Job summary
- Main area
- Health Play Specialist
- Grade
- Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Mon-Fri 8.30-4.30)
- Job ref
- 213-Division-A-7451545
- Employer
- King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- King's College Hospital
- Town
- London
- Salary
- £33,094 - £36,195 per annum including HCA
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 16/09/2025 08:00
Employer heading
Heath Play Specialist
Band 4
King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£1.8 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 15,000 staff based across 5 main sites in South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local hospital services across its different sites, and specialist services from King’s College Hospital (KCH) sites at Denmark Hill in Camberwell and at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) site in the London Borough of Bromley.
We encourage all our staff to have a healthy work/life balance. In doing so, you can apply for flexible working from the beginning of your employment. We offer a range of options which are designed to suit different circumstances and priorities in line with service requirements.
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Qualified and Registered Health Play Specialist to join our Play and Youth Team in the department of Child Health, led by a Health Play Specialist Team Co-Ordinator.
Are you passionate about making a difference in health care through play?
Do you champion the power of play to support babies, children and young people to feel safe, understood and empowered?
This is an exciting and challenging role where you can apply your skills in providing therapeutic play, preparation, distraction therapy and normalised play to babies, children and young people.
You should have strong communication and interpersonal skills, with a high degree of empathy, understanding, diplomacy, honesty, integrity and sensitivity.
You will need to have experience of working within a multi-disciplinary team, maintaining confidentiality throughout. You must be able to accurately document all patient interventions on the patient’s electronic notes.
You will need the Health Play Specialist qualification and be a registered Health Play Specialist.
You will need an understanding and ability to work with addition and complex needs.
Main duties of the job
The post holder must be a registered and Qualified health Play Specialist holding the foundation degree in Health Care Play Specialism or the, Edxcel certificate or diploma as a Hospital Play Specialist.
To work as part of the Play & Youth service to deliver a high standard of service to promote play activities, therapeutic play sessions in the preparation of Babies, children and young people (BCYP) for procedures, examinations and inventions.
To be responsible for the assessment, planning, implementation and the evaluation of play strategies which encompass the developmental and emotional needs of the children/young people and their families or carers within the hospital setting.
To adhere to the safeguarding policy and guidance within the Trust to ensure the safety of Babies, children and young people. (BCYP) within the organisation.
To respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of BCYP and their families, and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to these needs.
To support and participate in the delivery of training and education on the importance and impact that therapeutic play intervention has on child and young person to the multi-disciplinary team (MDT).
Be responsible for acting in such a manner as to uphold and enhance the good standard and reputation of Play (Acknowledgement-SoHPS Code of Professional Conduct Standards)
Working for our organisation
King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£1.8 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 15,000 staff based across South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. The trust-wide strategy of Strong Roots, Global Reach is our Vision to be BOLD, Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. By being person-centred, digitally-enabled, and focused on sustainability, we aim to take Team King’s to another level.
We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.
King’s is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone’s contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust’s carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To create a welcoming, caring and safe play environment for the BCYP and their families.
To use play as a tool to communicate and build a rapport with children and young people attending the hospital.
To be responsible in using theoretical knowledge and evidence-based practice to assess, plan, implement and evaluate therapeutic play interventions in hospital which encompass the development and emotional needs of BCYP.
To take individual referrals for Babies, children/Young people and their family members experiencing difficulty in managing hospital admissions/procedures.
To participate in safeguarding children and young people within the Trust to ensure their safety and to adhere to the safeguarding policy.
To document therapeutic interventions and outcomes on patient records system.
To ensure that patient records and activity data are maintained contemporaneously 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.
To monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions using reflective practice to achieve best outcomes.
To support and involve parents and carers in their BCYP distraction and play plans.
To empathise with and provide and/or facilitate emotional support to parents, carers during times of stress or crisis, such as at a time of medical diagnosis or bereavement.
To establish effective communication, both verbal and written, with all members of the multi-disciplinary team.
To establish communication links with other agencies / hospitals involved with the BCYP.
To work as a member of the multi-disciplinary team, contributing to patient treatment/care plans.
To provide play-based observations to influence and support the overall assessment of BCYP.
To contribute and provide expert knowledge when involved in specific projects, audits and plans sharing at a local level.
Person specification
Qualifications and experience.
Essential criteria
- Health Play Specialism foundation Degree/ Certificate in Hospital Play Specialism · Registered with Society of Health Play Specialists. Documented evidence of Continuing Professional Development
- Skills and knowledge in planning and implement individual therapeutic play programmes to include preparation for procedures, distraction therapy and post procedural play.
- Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding, policies and procedures.
- Theoretical knowledge and understanding of child development, Knowledge of current best practice.
- Knowledge of effects of hospitalisation on children, young people and their families.
- Ability to understand and adhere to professional boundaries of the role, referring on to line manager where necessary Health, safety and risk awareness.
Desirable criteria
- Presentation skills
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
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
- Joan Walters
- Job title
- Lead Nurse clinical Education & Practice
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 020 3299 4399
List jobs with King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Allied Health Professions or all sectors