Youth Support Co-ordinator/Senior Health Play Specialist
| Posting date: | 10 December 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | £37,259 - £45,356 Per Annum Inclusive of HCAS |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 09 January 2026 |
| Location: | London, NW1 2BU |
| Company: | University College London Hospital |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: | 7672361/309-UCLH-7184 |
Summary
A Vacancy at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
An exciting opportunity has arisen at UCLH for a Youth Support Coordinator or registered health play specialist to join a highly respected play and youth services team. To be successful in this role, you will have a relevant qualification in youth work, or a qualified and registered Health Play Specialist, you will have extensive experience of working with children and/or young people in social or healthcare settings.
We are looking for someone who strives to improve healthcare for BCYP through play and activity, who would like an opportunity of working in a supportive and diverse team within the children and young people division. You will be emotionally resilient to and have compassion, sensitivity and a sense of humour. Working within the busy CYP service you will be supporting patients attending for clinic and treatment, you will be vital in reducing the anxiety surrounding hospital treatment , admissions and procedures. You will be proactive in creating and maintaining an age-appropriate environment throughout BCYP areas and facilitate group activities and individual therapeutic sessions with patients.
This post is an exciting and fantastic opportunity for you to expand your knowledge, skills and experience as a professional working with children and young people within a leading, award-winning play and youth team who support children and young people from 0 to 25 years. A team which is led by a supportive leadership team, striving to embed high quality specialised play practices on a national level.
You will need to have extensive, relevant experience of working with children and young people in a healthcare or social setting and be able to deal sensitively with families under stress. You will need to be able to engage easily with children and young people and be able to work effectively with your MDT colleagues to use therapeutic techniques creatively to enhance the children and young person’s hospital experience. . The post holder will have responsibility to support and supervise junior members of staff and mentor students. This role will give the post holder the opportunity to develop leadership skills in organising staff rotas, assessing service needs and referrals.
The post holder will work alongside a team of play and activity workers, play specialists and youth support co-ordinators who will support you in your role and the leadership team who will actively support your professional development.
The post holder will need to be able to work flexible hours between 8-6 including some evening and weekend working.
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (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.
We provide first-class acute and specialist services across eight sites:
• University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing)
• National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
• Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals
• University College Hospital Grafton Way Building
• Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine
• University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre
• The Hospital for Tropical Diseases
• University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street
We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. 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. We have set an ambitious target of net zero for our direct emissions by 2031 and indirect emissions by 2040.
Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff*
* UCLH top trust to work at in England - In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England – for the third year in a row.
UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff – To find out more, visit: Flexible working.
To discover more about what makes UCLH a great place to work, visit: Why Choose UCLH?
This advert closes on Monday 29 Dec 2025
An exciting opportunity has arisen at UCLH for a Youth Support Coordinator or registered health play specialist to join a highly respected play and youth services team. To be successful in this role, you will have a relevant qualification in youth work, or a qualified and registered Health Play Specialist, you will have extensive experience of working with children and/or young people in social or healthcare settings.
We are looking for someone who strives to improve healthcare for BCYP through play and activity, who would like an opportunity of working in a supportive and diverse team within the children and young people division. You will be emotionally resilient to and have compassion, sensitivity and a sense of humour. Working within the busy CYP service you will be supporting patients attending for clinic and treatment, you will be vital in reducing the anxiety surrounding hospital treatment , admissions and procedures. You will be proactive in creating and maintaining an age-appropriate environment throughout BCYP areas and facilitate group activities and individual therapeutic sessions with patients.
This post is an exciting and fantastic opportunity for you to expand your knowledge, skills and experience as a professional working with children and young people within a leading, award-winning play and youth team who support children and young people from 0 to 25 years. A team which is led by a supportive leadership team, striving to embed high quality specialised play practices on a national level.
You will need to have extensive, relevant experience of working with children and young people in a healthcare or social setting and be able to deal sensitively with families under stress. You will need to be able to engage easily with children and young people and be able to work effectively with your MDT colleagues to use therapeutic techniques creatively to enhance the children and young person’s hospital experience. . The post holder will have responsibility to support and supervise junior members of staff and mentor students. This role will give the post holder the opportunity to develop leadership skills in organising staff rotas, assessing service needs and referrals.
The post holder will work alongside a team of play and activity workers, play specialists and youth support co-ordinators who will support you in your role and the leadership team who will actively support your professional development.
The post holder will need to be able to work flexible hours between 8-6 including some evening and weekend working.
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (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.
We provide first-class acute and specialist services across eight sites:
• University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing)
• National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
• Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals
• University College Hospital Grafton Way Building
• Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine
• University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre
• The Hospital for Tropical Diseases
• University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street
We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. 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. We have set an ambitious target of net zero for our direct emissions by 2031 and indirect emissions by 2040.
Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff*
* UCLH top trust to work at in England - In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England – for the third year in a row.
UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff – To find out more, visit: Flexible working.
To discover more about what makes UCLH a great place to work, visit: Why Choose UCLH?
This advert closes on Monday 29 Dec 2025
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