ChatterBug LTD
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ChatterBug LTD Employee Reviews

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United Kingdom25 reviews

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3.8Work-life balance
3.6Pay & benefits
4.1Job security & advancement
4.0Management
4.0Culture

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Rewarding!

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Working at Chatterbug as Speech and Language therapist is extremely rewarding. The company expected commitment and effort and in return, they provided me with an excellent working environment with a focus on developing my skills clinically and in leadership. Throughout my nearly two years at Chatterbug, I had various personal problems that all management were extremely supportive of and allowed me to work flexibly and take time off when I needed, without putting further pressure on me to return before I was ready and my welfare was prioritised over being available for work. The company is committed to providing the best level of care to all clients and they do this by practicing by their values and being innovative to meet different needs. This makes it a fast paced and demanding environment to work in, but also incredibly rewarding and meaningful. I found the management team to be approachable, flexible, open to feedback and I felt I was truly part of a team that was valued.
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Undervalued, underpaid and over-worked at all levels.

When I started at Chatterbug I was a NQP. During my time there I saw lots of others come and go with a select few remaining afloat enough to stay. The typical working day was my favourite part of the job. Being a schools assigned therapist gives you opportunities to build relations and have on-going dynamic therapy within settings. You receive a incredibly rich and wide variety of clients/settings, meaning your clinical experience grows quickly in many areas. However, there definitely was sick or swim nature. Certainly, some changes were made to the process of training the new hires during my time there, however, due to expectations coming from the highest levels of management, you needed to have a thick skin to be able to cope with the demand of the service. Staff at all levels of the company, myself included, felt undervalued, over worked and underpaid. However, those who had the power to make real change in the company made promises but never followed them through. This then meant senior therapists and managers then had their hands tied as they were unable to appropriately support staff and build moral. There was a real discord between the "boots on the ground" staff members and the highest levels of the company. With little understanding or thanks coming to those staff who did the job everyday and built up the relationships with schools and clients. Overall, I would say Chatterbug gave me lots of experience and built my clinical knowledge quickly. However the terrible policies in place such as lack of clear pay scheme/progression plans, sick pay, mileage, etc paired - 

Pros

Wide range of clients, friendly team.

Cons

The company will prioritise profit over your mental health.
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Insights into ChatterBug LTD

Based on 9 survey responses
What people like
  • Sense of belonging
  • Feeling of personal appreciation
  • Clear sense of purpose
Areas for improvement
  • Time and location flexibility
  • Fair pay for job
  • Ability to meet personal goals

Unsustainable work environment

I started as an NQP and worked for ChatterBug for a few years. I agree with other reviews that the mentality when you start out is very much ‘sink or swim’ and the high turnover of staff is reflective of the harsh working conditions. The management and executive team promote progression within the team. This is poorly planned and results in high demands with poor reward. Managers consistently make the same mistakes e.g. promising time / resources for projects and then fail to provide this but expect the same results / deadlines. I was consistently undertaking projects that were well above my experience level and pay-grade. I felt undervalued, overwhelmed and under supported for most of my time at Chatterbug and senior management were not receptive or supportive of my concerns.

Pros

Lovely team of SLTs, opportunities to work with diverse caseload

Cons

Unmanageable workload, pay progression, senior management
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Fast paced but rewarding

From day one, I have felt respected, valued, and listened to, making it an absolute pleasure to work with such an amazing team.Despite the fast-paced nature of our work, where stressful situations and unexpected changes can arise at a moment's notice, the company consistently prioritizes the welfare of its team members. Chatterbug has created a supportive and nurturing environment where I feel comfortable and empowered to take on any challenge.From the leadership team to my fellow colleagues, there is a strong sense of collaboration. Every individual's opinion is valued, this open and inclusive approach fosters an atmosphere of mutual respect and encourages innovation and creativity.Chatterbug demonstrates a genuine commitment to professional growth and development, starting as an apprentice I have been pushed to take on challenges and responsibilities that have allowed me to take the position of Project Lead. The company actively invests in its employees, providing ample opportunities for learning and upskilling. I have undertaken, workshops & training, and received mentorship that has significantly contributed toward my personal and career growth during my time here. I have found the management team at Chatterbug is approachable, and consistently make an effort to maintain open lines of communication. This gives me a sense of inclusion and belonging coupled with the fact that knowing our work positively impacts people's lives and helps them achieve their language goals is incredibly rewarding.
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The best place I have worked at

