Health Play Specialist

Thank you for your interest in this role, we would be delighted to welcome you to Sherwood Forest Hospitals.

Sherwood is nationally recognised as being an excellent place to work and deliver care. We are rightly proud of the 5,500 colleagues who work here and know that happy colleagues deliver better care.

Our teams work in a supportive, inclusive environment, which nurtures wellbeing and has opportunities for development and progression. We do not just care for our patients, we also care for you.

At Sherwood Forest Hospitals, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. As such, we particularly welcome applications from people who identify as Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, or Disabled. We believe that a diverse team better represents the communities we serve and brings a wealth of perspectives and experiences to our work.

Job overview

Make a meaningful difference to the lives of children and young people through the power of play.

Sherwood Forest Hospitals are seeking a caring, enthusiastic, and creative Health Play Specialist to join our dedicated team and help make healthcare experiences more positive, reassuring, and child-centred.

As a Health Play Specialist, you will use therapeutic play, creative activities, and age-appropriate interventions to help children and young people understand and cope with illness, medical procedures, treatment, and hospital stays. You will play a vital role in reducing anxiety, promoting emotional wellbeing, supporting development, and helping children feel safe, confident, and involved in their healthcare journey.

Working closely with children, families, and the wider multidisciplinary team, you will provide individualised support that recognises each child's unique needs, abilities, and circumstances. You will use your communication skills, compassion, and creativity to build trusting relationships, prepare children for unfamiliar experiences, and help them manage the challenges associated with healthcare.

This role offers a rewarding opportunity to make a genuine difference every day, ensuring children and young people receive compassionate, high-quality care that places their wellbeing and individual needs at the heart of everything you do.

Main duties of the job

To understand the role in more detail, please refer to the attached job description and person specification.

Working for our organisation

We are an award-winning NHS Foundation Trust working alongside health and social care colleagues across the county to provide acute and community healthcare services to more than 420,000 people across Mansfield, Ashfield, Newark and Sherwood, and parts of Derbyshire and Lincolnshire.

Sherwood is nationally recognised as being an excellent place to work and deliver care. We are rightly proud of the 5,500 colleagues who work here.

We are proud that our Trust colleagues have voted us the best acute Trust to work for in the East Midlands for seven years running in the National NHS Staff Survey, while the Care Quality Commission has rated our Trust as ‘outstanding’ for care and our King’s Mill Hospital as the only ‘outstanding’ NHS-run hospital in the East Midlands.

We know happy colleagues deliver better care. All our teams work in a supportive environment, which nurtures your wellbeing and provides opportunities for development and progression. We do not just care for our patients, we also care for you.

We have an open, inclusive and diverse culture and we would like you to be part of the team.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To understand the role in more detail, please refer to the attached job description and person specification.

Person specification

Knowledge Requirements

• Knowledge of children’s issues/ children with special needs
• Ability to communicate with children and adolescents
• Self-motivated
• Ability to work as part of a multi disciplinary team
• Ability to work with families
• Ability to plan/ design age appropriate play/developmental activities for children and adolescents
• Ability to communicate well
• Ability to conduct tasks promptly and efficiently
• Understanding of health and safety issues
• Experience of working with adolescents and children with special needs including those with challenging behaviour

Qualifications

• Health Play Specialist foundation degree / Professional Diploma in Specialised Play for Sick Children and Young People
• Registered with HPSET
• Experience of working in the hospital setting

Further Training

• Commitment to support the Trust’s Values

Experience

• Working within hospital setting
• Experience of supervising students
• Experience of audit of play/ distraction
• Awareness of children’s health related issues such as CAMHS, behavioural and developmental milestones

Contractual Requirements

• To work within a 7-day rota / Commitment to support the Trust’s Values
• To adhere to uniform policy

Not all of our roles are eligible for visa sponsorship. To find out which roles are eligible, please refer to the shortage occupation list found here:

Home Office guidance has changed. Anyone that requires switching visa type may not be eligible for sponsorship even if the role is on the shortage occupation list.

We as a Trust support the use of AI and other tools to support your application. However, all personal statements and behavioural examples must be truthful and factually accurate. Your application should reflect your own personal/professional experiences and qualifications to ensure authenticity and credibility.

For the avoidance of doubt, plagiarism includes presenting the ideas or experiences of others or content generated by artificial intelligence as your own. We review all applications carefully to ensure that the information provided in your supporting statement aligns with your qualifications, work history and the duties undertaken within those roles. Your experience will also be explored further during the interview process.

If you would like this information in an alternative format or in a different language please contact us on 01623 622515 ext 3271.

Please note that we no longer accept handwritten/paper applicationsand that the email address given on your application will be used for all correspondence regarding this post. We reserve the right to close a vacancy before the closing date if a sufficient number of applications have been received. Priority for vacancies at the Trust will be given to existing employees of Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust whose roles are currently at risk of redundancy due to organisational change. If a high number of applications are received, a longlisting exercise will be conducted prior to shortlisting.

Only applications received on or before the closing date will be considered for short listing. This is to ensure that the Trust meets its commitment to Equality of Opportunity.

In submitting an application, you authorise Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to confirm any current and previous NHS Service details and you agree to the Trust obtaining and transferring personal date held about you, including Occupational Health data (inoculations and screening tests). This data will be shared using the NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) and third party systems via an automated process and will only be used for the purposes of maintaining your employment record.

Please note if you are successful in obtaining this position and the post involves regulated activity you will be required to undertake a Disclosure & Barring Service check. The Trust will pay for the check initially and then the money will then be deducted from your first salary once you've commenced employment. The current price of a check is £26.40 for a standard check and £54.40 for an enhanced. If you are asked to complete a DBS check and have a previous identity that you do not wish to be disclosed to your employer and/or on your DBS certificate, you should call or email the dedicated sensitive applications team before submitting your application. The team is experienced in dealing with sensitive cases and will advise you of the process and what you need to do.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

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