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Speech and language therapy assistants help support people who have difficulties with communication, or with eating, drinking or swallowing.
You could work: between 8am and 6pm;
There will be
5.4% more Speech and language therapy assistant jobs in 2027.
In your local area
In this role, you could:
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.
You can get into this job through:
You could do a college course to get into this job. Relevant subjects include:
Most health and social care courses include work placements so this could be a good way of getting experience.
You'll usually need:
You can do an intermediate healthcare support worker apprenticeship, an advanced apprenticeship as a senior healthcare support worker or a higher healthcare assistant practitioner apprenticeship.
There are no set entry requirements but it may help you to get in if you have:
You could start as a healthcare assistant and move into speech and language therapy assistant work, through further training and promotion.
Employers look for relevant work experience so it would be an advantage if you have worked or volunteered in a health or social care role.
You could contact the voluntary services co-ordinator at your local NHS trust for further advice.
You may also find relevant volunteering opportunities through The National Council for Voluntary Organisations and Do IT.
You can apply directly for jobs if you've got some of the relevant skills and experience needed for this role.
There are no set requirements but you'll usually need good literacy and numeracy skills, some employers may ask for GCSEs or equivalent qualifications.
You may also need a qualification in healthcare or health and social care.
You'll need to:
When applying for jobs and apprenticeships, you'll be expected to have an understanding of how NHS values apply in your work.
You could join the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists, for professional development and training opportunities.
You can find out more about becoming a speech and language therapy assistant from Health Careers.
With experience, you could become a team leader and supervise other speech and language therapy assistants.
You could also train as an assistant practitioner and study for a foundation degree before training as a speech and language therapist.
You can find out more about becoming a speech and language therapy assistant from the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and Health Careers.