I have now been working at Chatterbug for a year and has, by far, been the best employment of my working career.I am always trusted to complete my work with minimal supervision - but not lacking when I need support. I am greatly appreciated in the team, where relationships have been easy to make and maintain with managers and peers and have even become great friends outside of work.The relationship I have with management has been fantastic. They have always encouraged me to push myself and take on challenges that I would previously be too scared to do so. However, transparency has been essential in my role. I have always been supported if I have found my workload overwhelming or even struggle with physical and mental wellbeing. Working at Chatterbug will have you rise up to all challenges but know that you have your team and management to depend on. It s a great place to start and further your career. Could not recommend working here more!
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Harsh unsupportive management

This company are very difficult to work for. Caseloads are large and newly qualified staff are basically left to sink or swim. They claim to be a 'family' but if you ask for help you are basically told you aren't good enough. Their rules around leave, sickness, pay are harsh and unbending. Massive staff turnover and this is not a surprise to anyone who has ever worked there.
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Overwhelmed and undervalued

In a space of just under a year and half as a newly qualified therapist, I experienced overwhelming caseloads, a significant lack of supervision, continuous gaslighting and a management team (based offsite in Leeds) who lacked compassion in the way they ran the Halton service. I was doing far more than my pay grade and experience and working overtime (with no extra pay) to keep up with workloads. I felt out of my depth in many situations but had no choice due to understaffing and lack of support (there are no onsite senior SLTs in the team to provide this). The response from management was one where gaslighting was used to try and make it seem that this was ‘normal’, initially making me feel that I was the reason I couldn’t keep afloat. Management would have rather buried their heads under the sand than acknowledge the multiple elephants in the room. But this is unsurprising considering one of the ‘dont’s’ on the Chatterbug etiquette displayed in the office is ‘don’t bring your emotions into work’.There were also particularly concerning experiences of but to name a few which significantly impacted my trust and respect towards senior staff: - When I raised concerns regarding various problem areas, I was met with a response by management that these were assumptions and that instead I needed to bring facts to meetings. - When I was told by a senior member of staff that I should be doing research on my upcoming weekend to prepare for a complex case the week after when this is not appropriate and was confirmed for me by the Royal College of Speech end Language Therapists. - 

Pros

The lovely Halton Team

Cons

Large caseloads, lack of supervision, understaffing
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Poorly managed company

While working for the company I found my training to be very basic. Once the 2 weeks were up I was expected to just get on with it with very minimal support and had to rely on self training to be able to fulfil my role within the service. I feel as the management do not follow there own ethos for example one of my parents passed away after a gruelling 18 months and no time off , I was told I do not qualify for compassionate leave and would have to take anytime off as unpaid. The staff turn over is also ridiculous high as staff do not feel fully supported

Pros

The staff within the Halton team are amazing

Cons

No sick pay. Lack of support.
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My experience working at Chatterbug

My experience working at Chatterbug was one where quantity was prioritised over staff well-being and the overall quality of the service. As a newly qualified therapist I felt that the workload was too high far too quickly and that learning/ thinking time or gradually building up to a full caseload wasn’t taken into consideration for new starters. Even though I and others expressed our concerns on several occasions I don’t feel these were properly listened to or considered by the executive team. Unfortunately, in the Halton team there are no senior therapists (no therapists which have worked longer than 2 years and apart from one therapist all have started in the last three months). This makes receiving appropriate supervision really difficult especially due to the complexity of cases e.g. NQP’s managing an AAC caseload and completing autism assessments but being unable to access proper on- site supervision (e.g. joint visits and an understanding of referral processes etc.) from therapists that work within the contracted NHS service. I know that many of the issues come from the service being short staffed but I feel that therapists are made to feel like it is their fault for struggling and that the level of workload is normal. Whilst I appreciate that all services are stretched, the complexity of workload and supervision offered is in my opinion not beneficial to the progression of an NQP. The staff turnover is also extremely high due to all of the above issues. I will however say that the team in Halton are extremely lovely and supportive of each other and I was given experience - 

Pros

Variety and experience in different areas

Cons

Overwhelming, lack of supervision
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Existing employee review

I have worked at Chatterbug nearly three years and have always fit in well with my team. I have a voice that is heard and know my input counts.The job can be stressful at times but you don't go to work for a peaceful day, otherwise you're probably not working hard enough. This is a fast paced environment and you need to be susceptible to change and adaptation, as this is how the service grows and develops.

