Any SALT or university graduates want to come and talk to me about how they embarked on their career?.

[donefornow]

I would very much like to head towards a career in speech therapy but would be starting from the very bottom. I have GCSE's and pretty much after that I fell into work and then started a family.
Apparently 'it's never to late' to start again but having looked at university entry requirements I would have no chance!
I had planned on doing some kind of access course or A level equivalent before looking at university but I feel a little overwhelmed with all the entry requirement mumbo jumbo that I'm feeling somewhat out if my depth.
Any advice would be much appreciated.

I'm not a SALT but SIL is. She did a degree course, which I think is necessary for a SALT.
She did tell me about speech therapy assistants - they only need GCSE level qualifications. info here

I'm an ex-teacher/ current SAHM and will be looking into it once ds and dd are both in school/ preschool come September as I need a new career.

I did a bit of self taught/ SIL instructed SALT for ds as he was missing a lot of sounds when he was 3. (The local SALT were over stretched and wouldn't see ds until he was in school as he was talking - all be it with b and d at the start of nearly every word!) I really enjoyed the process and seeing the changes in ds's speech. So SALT is something I'd like to investigate as a possible career.

I looked into it a while back and didn't get very far, but it seemed that a degree was needed, but even to get into the degree course some kind of experience was needed. So I guess you work as a volunteer or assistant first?

Would also like to know the answer to this! I have A-levels and a degree in an unrelated field but it still seemed like there wasn't a post-grad "conversion" course and you still had to do the whole degree?

I know it's NHS-funded, but surely this is a profession that would benefit from the input of mature students, some with their own DCs and experience of being on receiving end of SALT, as well as fresh graduates?

I'm hoping to start a degree in this, currently working as a healthcare assistant on a neurology ward. Have done some work with speech therapist but not much - although certainly getting to work with patients with major speech and language difficulties. I do have a related degree but I think that getting a high level of experience should help you get onto a course, if you can take on something either voluntary or paid? :)

I know it's NHS-funded, but surely this is a profession that would benefit from the input of mature students, some with their own DCs and experience of being on receiving end of SALT, as well as fresh graduates?

It's a very competitive degree to get on so there probably isn't any need to offer specialist conversion courses when they can fill many times over the full degree courses.

Entry requirements are much more flexible if you're a mature student and have already worked. Contact the Uni department you would apply to and ask what they would expect. I work in a university & we always look at the broader life experience and interest in and ability to complete the course for mature students

My niece did a degree for SALT about 4 years ago, she hasn't been able to find a job in the field and is currently working as a carer

Thanks to everyone who answered, some useful info in there. I have a contact that could definately get me some voluntary work.
I had looked into being a SALT assistant, but half the time in jobs like that you end up doing more than an assistants job and not getting paid any more for it. I'd love to do a degree as it's something I feel I missed out on.
You only live once ay!