Speech and language therapy is an exciting and varied career. It offers you the chance to make a difference, a high degree of flexibility and excellent employment prospects. You’ll work with patients every day to help improve their care and their lives.
You'll need to study for an approved degree, which takes three or four years full time or up to six years part time, or be employed as a degree apprentice in speech and language therapy with an employer. Full-time university courses in speech and language therapy may have different names, including speech and language pathology and speech science. To get onto an speech and language therapy degree course or degree apprenticeship, you usually need two or three A-levels (or equivalent qualifications), along with five GCSEs (grades A-C), including English language, maths and science. Each institution and employer sets its own entry requirements, so it’s important to check carefully.
Speech and language therapists in the NHS work standard hours, which are likely to be around 37.5 a week. They usually start at band 5 of the Agenda for Change pay scales. Elsewhere, a speech and language therapist’s hours will depend on where they work. They may work evenings and weekends to suit private clients. Some speech and language therapists have to travel between client appointments.
You'll need to enjoy using language and communication to help people, be able to motivate and reassure people, excellent communication and organisation skills and the ability to explain treatment to patients.
You may choose to specialise in a particular area of practice such asstammering, cleft palate or learning disability. Other options include teaching or research. You could also move into management, either within speech and language therapy services or general management. As head of a local speech and language therapy service you would be responsible for a team of staff and for managing a budget. Some speech and language therapists set up their own practice, on their own or with other professionals. They take on private clients, sometimes alongside NHS work.
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Dental support workers are part of the dental health team. See how they help to treat patients and give advice on looking after teeth. Find out how you could become a dental support worker.
There are no set entry requirements for dental support workers. Employers usually expect good literacy, numeracy and IT skills. They may ask for GCSEs or equivalent qualifications. Employers often ask for relevant work experience. Even where this is not specified, it would be an advantage if you have worked in health or social care, either in paid employment or voluntary work. There are sometimes apprenticeships in dental support roles. You will receive the training you need to work as a dental support worker. This includes an introduction to the department and its systems and procedures , information about dentistry and oral hygiene and using the equipment.
Dental support staff working in the NHS are paid on the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay system. You would typically start on AfC band 2. Most dental support workers in the NHS work standard hours, which are likely to be around 37.5 a week. They may work some evenings or weekends. Terms and conditions will usually be different for dental support staff working outside of the NHS.
Dental support workers need to reassure patients, be careful and methodical, follow instructions carefully, record data accurately, pay attention to detail, explain clearly to patients and work with all types of people.They also need good communication skills and may need skills in speaking to groups.
With further training, experience and provided you had the appropriate qualifications necessary, you could apply for training in the other dental care professionals roles such as dental nurse, dental hygienist or dental therapist.
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- Dental technician/dental technologist [7]
- Dental nurse [8]
- Dental therapist [9]
- Dentist [10]