Student Placement: My Time at Chatterbug
As student placements come to an end and our students leave us, we asked them to reflect on their time at Chatterbug and what they valued the most about being with us.
From colourful semantics to facing their not-so-scary-after-all case histories, our students have a lot to take away from their last 8 weeks with us!
Who were you working with during your student placement?
Aanisah: I was able to work predominately with Anne-Marie Owen who was my student placement educator. Throughout this time, I have been able to gain extensive knowledge about assessments and therapy options which has enabled me to practice what I have learnt at placement.
Sarah: I mainly worked with Maria and Annabel. I also had some days with Katy and one day with Rosie. I feel very lucky to have worked with the SLTs that I did, as I gained a really broad experience of different approaches to the role.
Kira: Over the past 8 weeks I have been working with Renata, who has been so incredibly supportive and has a wealth of knowledge. I was really nervous coming on student placement as I always have a bit of imposter syndrome; it has been really wonderful to work alongside and learn from Renata.
What did your day-to-day look like during the student placement?
Aanisah: During my student placement, I predominantly worked in school settings, which involved looking at the caseload and identifying which children are a priority to see. I have also had the opportunity to see a wide range of children with a variety of different needs. For example, children with speech sound disorders and stammering.
Sarah: I spent my day in school from 9am-3pm. Once School finished we headed back to the office until the end of the day at 5pm. Due to health issues, I also worked some of the time remotely.
Kira: Day-to-day I have always found it very different, I have mainly been working in mainstream schools, both infant/primary and high schools; there was one day I was in an alternative provision.
Some things I did during the day included:
- Looking at referrals for assessment
- Carrying out assessment/ carrying out therapy
- Writing up case notes
- Phoning parents for case histories if initial assessments
- Writing up reports
At the end of the day (3pm-5m), we went back to the office which allowed us to catch up on any admin from the day.
What kind of interventions did you see or partake in?
Aanisah: I have been able to participate in many assessments and therapy programmes. For instance, I had the opportunity to lead a speech assessment using the CLEAR and DEAP assessments. I have even been able to observe and then carry out a colourful semantics session.
Sarah: I partook in a few kinds of interventions during my student placement! Some of these included:
- Initial assessments, including case history
- Therapy sessions
- Review sessions
- Observation sessions (including at a distance with Selective Mute)
Kira: I have had the opportunity to participate in assessments, reviews, 1:1 therapy and group therapy.
Did you have much independent time or were you fully supervised/supported?
Aanisah: Throughout my time on placement, Anne-Marie has been very supportive. I have been able to discuss sessions that occurred and use my clinical knowledge to evidence this. I have been able to carry out independent assessments and therapy sessions which were supervised by my placement educator. This was beneficial as it provided me with areas I could work on and what went well. Whilst at the office, there were opportunities for independent learning which was beneficial as I was able to write up reports, work on reflections and write up SOAP notes from the session.
Sarah: I was mainly fully supervised, even when attending remotely. There were a few days that were based on independent learning, but that was also with long-arm supervision.
Kira: I have been supervised and supported throughout my student placement; however, I have carried out a great deal of independent assessment and some therapy.
Was there a speciality that caught your attention during your student placement?
Aanisah: I have a particular interest in stammering and selective mutism
Sarah: I am already quite interested in voice (due to my background as a singer), but in the placement, I have really gained an interest in stammering. As a result, I have booked some training (through Airdale NHS Trust).
Kira: I have been interested in specialising in Selective Mutism and Autism.
Did you learn anything new about working in the private sector?
Aanisah: I have been able to see how private sectors work collectively with schools and what is involved in an SLT’s role, for example, funding requirements.
Sarah: I learnt that SLTs are more able to carry out therapy sessions than in NHS. I think I have learnt that there are pros and cons to working in both.
Kira: I have learnt that in the private sector, you are not restricted to blocks of placement or a number of sessions
What did you enjoy the most about your placement?
Aanisah: I have enjoyed experiencing the ability to go to different schools and see a variety of children with different needs. I also have enjoyed independently carrying out weekly therapy sessions around colourful semantics. This meant I could plan the child’s next steps and potential adaptations I could make in the next session. Finally, I have also enjoyed working with my placement educator as Anne-Marie has a wealth of experience and knowledge, so it was nice to expand and consolidate my own learning.
Sarah: Everything, with the exception of commuting! (I live 2-3 hours away depending on traffic). It has been a really enriching placement and has solidified in my mind that I want to work in paediatrics
Kira: I’ve enjoyed seeing the many different areas speech and language therapists can work in (e.g. selective mutism, SEMH, autism, DLD, stammering, language disorders, ADHD, social communication disorder, speech sounds).
I’ve also loved the therapy side of the job, seeing the progress of the children and how they engage in therapy. Equally, the ability to provide answers to parents, families and other professionals and be able to implement support for children through completing assessments.
What was the biggest takeaway from your placement?
Aanisah: My biggest takeaway from my placement was to ask as many questions as you can as that will support your learning. Also, I have been able to observe training days around topics like stammering and selective mutism which enabled me to gain detail about appropriate assessments and therapy options.
Sarah: The paperwork/case history side of the job is not that scary. I’ve also learnt that my instincts and observations are better than I thought.
Kira: I’ve learnt 3 main things from my placement. Firstly, taking case histories and talking to parents or professionals is not as scary or as daunting as I thought! I also learnt that I have more skills than I think I do, and I need to be more confident in my abilities. Finally, there are many specialist areas to work in!
Interested in working with Chatterbug?
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