Speech and language therapy assistant
Speech and language therapy assistants support people who have difficulties with communication, or with eating, drinking or swallowing.
What you'll do
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.
Career path and progression
With experience, you could:
- become a team leader and supervise other therapy assistants
- train to become an assistant practitioner
- study to qualify as a speech and language therapist
What it takes
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.
How to become
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- applying directly
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
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
You could start as a healthcare assistant and move into speech and language therapy assistant work, through further training and promotion.
You might have an advantage when looking for jobs if you have volunteering experience in a healthcare setting.
You can also find volunteering opportunities through The National Council for Voluntary Organisations and Do IT.
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.
Career tips
You'll be expected to show an understanding of the NHS values when applying for jobs and apprenticeships.
Further information
You can find out more about how to become a speech and language therapy assistant from Health Careers.
Related videos
Suggested videos
Coffee With is in early release mode with a limited number of videos. New videos are being added every week, so please check back for updates.
External links
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.