You could do a college course to get into this job. Relevant subjects include:

• Level 2 Certificate in Health and Social Care
• Level 2 Certificate in Healthcare Support Services
• Level 3 Diploma in Healthcare Support

Most health and social care courses include work placements so this could be a good way to get practical experience.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

You can do a Healthcare Support Worker Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship or a Senior Healthcare Support Worker Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.

Entry requirements

There are no set entry requirements but it may help you to get in if you have:

• some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

You could start as a healthcare assistant and move into speech and language therapy assistant work, through further training and promotion.

You might have an advantage when looking for jobs if you have volunteering experience in a healthcare setting.

You can also find volunteering opportunities through The National Council for Voluntary Organisations and Do IT.

You can apply directly for jobs if you've got relevant skills and experience from working in a healthcare setting. Some employers may ask for a qualification in healthcare and GCSE subjects like maths, English and science.

You'll need:

• sensitivity and understanding
• excellent verbal communication skills
• knowledge of psychology
• active listening skills
• the ability to understand people’s reactions
• to be flexible and open to change
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• the ability to work well with others
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

You'll need to:

• pass enhanced background checks

You'll need to be able to speak a second language that is spoken in the community to work as a bilingual speech and language therapy assistant.

In this role, you could:

• work with clients on a one-to-one basis
• run group work and activities
• update patient records
• work closely with speech therapists and education professionals
• advise clients and colleagues on cultural and language differences if you're bilingual

You could work at a health centre, in an NHS or private hospital, at a client's home, in a nursery or at a school.

Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.