Speech and language therapists

Speech and language therapy (SLT) provides treatment, support and care for children and adults who have difficulties with communication, or with eating, drinking and swallowing.

Speech and language therapists work with adults in a range of specialist areas including stroke and neurology rehabilitation, patient who have cancer, or medical or spinal injury patients.

Speech and language therapists who work with children can improve the children’s communication skills to help them develop and participate in activities. This empowers our children and young adults to communicate more effectively.

Stella, speech and language therapist

Why did you want to be a SLT?

I wanted to be a speech and language therapist as I have multiple family members and friends who have received speech and language therapy through many different stages of life.

I have seen first-hand the impact this can have on a person and their loved ones, and wanted to be able to make that impact for other families.

Day to day tasks?

I work within an adult neuro caseload, meaning I see patients with a range of neurological conditions such as (but not limited to) stroke, Parkinson’s Disease and dementia.

My tasks can include carrying out assessments and intervention to patients, to help them with communication skills so that they can participate in more activities.

I also meet with other members of the multidisciplinary team to discuss patient’s and help make sure they are accessing care that is meeting their communication needs.

Most fulfilling part of the job?

Seeing my patients make progress, no matter how big or small. Feedback from patients that you have made a difference in their lives is invaluable, and it will always be something I feel privileged to be able to do.

Libby, paediatric speech and language therapist.

Why did you want to be a paediatric SLT?

I was someone who was quite unsure of which path I wanted to take after leaving school, but I always knew I wanted to work in a profession that involved helping others and working with children specifically.

After a chance find I found a speech and language therapy university course online. I completed some shadowing experience and decided to give the course a go.

I’m now four years into my career as a qualified speech and language therapist and have never looked back.

Day to day tasks?

My day-to-day job involves completing initial and review assessments with children and their families out in the community.

We complete our appointments as home visits, nursery visits or school visits depending on the child’s age and setting.

This allows us to liaise not only with the families directly, but with the other key members of that child’s life such as nursery or teaching staff.

After appointments are finished for the day, it’s back to the office to score up assessments and write up the notes onto each child’s record.

Depending on the day, there is often time to complete other administrative jobs such as returning phone calls we may have missed or completing the feed-back reports from our appointments.

Most fulfilling part of the job?

I would say just working with the children is the best part – even if you’re having a bad day yourself, you can always count on a cheeky four-year-old to put a smile on your face. I would say it’s also seeing and monitoring the progress each child makes – no matter how long this may take for some – and the positive effect this has not only on them but also their families too.

Karen, adult speech and language therapist

Why did you want to be an adult SLT?

I’ve always been interested in how we communicate, and speech and language therapy brings together several areas I enjoy such as, science, languages, linguistics and medicine.

Speech and language therapy also offers a wealth of specialties to work in, across a number of clinical areas.

Since becoming a speech and language therapist, I have become more interested in the management of swallowing disorders (a part of the job that is often not know to the general public but makes up a large part of our work).

Day to day tasks?

Assessing and managing patients’ communication and swallowing needs on the hospital wards, in outpatient clinics and in the community (in their own home and care home settings).

Offering support to patients (and their families/carers) to aid them in understanding the changes to their communication and swallowing and how we can work together jointly towards goals that are important to them.

Being involved in multidisciplinary meetings and working as part of a team as well as writing reports. These reports are to various other health professionals about the outcomes of a patient’s assessment or treatment.

Offering advice on communication aids, both paper based and electronic. Also offering education and training to other health professionals to improve their knowledge and skills in working with people with communication and swallowing difficulties.

Most fulfilling part of the job?

Building valued relationships with patients and their families, often over a number of years, and supporting them through changes to their swallowing and communication.

Why are AHP’s important in mental health practice?

The NHS Long Term Plan describes AHPs as playing a central role in the delivery of person-centred care to help meet the changing demands the NHS is facing.

The Mental Health Workforce Plan for England (2017) also highlights the vital and varied role of AHPs as first responders, in diagnosis, selfmanagement, rehabilitation and recovery of everyday life.

AHPs are the key to transforming health, care, and wellbeing.
Working at the top of their competencies and skills.
AHPs lead mental health teams to new ways of working.

Their expertise in rehabilitation and enablement is vital to move away from over-reliance on hospitals and towards professional interventions across health and social care settings

What is the role of AHP’s in services for people with mental health conditions?

AHPs are employed in health and care services to diagnose, treat, and support individuals to overcome the physical challenges, that can be associated with their mental health
conditions.

In mental health settings, AHP’s are specifically employed to support persons experiencing metal illness conditions.

Speech and language therapists have expertise in enabling people to understand the nature and impact of their communication difficulties to help them participate in decisions about their care and engage in psychological therapies to support recovery.

They support people with swallowing problems who are at risk of aspiration and choking.

What can AHPs offer in mental health settings?