Speech and Language Therapist

Key skills/talents

Becoming a speech therapist requires a combination of academic qualifications, practical skills, and personal attributes. Here are some of the key skills needed:

 

• A fundamental interest and keen awareness of people and their behaviour

• A fully open-mind to all types of people and all backgrounds

• Empathy and Patience: Working with individuals who have speech and language difficulties requires empathy, patience, and understanding. Being able to build rapport and establish trust with clients is crucial. The ability to relate to a wide range of people is vital.

• Excellent listening skills.

• Excellent communication skills: Strong communication skills are vital for interacting with clients, their families, and other healthcare professionals. This includes both verbal and written communication.

• Sensitivity and understanding, including the patience and the ability to let others go (and talk) at their own pace

• The ability to work on your own as well as in consultation with others

• A responsible, professional approach, respecting the confidentiality of patients

• Emotional resilience and maturity

• Self-awareness of your own behaviour plus the ability to tailor that to different types of people.

• Problem-Solving / Analytical Abilities: You'll encounter diverse challenges in your work, so having strong problem-solving skills to adapt therapy techniques and strategies to meet individual needs is important.

• Continuing Professional Development (CPD): As with many healthcare professions, speech therapists need to engage in ongoing learning and development to stay up-to-date with advancements in the field and maintain their professional registration.

• Teamwork Skills: Collaborating with other healthcare professionals, educators, and support staff is common in speech therapy practice, so being able to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team is essential.

 

These skills and qualifications combine to ensure that speech therapists in the UK are equipped to assess, diagnose, and provide therapy for individuals with speech, language, and communication disorders, helping them to improve their quality of life and communication skills.

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​Qualifications required

Typically, you'll need a bachelor's degree in speech and language therapy, or a related field such as linguistics, psychology, or education. Many universities in the UK offer accredited speech and language therapy programs.

 

To enrol in a speech and language therapy degree program, typically, you require:

• Two or three A levels, accompanied by five GCSEs (grades A-C), encompassing English language, mathematics, and science. Or alternative qualifications such as...

• BTEC, HND, or HNC with a science component

• Relevant T level

• Relevant NVQ

• Science-oriented access course

• Equivalent qualifications from Scotland or Ireland

 

If you possess a relevant undergraduate degree, you have the option to pursue an accelerated postgraduate program in speech and language therapy. These programs typically span two years.

 

Following your bachelor's degree, you'll need to complete a postgraduate qualification in speech and language therapy that is recognized by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). This is usually a master's degree.

 

To practise as a speech therapist in the UK, you must be registered with the HCPC. This involves meeting their standards for education, professional skills, behaviour, and health.

 

You'll of course need LOTS of practical experience gained through clinical placements during your studies and potentially through internships or voluntary work in healthcare settings.

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Rules and regs

The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) regulates speech and language therapists (SLTs). Registration is a legal requirement for all practising SLTs, who must adhere to the following HCPC standards:

• Standards of conduct, performance and ethics

• Standards of proficiency for speech and language therapists

• Standards of continuing professional development

• Standards of education and training

 

Full information can be found here: https://www.hcpc-uk.org

 

The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) also lists guidance on their website: https://www.rcslt.org/speech-and-language-therapy/rcslt-guidance-to-meet-hcpc-standards

 

With regard to insurance (which as always, is a MUST), the HCPC also has guidelines around what you will need to have in place: https://www.hcpc-uk.org/globalassets/registration/attachments/professional-indemnity-and-your-registration.pdf

 

It states that professional indemnity insurance is a requirement. The following links are some examples of insurance providers who offer this cover:

https://www.protectivity.com/product/speech-and-language-therapy-insurance

https://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/insurance/speech-therapy

It is worth noting that if you become a member of RCSLT, their membership benefits include insurance cover: https://www.rcslt.org/about-us/membership-overview

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Remuneration framework

Jobs in the NHS are usually covered by the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay rates consisting of nine pay bands. As a newly qualified SLT your starting salary is likely to be £27,055 (Band 5), rising up the pay scale to £32,934.

 

As a specialist SLT you can earn between £33,706 and £40,588 (Band 6).

 

Typical salaries for advanced or highly specialised SLTs range from £41,659 to £47,672 (Band 7). Some management roles (for example, head of children's therapies or therapy manager) can attract higher salaries at Band 8.

 

Fees in independent practice vary significantly depending on the scope and size of your practice, your experience and reputation, and your location.

 

SLTs tend to charge about £65-75 for a standard session, or £40-50 for a shorter session. Initial assessments tend to be charged at about £100-150 depending on their length. Four standard sessions a day = £260 a day, as an example.

 

As with everything in the private/self-employed/freelance sector, your earnings depend hugely on how many hours you want to do per day and per week.

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How to get started

As previously mentioned you will need to gain the relevant GCSEs and A level before embarking on a BSc course in Speech & Language Therapy.

