Nicola Martin

Hello, I’m Nic.

I came to Speech and Language Therapy because I believe everyone deserves to have their voice heard. My journey into the profession began as a Therapy Assistant, before I went on to qualify as a Speech and Language Therapist from City University London in 2008. I then worked within the NHS, predominantly supporting children and young people in mainstream schools.

I joined Words First in 2017 and have continued to develop my clinical expertise, with a particular interest in working within secondary school settings. I absolutely love my job and have had the opportunity to grow within Words First, progressing from Supervisor to Team Lead. It has been incredibly rewarding to be part of the company’s journey, from a small team of Speech and Language Therapists to the large, interdisciplinary team we are today.

I am passionate about supporting young people to develop their communication, confidence and independence, and I particularly enjoy working collaboratively with schools and wider teams to ensure that communication support is meaningful and embedded into everyday life.

The Words First value that resonates most with me is Child-Centred. I believe that listening to a young person’s voice and understanding what matters to them should be at the heart of everything we do. Every child and young person is an individual, and our role is to understand their strengths, needs and aspirations so that we can help them thrive.

Outside of Words First, I am a school governor with responsibility for SEND and, most importantly, a mum of two. I love everything about history and am always keen to learn something new. I think this links closely to my love of understanding people, their experiences, and finding ways to support them.

If my friends had to describe me, I think they would say I am curious, supportive, and passionate about helping others.