(Working towards the Speech & Language Therapy Level 6 Degree)
I was working in the Communication Aids Service East of England (CASEE) team as an administrator and had expressed an interest to my managers in training to become a Speech & Language Therapist (SLT). I didn’t wish to leave CASEE and there weren’t many opportunities being advertised to study the new SLT apprenticeship internally or elsewhere. When a new assistant role was being established in the team which could support the apprenticeship, I jumped at the chance to apply!
The apprenticeship was appealing over other education options as it provides hands-on work experience whilst you learn. Having been to university before to study Linguistics, I felt I needed to increase my patient facing skills as a priority, which the apprenticeship allows but this would have been more difficult on a full-time course.
Why do you think that CUH are a good employer for apprenticeships?
The trust has so many different departments and therefore such varied opportunities for experience undertaking the apprenticeship. CUH has been supportive of my endeavours and put the apprenticeship in place for me so quickly – I was able to start the course only a couple of months after getting my new role, which was amazing.
What does a typical day look like and what do you enjoy about your role?
I love that my role is so versatile! And I love meeting all our varied clients, from 3 year olds with cerebral palsy or developmental delay, to adults with MND or MSA (to name a few!). Every case is so different which makes each appointment new and interesting. I am constantly learning! Things that I do in my role often include: editing/personalising vocabulary on powered AAC devices, creating paper based communication books and boards, developing new AAC resources such as storyboards, accompanying colleagues on appointments out in the community – that could be home visits, schools, care homes, hospitals and so on – carrying out Talking Mats assessments with clients, training sessions on devices/software to families or other professionals, general clinical admin, setting up the admin side of our CASEE training programme that offers free training to professionals in the East of England, or getting involved in team projects such as making our resources more EDI friendly.
What sorts of things do you do for the off the job learning aspect of your apprenticeship and does this involve attending college or is it all completed at work?
I attend university one day a week every week, which is the case for the first two years of the course. Once I start the degree level apprenticeship next year, that will increase to two days of university per week. We’re also expected to complete a number of ‘apprentice hours’ each week during which we undertake learning that’s separate to our usual daily roles – so that might be researching something new, taking part in professional discussions, shadowing opportunities outside of your usual team and so on.
How have your department supported you within this apprenticeship?
My team have been so supportive of my desire to take on this course – from the moment I expressed an interest in doing further study to become an SLT. They explored the apprenticeship option with me, as this was new to all of us, and investigated the possibilities of the service being able to support an apprentice. They encouraged me to apply for the new assistant role and supported my application to the university. Since the course began, every member of the team has helped me shape my role, have answered all my many questions along the way, and are constantly thinking of projects to involve me in or inviting me on appointments they know will be interesting for my learning. One of the service managers has taken on the role of my workplace mentor and has been an amazing support and encouragement to me, even meeting me in supervisions every fortnight to check in on how the course and my work are going. I couldn’t imagine doing the course with any other team.
What are your future intentions?
First, I intend to complete my second year of the course and achieve as high results as I did last year – I was so chuffed to find out that I’d been added to the Dean’s List of Excellence for my first year of study! Once I’ve finished my modules for this year, I will undertake the End Point Assessment to (hopefully) move on to the next two years of the Speech and Language Therapy Degree Apprenticeship. All being well, I look forward to becoming a NQP within the next 3 years! Where will I go? I really don’t know yet, I’m waiting to see what placements I experience and if this sparks any particular areas of interest for me but I’m open to all the options right now.
What advice would you give to others who may be looking to take on an apprenticeship?
Ensure you’ve got a good team around you for support – the course is not easy; it takes a lot of hard work to balance meeting your assignment deadlines with managing a full-time role but with the right support from your team it really is doable.
Get cracking as soon as the course starts! Don’t wait to start assignments (especially your portfolios!) until the last minute, and if you need clarification from your lecturers be sure to ask. Make the most of opportunities within your workplace to learn / say ‘yes’ to all the learning opportunities that come your way.
However, you also need to ensure you carve time out for yourself – you learn a lot on the course about mental health and the importance of looking after yourself, for your own benefit and that of your patients, and it really is true.
The main theme of this year’s National Apprenticeship Week is skills for life. What are the most important skills for life that you have developed and how has your apprenticeship training helped to build them?
I’ve learned a lot about Multi-Disciplinary Teams (MDTs) over the last year and the importance behind MDTs in healthcare. At university we studied a module all about interprofessional working and how to develop good communication skills for working with patients, families and caregivers, and other professionals. This linked in heavily with our learning about person-centred care and how to ensure the patient is fully considered in every aspect of their care.
I also feel like I’ve developed a lot of skills around adapting to new situations and how to handle this professionally. It’s taught me a lot about the realities of healthcare from the perspective of healthcare workers, which I now appreciate in a completely new light, but also about how to maintain my enthusiasm for the profession and the work I’m doing to continue making a difference for others, even if at times the process is tough.