Pros

Work life balance, Employee benefits
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Jobs at ChatterBug LTD

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Lovely Company

ChatterBug is full of really lovely and passionate people with a common goal. The management and clinical supervision is very good and I feel like a valued member of the team despite working remotely.
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Fast paced, supportive working environment

ChatterBug is a great place to work. The team are supportive and push you to develop and grow both personally and professionally. The job is fast paced and there is always change on the horizon due to the team being full of inspiring innovators who have a real passion for supporting and empowering clients.
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Supportive and Innovative

I am really enjoying working at ChatterBug. Everyday is a different day. It is great having the independence of our own caseload when we attend our assigned schools but also having the balance of the ChatterBug team around you when you attend the office at the end of the day. I started at ChatterBug during lockdown and it was great to see how innovative the company was in adapting to the pandemic in order to still function and provide a service to our service users. It is great to work for a company that can adapt so quickly to change! Management team members are so supportive and trusting in staff to allow us the flexibility of working from home when our schools require this.
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Great place to work

I have only been with Chatterbug for a short time and have found the company to be extremely supportive . All the staff are lovely and nothing is too much trouble . The training provided is excellent and i feel confident in my role within the company.

Pros

Great training, supportive managers, No 2 days are the same .

Cons

none
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Innovative and great workplace

I started working at ChatterBug as a NQP and have enjoyed each day since I joined the team. I have evolved as a therapist and my skills develop every working day. I absolutely love the variety of children and SLCNs I work with both in educational settings and over telehealth. There are great opportunities to network with therapists from all sites, reach out to other health and educational professionals and generally access any kind of support you may need, clinical or non-clinical.

Pros

Good staff incentives, supportive company, good work culture

Cons

Lack of flexibility, holiday entitlement restricted
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Great place to work!

There is a pretty steady and manageable admin workload and an enjoyable office environment. Everyone I have worked with at ChatterBug is extremely friendly and every body is always willing to provide support, listen and give advice when needed. As an administrator, we speak to parents/carers and schools regularly to book appointments and provide information or answer any of their queries. We also have a lot of other administrative tasks that are shared between the admin team, daily. To work at ChatterBug you need to be patient and understanding (when talking to parents) and willing to work as part of a team!
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Fast paced, exciting organisation to work for.

A day working for ChatterBug, Leeds usually involves visiting a school (some are regular, some are one off visits or less frequent) and providing a tailored service for that school by collaborating closely with the Senco. The afterschool time is kept for meeting with colleagues, training, meetings etc... I quickly learned about the education system and how SLCN impact children's learning. Line management gives you the space to discuss any worries as well as to celebrate success. ChatterBug offers a collaborative team culture where we are all accountable, we all belong and promote the brand. There are development opportunities at every level and a chance to be heard and put you ideas forward. The hardest part of the job is the sheer workload and balancing the demands of each school with other parts of the job eg. keeping up to date with training and working jointly with colleagues. The most enjoyable part of the job is the teamwork and camaraderie.

Pros

Career development, pension scheme, healthshield cover

Cons

Often work over the 9-5pm hours
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Fun and Friendly

I've worked at ChatterBug for over a year now and i still enjoy working here as much as I did when I started. It is a fast paced, friendly environment.All our team work together collaboratively and we are definitely one team.I'd highly recommend working here.
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Collaborative and hard working workplace

At ChatterBug no day is the same! When I first joined I was given 2 weeks induction and this was very useful to settle in and understand how ChatterBug works as a company. There are plenty of opportunities for line management and clinical supervision happening every 6-8 weeks or more regular if needed. What I enjoy most about working here are the people who I work with, everyone is so welcoming and we all support each other in our roles. As a therapist based in Halton we cover Runcorn and Widnes areas but where possible we try not to cross the bridge unless it is necessary. Working roles involve clinic appointments, school reviews in school and therapy sessions where necessary to clients in clinic or school. We are also given time at the end of the day for admin and follow up phone calls. To work at ChatterBug you need to be fun, hard-working, resilient, adaptable to change but most of all enjoy being a Speech and Language Therapist and working as part of a team!
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Great company to work for

Everyone at ChatterBug is very friendly, helpful and open. As a therapist, I've always felt well-supported in my role, and I have a varied caseload that I can manage myself. Each day is interesting and the company is growing and changing all the time, so there are a lot of new things to learn and try and you can really have an impact on how the service is run.
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Innovative, fast-paced and fun

At ChatterBug the SLTs are all allocated their own schools and private client caseload. This means we get to spend a full 9am-3pm day in schools and properly get to know the staff and children alike, developing meaningful and long-lasting relationships - this is definitely my favourite thing about the job! To work at ChatterBug you need to be: - Hardworking - Able to rise to a challenge and work under pressure - Creative and innovative - Motivated to go the extra mile to research new therapies and develop your clinical skills in order to excel as an SLT There is a fantastic team of staff with diverse and varied backgrounds, all of whom are extremely well-experienced and passionate about their roles, here to support you with your career.
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Overall rating

Based on 25 reviews

Ratings by category

3.8 out of 5 stars for Work/Life Balance
3.6 out of 5 stars for Salary/Benefits
4.1 out of 5 stars for Job security/advancement
4.0 out of 5 stars for Management
4.0 out of 5 stars for Culture

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