Finding my passion
My mum was a teacher and I did an English language and linguistic degree but I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I graduated. I used to babysit a child who was receiving speech and language therapy and I enjoyed helping with that however I could. After university I worked as a teaching assistant supporting children with additional needs. I then applied for both teacher training and a speech and language master’s and when I was accepted for both I decided to train in speech and language therapy. Two years later I started my first job as a speech and language therapist with the NHS, based in East Sussex. I had a very mixed caseload but early on developed an interest in deafness and learned British Sign Language (BSL) at an evening class.
Pushing for change
After two years living in Germany and working with British Army families I returned to the UK and my NHS role and continued to develop my understanding and skills around supporting deaf children. I attended any extra training available to me including a Level 2 in BSL and a course run by Great Ormond Street Hospital to support deaf babies who had received cochlear implants. We tended to only support deaf children from around two or three after they had received their hearing technology and when concerns around how they would manage at school began to surface. I always felt that this was the wrong way round and deaf babies and their families should be supported from a much earlier stage. So, I put together a case to change the care pathway within our NHS team which included an additional speech and language therapist and allowed us to start working with babies.
Never stop learning
One of the families I worked with in the NHS was also working with Auditory Verbal UK (AVUK) to help support him to learn to listen and speak and I met with his Auditory Verbal therapist there. We supported the family together, and I saw what a huge difference this specialist therapy made and how the family-centred and parent coaching approach works. I signed up to and enjoyed some of the short taster courses provided by AVUK and these inspired me to sign up for AVUK’s foundation course to learn more about the development of spoken language through listening. I was convinced that this was a vital way to support the families of deaf babies and children who wanted them to have the same opportunities in life as their hearing peers. I took the next step to continue my Auditory Verbal training.
Right place right time
Part way through my advanced training with AVUK, my NHS role changed taking me away from hands-on work and I feared that I wouldn’t be able to complete my training to become an Auditory Verbal therapist. I discussed this with my AVUK mentor who said the team were looking to expand and provide maternity cover, so last December I started working at AVUK. Now I am working in my dream job with people who inspire me to provide the very best for the deaf babies and children that I work with. Getting support to families in the first few years of their child’s life is so crucial whether they want them to use sign language, spoken language or both. I’m hoping to complete my training and sit my exam to become a listening and spoken language specialist certified Auditory Verbal therapist this year.
Top three career tips
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Take every opportunity and push yourself – I have always accepted every opportunity available to me and ensure that I am pushing myself to achieve the best I can.
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Believe in yourself – I sometimes pinch myself that I am in my dream job, but I have worked hard to get here and continue to do so.
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Don’t stand still – I am always learning new skills and things are always changing especially in healthcare.
