Health Play Specialist | University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Posting date:	10 February 2026
Salary:	Not specified
Additional salary information:	£33,094 - £36,195 per annum inclusive of HCAS, pro-rata
Hours:	Part time
Closing date:	12 March 2026
Location:	London, NW1 2BU
Company:	University College London Hospital
Job type:	Contract
Job reference:	7787533/309-UCLH-7428

Summary

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, be able to 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 and helping patients and families manage anxiety effectively.

You will need to have experience of working with children and young people in a healthcare setting and be able to deal sensitively with families under stress. You will work as part of a supportive team where play and recreation is valued and respected as an integrated part of young people’s treatment and your contribution to the patient’s pathway will be highly respected.

To provide, manage and lead appropriate play and recreational activities to enable normal cognitive, social and emotional development to continue during hospitalisation and treatment.

To plan, implement and evaluate 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.

Through play provisions, contribute to clinical judgements based on the patient’s individual needs.

Assess, plan, implement and evaluate recreational and therapeutic play interventions, including preparation, distraction therapy and post procedural techniques for invasive and non-invasive procedures.

Contribute to establishing and maintaining systems to provide patients with a smooth transition between hospital departments.

To work independently to meet the needs of children and young people as well as part of the MDT.

Provide and maintain a safe, welcoming and age appropriate environment where play and recreation can occur naturally.

To select and apply therapeutic techniques to help children, young people and young adults overcome difficulties with hospital admission/procedures.

...continued below (Job Description)

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.



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

...Main duties, continued from above:

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 teamconsists of 35 experienced staff, lead 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.

The FdA in Healthcare Play Specialism, Edex PDC/HND in Specialised play for the sick child or the previous HPSC/HPSEB, or international equivalent, is required for this post.

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 Tuesday 17 Feb 2026

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