Health Play Specialist | University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

An exciting opportunity has arisen at UCLH for a qualified Health Play Specialist or second year Apprentice/student on the Health Play Specialist course, looking to gain more experience within our highly respected team.

The successful candidate will implement specialised play interventions across both inpatient and outpatient settings. You will need to be able to engage easily with children and young people, work effectively with your multi-disciplinary team colleagues and use therapeutic play techniques creatively throughout the setting.

Responsibilities will include:

• Supporting hospitalised children and young people.
• Leading alternative focus activities during procedures.
• Therapeutic play preparation.
• Creating an age‑appropriate welcoming environment throughout the area.
• Helping patients and families manage anxiety effectively.
• Providing, managing and leading appropriate play and recreational activities to enable normal cognitive, social and emotional development to continue during hospitalisation and treatment.
• Planning, implementing and evaluating interventions to achieve therapeutic goals, in collaboration with the referrer, the child/young person and their family, managing own case loads and demonstrating effective time management.
• Contributing to clinical judgements based on the patient’s individual needs through play provisions.
• Assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating recreational and therapeutic play interventions, including preparation, distraction therapy and post‑procedural techniques for invasive and non‑invasive procedures.
• Contributing to establishing and maintaining systems to provide patients with a smooth transition between hospital departments.
• Working independently to meet the needs of children and young people as well as part of the MDT.
• Providing and maintaining a safe, welcoming and age‑appropriate environment where play and recreation can occur naturally.
• Selecting and applying therapeutic techniques to help children, young people and young adults overcome difficulties with hospital admission/procedures.

Qualifications and Requirements:

• Experience of working with children and young people in a healthcare setting, dealing sensitively with families under stress.
• FdA in Healthcare Play Specialism, Edex PDC/HND in Specialised play for the sick child, previous HPSC/HPSEB, or international equivalent.
• Ability to work flexible hours and undertake cover on any other ward or department as required.

To contribute to assessments and overall care planning using knowledge of child and adolescent development and incorporating an understanding of child/vulnerable adult protection issues. Through the provisions of play and recreation, anticipate and provide empathic support to families that are under stress and in crisis, providing advice on helping their child cope and adapt to treatment, demonstrating a commitment to family‑centred care.

To monitor, evaluate and modify therapeutic interventions in order to measure the children and/or young persons’ progress and ensure effectiveness of care plan. To demonstrate and apply knowledge of the effect of hospitalisation and illness on the young person/family when contributing to care pathways.

To undertake cover on any other ward or departments as required due to staff absence ensuring patients throughout the Play and Youth Play Service receive play input as required as delegated by the supervisor. The play service team consists of 35 experienced staff, led by a play services manager who will actively support your professional development. The post holder will need to be able to work flexible hours to meet the needs of the service.

UCLH is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically led acute and specialist services, to people from the local area, from throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. Our vision is to deliver top‑quality patient care, excellent education, and world‑class research.

UCLH specialises in women’s health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological, gastrointestinal and oral disease. It has world class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclear medicine and pathology. We are committed to sustainability and have pledged to become a carbon net‑zero health service, embedding sustainable practice throughout UCLH.

For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.