Health Play Specialist

Posting date:	16 January 2026
Salary:	£33,094.00 to £36,195.00 per year
Additional salary information:	£33094.00 - £36195.00 a year
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	29 January 2026
Location:	London, SE5 9RS
Company:	NHS Jobs
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	C9213-26-0045

Summary

Clinical Practice Create a welcoming, safe and caring play environment for the Babies, children and young people (BCYP) and their families. Use play as a tool to communicate and build rapport with BCYP people attending the hospital. Manage and be responsible in using theoretical knowledge and evidence-based practice to assess, plan, implement and evaluate therapeutic play interventions in hospital Document therapeutic interventions and outcomes on patient records system. Undertake individual referrals for BCYP and their family members experiencing difficulty in managing hospital admissions/procedures. Ensure that patient records and activity data are maintained in accordance with Professional and Trust standards Attend Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) meetings and contribute to treatment and care plans. Devise play programmes for BCYP in hospital, according to their individual needs and as part of their overall care plan. Plan and implement individual therapeutic play programmes to include preparation for invasive and non-invasive procedures, distraction therapy and post procedural play. Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions using reflective practice to achieve best outcomes. Empathise with and provide and/or facilitate support to parents, carers and siblings during times of stress or crisis, such as at a time of medical diagnosis or bereavement. Establish and maintain effective communication, both verbal and written, with all members of the multi-disciplinary team. Establish good communication with other agencies / hospitals involved with the BCYP. Provide play-based observations to influence and support the overall assessment of BCYP Contribute and provide expert knowledge when involved in specific projects, audits and plans Contribute to the development of protocols, standards, guidelines and competencies for the department and devise standards for the Play and Youth service. Be responsible for mentoring and clinically supervising students and Volunteers, with support from your team. Training and Education Manage and participate in the departments in-service training programmes. Where appropriate represent King's trust and the Play and Youth Service at conferences and meetings presenting case studies and best practice Participate in the orientation, training and supervision of work experience students and volunteers Participate in teaching and training sessions of other health care professionals to promote awareness of the therapeutic benefits of play in hospital Departmental Contribute to the planning, evaluation and audit of practice, care pathways and protocols to ensure a consistent and high-quality service Be proactive in the delivery of the play service development as part of the overall business plan for the Therapies, Dietetics and Play and Youth Services Attend meetings to share relevant information related to the Trust and the Play & Youth service Order and monitor play resources to reflect the needs of the patient group and maintain the resources, in accordance with Trust health and safety and infection control standards Establish effective communication, both verbal and written, with all members of the MDT and in other departments of the hospital where BCYP are treated Work closely with the Hospital School to minimise the interruption to children and young peoples education so that academic progress and an interest in learning will continue, as far as medical circumstances permit Work with hospital and external charities in identifying fundraising opportunities for activities and resources Ensure compliance with the Trust's Equality and Diversity Policy, supporting the delivery of the Trusts Race Equality Scheme and the Trust's duty to positively promote race equality and equality of opportunity for disabled people ensuring services are responsive to the needs of equality groups. Personal and Professional Development. Comply with Society of Health Play Specialists (SoHPS) Professional Standards Actively participate in maintaining own professional development, identifying own educational and clinical training needs with the Play and Youth Team Coordinator Maintain a professional portfolio in line with SoHPS recommendations for re-registration recording learning outcomes from participation in internal and external development opportunities. Ensure mandatory training is up to date Contribute to policy development demonstrating the ability to evaluate current research and apply to practice. Other Duties To work flexibly with the Play and Youth Team to ensure service provision is consistent and effective