 

UCAS is always your first point of reference for universities through the UK that will offer the course you are looking for: https://digital.ucas.com/coursedisplay/results/courses?searchTerm=speech%20therapy

 

As Jenny mentions in the chat, The RCSLT also now offers apprenticeships, but only in England. Information about this course can be found here: https://www.rcslt.org/speech-and-language-therapy/become-a-speech-and-language-therapist/apprenticeships

 

As Jenny also mentions in the chat, there is government/NHS funding for health career education, although this is nowhere near what it was (Jenny had her full tuition paid for, whereas it’s now a max of £5k per year): https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/career-planning/study-and-training/considering-or-university/financial-support-university

 

And of course, like Jenny, once you are qualified you will need to find a job, which very sadly, are in small supply, despite being desperately needed. The NHS route is a common first port of call, and gives you an immense breadth of added knowledge and experience, which will set you up for life and indeed private practice. However, it is possible to go private from day one, provided you have done lots of research, and are brave enough. If this is your chosen route, it might be an idea to undertake/look for a post qualification apprenticeship, with a private practice like Jenny’s, purely to give support with that bedding in period.

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Associations or official bodies to register with

As noted, you have to register with the The Health and Care Professions Council to be able to practise in the UK: https://www.hcpc-uk.org

 

Also previously stated is the RCSLT. Membership information can be found here: https://www.rcslt.org/about-us/membership-overview

 

The Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice (ASLTIP) provides support and information on working as an independent Speech and Language Therapist within the United Kingdom: https://asltip.com

The union for SLT’s is Unite: https://www.unitetheunion.org

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Job site links

As usual, job site such as Indeed and Reed have jobs listed: 

https://uk.indeed.com/q-speech-language-therapist-jobs.html

https://www.reed.co.uk/jobs/speech-and-language-therapy-jobs

 

NHS jobs can be found here: https://www.nhsjobs.com/job_list/Allied_Health_Professions/s4/Speech_Language_Therapy/d519

The RCSLT also has a job site: https://rcsltjobs.com

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Progression pathway​

There is an automatic career path for SLTs, that looks like this (pay scales touched on above):

 

Band 5 newly qualified practitioner duties

Band 5 speech and language therapists often work with more experienced colleagues across a variety of wards, which allows you to gain clinical experience in a range of areas. You’ll be given lots of supervision and support as in line with the core capabilities framework.

 

After you have gained six months clinical experience, your NHS employer will likely require you to complete a postgraduate dysphagia training module. These short 3-day training courses (available throughout the UK) will allow you to assess patients and develop dysphagia treatment packages.

 

As you gain more experience, you may choose to work in a specific team (such as elderly care, respiratory and general medicine) or in a specialist department such as trauma or ENT. You will be responsible for assessments and interventions and will work as part of a multidisciplinary team, liaising with professionals in areas such as occupational therapy, nursing, education and even psychiatry.

 

Band 6 specialist speech and language therapist duties

Many speech and language therapists choose to specialise to develop their expertise and knowledge in a focused way. Common specialisms include providing assessments, planning treatments, and managing rehabilitation for inpatients with both swallowing and communication disorders, working with adults with learning disabilities, or within stroke units. You may work in community services, providing speech and language therapy to schools for children with developmental delays.

 

As you gain more experience you may be asked to support and supervise junior or newly qualified colleagues. However, you will still be given support and guidance from other staff who will help you to develop your skills and knowledge. This will enable you to progress into new bands, increasing your earning potential.

 

Band 7 senior specialist speech and language therapist duties / clinical lead duties

At this level, you may be more involved in the design and delivery of services.

 

As well as managing caseloads, you could be undertaking research and audits to ensure that services are providing effective patient care and you may be involved in clinical supervision or line management of junior staff who will report directly to you.

 

Band 8a clinical service manager duties

You will move away from day-to-day patient caseloads and into a more managerial role, designing and delivering services, as well as checking their efficiency.

 

You’ll be responsible for clinical governance responsibilities and making significant contributions to the wider network of the service. Key tasks may include performance management, budget responsibilities, and ongoing business planning.

 

Band 8b head of speech and language therapy duties

As the head of a department, you may be responsible for services in acute and community settings. You will have the responsibility of the entire team and will be required to demonstrate clear strategic approaches to service delivery. As well as maintaining services for patients, you will also spend time supporting your team – including support workers, speech and language therapists, and administrative staff to ensure that everyone is working together cohesively.

 

And of course, pay increases with every band increase. However, as Jenny implies, a lot of SLTs inevitably go down the private route at some point, either solely, or alongside NHS duties, and this can be because of pay/finance needs, or in Jenny’s case, to get a better work/life balance for her young family.

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Additional links/FYIs

The NHS has lots of useful information regarding the role of an SLT: https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/healthcare-support-worker/roles-healthcare-support-worker/speech-and-language-therapy-assistant

 

Other useful links:

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

https://www.rcslt.org/speech-and-language-therapy/become-a-speech-and-language-therapist

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