local Authority but began to wonder what else she could do with her people skills. It was She said, "I loved the mixture of the academic and the practical placements; learning about suggested to her that she should look at speech therapy, occupational therapy and the different therapies, the interaction with patients and using problem-solving skills to physiotherapy. She found out more about what these jobs involved and then asked if she decide on the best treatment. I learned how to analyse people, look at their learning styles could work shadow a speech & language therapist. She now knew what she wanted to do and plan each individual's programme of care - tailor-made for them alone." She gained but she also realised that it was highly competitive to get into and she didn't have the usual experience of working with children by taking temporary au pair and child care jobs in qualifications. France. She counterbalanced this with gaining work experience in a day centre for the elderly which taught her general care skills and how to understand a range of patients. She applied for a one year Access to HE course, and passed it. With the assistance of her During her last year of training she kept an eye out for jobs, applying for many until she was college mentor, she gained a place at Reading University. She took a four-year course successful in gaining her first one. She particularly recommends the Speech and Language gaining a BSc in Linguistics, Language and Pathology. The studying was hard with long Therapy Bulletin, a bi-monthly magazine which advertises jobs, as well as looking on the hours and she supplemented her income by working in shops and as a cleaner, but she said, Internet. "I have never regretted it." She advises anyone considering the job to find out about its realities. It ranges, for example, Now she works with children individually and in groups depending upon the problem that from helping people who find it hard to swallow, who stutter, or have disabilities, or autism, has brought them to her. She works in a team, not only with other speech and language or degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease, or are recovering from a stroke, to therapists, but also with educational psychotherapists, health visitors and paediatricians. working with children under the age of 16 who may have a variety of speech & language There is also a lot of contact with the children's parents. problems.The range is wide. Sometimes she works with individuals and at other times with a group. "Get work experience," Emma said, "the university will expect you to have done voluntary work in a similar field. Work in a children's club or a special needs school or a nursing care home." Emma had expected to work with children but her first job was with adults and she continued with this and made it her specialism. Emma continued, "The great thing about this job is that every day is different. That does mean though that you need to be good at juggling lots of tasks, have good time management skills and be able to change and adapt. Also you should want to make a difference." The only part of her job that she does not always enjoy is the large amount of paperwork. The salary for a newly appointed speech and language therapist is below the level at which you start to pay back your student grant. However, there is a good career structure: you can move up the career ladder, especially if you gain a masters degree, or you can choose to stay within a specialism. There are also opportunities for part-time work. It can be difficult to enter speech and language therapy as there are more people wanting training courses than places available. Once experience has been gained there are opportunities to move into private work, teaching, HR or running one's own business. SOURCES OF INFORMATION Further Education Colleges in Kent and Medway Higher Education Institutions in Kent and Medway For: Educational guidance, For: Educational guidance, financial information, financial information, course information course information including Degrees and Foundation Degrees CANTERBURY COLLEGE Canterbury CANTERBURY CHRIST CHURCH UNIVERSITY Tel: 01227 811111 Canterbury, Broadstairs, Chatham Email: [email protected] Tel: 01227 782900 Web: www.cant-col.ac.uk Email: [email protected] Web: www.canterbury.ac.uk South East MID-KENT COLLEGE Chatham, Rochester, Maidstone UNIVERSITY OF GREENWICH alth Tel: 01634 830633 Greenwich, Chatham Email: [email protected] Tel: 0800 005 006 Web: www.midkent.ac.uk Email: [email protected] Routes into Web: www.gre.ac.uk Allied Health Professions NORTH WEST KENT COLLEGE UNIVERSITY OF KENT Dartford and Gravesend Canterbury, Medway, Tonbridge in Kent and Medway Tel: 0800 074 1447 Tel: 01227 764000 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] www.aimhighersoutheast.ac.uk Web: www.nwkcollege.ac.uk Web: www.kent.ac.uk SOUTH KENT COLLEGE OPEN UNIVERSITY Ashford, Dover, Folkestone, New Romney Tel: 0870 333 4340 Tel: 0845 207 8220 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Web: www.open.ac.uk Web: www.southkent.ac.uk UNIVERSITY COLLEGE FOR THE THANET COLLEGE CREATIVE ARTS Broadstairs Canterbury, Maidstone, Rochester Tel: 01843 605040 Tel: 01634 888702 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] ied he ied Web: www.thanet.ac.uk Web: www.ucreative.ac.uk WEST KENT COLLEGE Tonbridge Tel: 01732 358101 Email: [email protected] Web: www.wkc.ac.uk ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/FINANCIAL HELP all The Department of Health funds most degree level AHP courses. If you are eligible, you could be entitled to have your tuition fees paid and to apply for a means tested bursary to help with living expenses. This could be topped up with student loans. A Child Care Allowance is also available to eligible students in receipt of an NHS bursary to help with childcare costs. The Department of Health publishes a guide which explains the funding available. ‘Financial Help for Health Care Students’ is available from: Department of Health Publications Orderline, PO Box 777, LONDON SE1 6XH. Tel: 08701 555 455 Email: [email protected] Web: www.dh.gov.uk Whilst all information was correct at the time of going to print, the Aimhigher Healthcare Strand recommends that you contact indivdual institutions The Aimhigher Healthcare Strand, Kent & Medway for course information and entry requirements. Acknowledgments: The Islington 14-19 Partnership for original research undertaken in this field. The NHS Photo Library. PhD Key: Adults without Entrants normally 18+ with formal qualifications employment experience in health General Education MSc/Post grad Diplomas. Post grad Certificates (School/College) Accelerated allied health degrees may be available Vocational Education (depending on 1st (School/College) degree subject) Occupational Training whilst University study Allied Health Professional working as a Support Worker, Assistant or Helper Degree in Allied USEFUL WEBSITES Health Profession British Association of Arts Therapists Assistant/Associate Practitioner www.baat.org British Association of Drama Therapists Degree in www.badth.org.uk another subject Association of Professional Music Therapists Foundation Degree www.apmy.org The British Dietetic Association www.bda.uk.com College of Occupational Therapists Entry to HE www.cot.co.uk British and Irish Orthoptic Society www.britishorthopticsociety.co.uk Support The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy www.csp.org.uk An As/A2 Levels in Worker/ The Society of Chiropodists & Podiatrists Approved A Levels Applied Subjects, www.feetforlife.org ACCESS National Assistant/ British Association of Prosthetists & Orthotists Course Diploma/Level 3 NVQ 3 Helper www.bapo.com The Society of Radiographers www.sor.org www.radiographycareers.co.uk Pre-Access Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists Course Level 2/Intermediate www.rcsit.org or First Diploma Aimhigher www.aimhigher.ac.uk www.hese..ac.uk/aimhigher/healthcare Adult entry NHS Careers without Foundation or www.nhscareers.nhs.uk www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/careers/ahp qualifications Introductory/Level 1 Award Health Professions Council www.hpc-uk.org Post-16 Options New Generations www.newgenerations.org.uk GCSEs, including GCSEs including Vocational Learning Connexions Service English, Maths & Applied Science or in Healthcare & www.connexions.gov.uk Science Health & Social Care GCSEs Foundation Degrees www.foundationdegree.org.uk Occupational Pathways in Allied Health Professions Recent major advances in medicine mean that health care is provided Diagnostic Radiographers employ a range of sophisticated equipment Accepting responsibility more and more by a team of professionals with a range of different skills, to produce high quality images of any part of the body to diagnose an G able to make decisions independently each bringing their particular expertise to caring for the patient.