Hello, I’m Hayley
My Role: Speech and Language Therapist (preschool)
Where I work: NHS, all over the Wigan borough
What do I do in my role?
- Assess early language and communication skills
- Assess whether children have a safe swallow
- Run early communication groups
- Support parents, carers, nursery staff and other professionals.
What’s my career journey?
- A levels including Psychology
- Psychology Degree
- Residential support worker for adults with autism
- Teaching assistant in a school for SEN
- Speech and Language Therapy Degree.
What’s the best thing about my job?
- Giving children a ‘voice’
- Seeing small steps of improvement
- Happy children and families
- Every day is different.
My top skills
- Empathy and compassion
- Organisation
- Ability to cope under pressure.
Good personal qualities to have
- Communication skills
- Problem solving
- Organisational skills.
What do I want to do next?
Carry on learning and developing in my current role.
My advice if you want to do what I do
Make sure you do the relevant A Levels, check with universities and get some work experience.