Job summary
- Main area
- Paediatrics
- Grade
- Band 3
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time - 19.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 430-WC25-86A
- Employer
- Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Ward 5 (Dept)
- Town
- Milton Keynes
- Salary
- £24,937 - £26,598 Per annum, pro rata if part-time
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 02/11/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 10/11/2025
Employer heading
Play Assistant
Band 3
At Milton Keynes University Hospital, you will be welcomed into a friendly and supportive environment where teamwork and respect are at the heart of everything we do. We are proud to live our Trust values and behaviours every day, creating a culture where everyone feels heard and valued.
MKUH staff's Motivation and Involvement scores are among the highest in our peer group, showing that our people feel inspired and included in decision-making (Staff Survey, 2024).
Our benefits
We believe in recognising and rewarding the amazing contribution of our staff and that is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your wellbeing, work-life balance, and professional growth, including:
- Free on-site parking including EV charging
- Complimentary refreshments
- Flexible working arrangements
- Discounted gym membership
- Salary sacrifice car scheme
- Generous annual leave, with the option to bank holiday entitlement
- Membership of the NHS Pension Scheme
- On-site nursery (charges apply)
- A wide-ranging staff health and wellbeing programme including EAP
- VIVUP products to support your mental, physical, and financial Wellbeing
Job overview
Play Assistant
Department Children’s Services
Band 3 £24,937 - £26,598 Per annum, pro rata
Hours 19 per week, all MKUH roles will be considered for flexible working
Are you passionate about using play to support children during their hospital experience? Do you have the skills and enthusiasm to create a positive, playful environment that promotes emotional and physical recovery? If so, then we would love to hear from you about joining our fabulous team as a Play Assistant!
With the role of play becoming ever more valued at MKUH, we are passionate about creating an environment where play is not just an activity but a vital component of healthcare, supporting developmental, therapeutic and recovery needs. We need another kind, well organised, motivated and enthusiastic person to join our team. The post of play assistant requires a dynamic forward-thinking person, the role will involve preparation for children and their families for blood tests and operations and creating and delivering play plans and activities to children of all ages.
If you think you have what it takes to bring play to children in hospital, please apply to join our team!
Please note that we are not able to offer sponsorship for this role.
For further information or to arrange an informal visit to the Paediatric Unit please contact Senior Sister Philippa Cullen-Prince on 01908 996588 or Laura Clarke 01908 996377 or via email [email protected] or [email protected]
Main duties of the job
'We care We communicate We collaborate We contribute'
To meet the play and emotional needs of any babies, children, young people and their families attending the hospital and to participate in the creation of a safe, child friendly environment.
You will be responsible for assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating the play needs of the child in hospital, providing age appropriate explanations and discussion for the child and family, about the child’s treatment.
You will provide play activities to help children cope with any pain, anxiety or fear they might experience during their time in hospital. Play is also used to prepare children for treatment, distract them during a procedure, and help them understand what they have experienced.
Working for our organisation
Milton Keynes University Hospital, in proud partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital committed to advancing patient care through cutting-edge research and education. With a “Good” rating from the CQC and significant investment underway, this is an exciting time to join our team and grow your career.
As a medium sized general hospital, we provide a full range of general medical and surgical services, including a busy Emergency Department, Maternity, and Paediatrics. As the population of our city and surrounding areas continues to grow rapidly, we are expanding and enhancing our facilities to meet rising demand and improve access to care for all our communities.
We are also proud to offer a growing portfolio of specialist services. In January 2025 we opened our state-of-the-art Radiotherapy Centre, bringing advanced cancer treatment closer to home. Our services also include neonatology, specialist surgical care, and a wide range of diagnostics, supported by the new Community Diagnostic Centre at Whitehouse Health Centre.
Further investment is underway, including the construction of Oak Wards – a new ward block featuring two 24-bed wards – and the recently approved Women and Children’s Centre, set to open by 2030.
Visit our website to explore the latest news and opportunities at MKUH - News - Milton Keynes University Hospital -
For further information about Milton Keynes please visit - Visit Milton Keynes
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Professional
• To create a child friendly environment in which play occurs naturally at all times.
• Encourage play to maintain the child’s links with family and home and to help the child adjust to the hospital situation.
Communication
• Establish and maintain an open and sensitive communicative manner with children, families, relatives and multi- disciplinary team.
• Demonstrate friendly, helpful and respectful attention to everyone.
Domestic and Environmental
• Responsible for the selection of play equipment, work with Senior Sisters to ensure resources meet demands.
• Responsible for maintaining play equipment with regard to safety and cross infection.
Teaching and Education
• To participate in MDT training programmes.
• To create an awareness in all members of the multi-disciplinary team of the value of play and the emotional needs of the child in hospital.
General Duties
• To undertake errands as required.
• Perform tasks as may be considered relevant by ward manager
Personnel
• Comply with all Trust policies and procedures
Please refer to the Job Description for further details
Person specification
Qualifications and knowledge
Essential criteria
- Child care qualification at level 3 or above.
- Key skills level 2 or equivalent in literacy and numeracy
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of working with parents and extended families.
- To have worked as a team member, able to demonstrate skills in communication and team working
Skills
Essential criteria
- Ability to organise play activities for both children and young people.
- Able to effectively communicate with all age groups, adjusting to specific situation, requirements
- Able to demonstrate an ability to deal appropriately with emotional and physical demands of the role, including distressing situations such as palliative care, blood tests, safeguarding issues
- Ability to work with individuals and groups of children and young people.
Personal and people development
Essential criteria
- Excellent understanding of a child’s development.
- Aware of issues relating to safeguarding children.
- Demonstrates ability to maintain confidentiality at all times.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Philippa Cullen-Prince
- Job title
- Senior Sister
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
Interview date 10 November 2025
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