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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask you to suggest a new career for me?

29 replies

Retrorose · 12/12/2021 22:36

Have been a paediatric speech therapist for years but (like lots of healthcare professionals at the mo) I’ve had enough and want to leave to do I don’t know what!

Love working with kids and in schools/ health/ community settings but hate the admin and politics that come with my current profession. Think teaching/ social work would be the same. Not sure TA would be enough money in the long run (could take a pay cut for a while but would need to be able to ‘move up the pay scale eventually). Any suggestions? Have been trawling job sites and nothing jumps out.
Am I destined to spend the next 20years writing bloody EHCP reports?

OP posts:
Egghead68 · 12/12/2021 22:36

Go into private practice

MrsDoraDumble · 12/12/2021 22:41

Was going to suggest the same as above. We have a wonder private speech therapist. She can choose her own hours, pay seems good, looks like all the benefits with none of the hassle. Would being self employed work for you op as an option?

Original poster
Retrorose · 12/12/2021 22:41

@Egghead68 I’ve done NHS, Local Authority and private over the last few years and have decided private isn’t for me. I missed being part of a team and ended up doing loads of assessments for tribunal anyway. Also I quite like the meaty complex social care type of caseloads which you don’t tend to get privately.

OP posts:
LunaTheCat · 12/12/2021 22:56

Could you just take time out?
I work in health and took 6 weeks off recently and it was life changing.

It sounds like you have real passion for what you do.
Is there a trusted team member you could discuss with?

Good luck!

Original poster
Retrorose · 12/12/2021 23:00

Thanks @LunaTheCat maybe you are right. Been feeling like this for a while tho. Maybe I should start with some time out before I go cancelling my HCPC membership! At this moment in time a till at Tesco feels preferable to having to do another term battling through my overstretched caseload.

OP posts:
Samedaysame · 12/12/2021 23:04

Health visitor
Lecturer at Uni or FE

Hankunamatata · 12/12/2021 23:06

Wont any job with decent money is going to involve paperwork/admin especially if you want to move up the scale?

Biscuitandacuppa · 12/12/2021 23:07

BTEC lecturer/assessor in health and social? Less time to do the qualifications than a pgce and not bad money.
Progress coach in a FE college.
Foundation skills lecturer in FE (pgce required).
If you have a masters degree then SALT lecturer in Uni?

Hankunamatata · 12/12/2021 23:07

Many friends (Im in HC) have reduced days they work to get a better balance, still incredibly stressful but balanced with 1/2 days off work a week really helps.

CakesOfVersailles · 12/12/2021 23:10

Boarding school staff - other staff members do 95% of the admin and depending on the school you have a housekeeping team too so you just look after the kids.

However, if you want very good pay then you have to either be senior and do admin too or do part time teaching as well which comes with admin.... you might be better taking a sabbatical.

Biscuitandacuppa · 12/12/2021 23:10

I did 21 years as an O.T. I left due to stress and poor health (miraculously I’m healthy as a horse now!). I’m a TA the money is rubbish but I’m also an exam invigilator and looking to train to lecture or pastoral care in FE when my child is older. I absolutely love my job now, my mental health is far far better and I don’t dread a Monday morning!

flowersforbrains · 12/12/2021 23:17

Can you step away for a while? Keep up your registration and do some private work. Dip your toe in the water and investigate other options.

The plus points of being an NHS AHP is that it is a professional role, you have kudos, it's secure, the pay isn't bad, the pension is one of the best, most AHPs leave on time, the boundaries of your job are clear, there's full time and part-time work available, etc. It's quite tough to find all of that in one job.

It's worth trying something else to see how it compares. If nothing else, you might find it's not so awful after all!

OkThenJustChill · 12/12/2021 23:19

Have you thought about running some toddler/baby classes? Maybe learn baby sign if you enjoy teaching children ways to communicate?

Atla · 12/12/2021 23:22

No advice OP but I'm a nurse and I'm feeling similar at the moment. Just want out. Am considering my options.

NovemberNovemberDarkNights · 12/12/2021 23:25

I think you would be best to take some time off, would you be able to?

A lot of jobs which you might think seem less political/less stressful - like Tesco check out - aren't, you have less power/less prestige. Different but just as much dress/political Shute etc and fir far less money.

The grass isn't always greener!

sunnyandshare · 12/12/2021 23:27

A SALT friend of mine became a Reistered Intermediatory. It's interesting work, although still involves report writing. A lot of the work can be done from home, so unless she is in court she can do school drop offs/pick ups. Another friend has just gone freelance and does private work, she has a special interest in ASD so most of her work is in that area.

Luredbyapomegranate · 13/12/2021 00:16

I dunno but career shifters is a good organisation

Looubylou · 13/12/2021 06:21

Could you move into hospitals and use your skills in a different way for a while? A change is as good as a rest? Also try dropping hours to improve work life balance - though saying that I work 4 days and spend my days off doing notes, referrals and reports. I am a community based health worker. Anything that stops you leaving and not returning to what you do - in my area children are waiting a year to see SALT, after an initial triage. It's heart breaking in some cases.

Looubylou · 13/12/2021 06:25

That said, people are leaving my role in droves - we are worked into the ground and your capability is called into question if you try to raise awareness - so in fairness to you, I have to say, if you risk burnout put yourself first.

BeepBoopBoob · 13/12/2021 06:40

@Retrorose I'm in the same position but in a very flexible , safe job and have a young DD and plan on a second so it doesn't feel right.

Side track, but funnily enough Speech and Lang therapist or counsellor were on my retraining lists! How difficult was it to become a speech therapist ?

Original poster
Retrorose · 15/12/2021 16:49

@BeepBoopBoob don’t let my jaded views put you off. It can be a great career and I have loved aspects of it I just think I’m done now and need a change : I’ve done almost 20yrs so it obviously not that bad! It’s a 4 year degree or a 2 year conversion if you have a 2:1 in a related subject…

OP posts:
Original poster
Retrorose · 15/12/2021 16:52

@Looubylou I think that’s part of what gets to me. I saw a child the other day who’s been waiting 3yrs - parents couldn’t afford private so they just had to wait. I hate being part of this system 😔 I thought about in patient: maybe not at the moment!!! Hospitals aren’t a bundle of laughs atm

OP posts:
Original poster
Retrorose · 15/12/2021 16:52

Thanks everyone for your comments. Has given me food for thought…

OP posts:
Egghead68 · 15/12/2021 19:13

Primary school teaching, learning/qualifying on the job?

Fluffycloudland77 · 15/12/2021 19:19

What about tech/IT? It’s not impossible to learn coding/html etc and there’s lots of vacancies, wfh isn’t unheard of either.

The salaries are good and there’s a push to get more women into the industry.