Health Play Specialist
At a glance
- Band
- Band 4
- Contract
- Fixed-term
- Pattern
- Full-time
- Posted
- 21/08/2026
- Closes
- 03/09/2026
Sponsorship verdict
Candidates needing sponsorship are encouraged to apply.
HiveMind found a sponsorship-friendly statement in the source advert welcoming applicants who require a visa. Always confirm on the source before applying.
“Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications.”Quoted verbatim from the source advert
Role summary
This role involves providing therapeutic play support to children and young people in hospital, including those in the BMT service and sibling donor clinic. The specialist will undertake assessments, devise play programmes, and implement interventions like preparation for procedures and distraction therapy. A key focus is preventing psychological harm in sibling donors and evaluating the service through patient and carer surveys. The position also offers opportunities to support palliative care discussions and bereavement.
Essential criteria
- oFdA Health Care Play Specialism. Previous equivalent qualification (HPSC/HPSEB) or Child Life Specialist
- oRegistered Society of Health Play Specialists (SoHPS) or Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS)
- oBasic Secondary Education up to 5 GCSE' or beyond, including English and Maths
Desirable criteria
- oNVQ, CACHE, NNEB (level 3) in Child Care/Play Work or Diploma in Children and Young Peoples Workforce or Early Childhood Studies (BA)
- Experience/Knowledge
- oTheoretical knowledge and understanding of therapeutic play and child development
- oKnowledge of current best practice
- oKnowledge of the value of play for sick children
- oKnowledge of effects of hospitalization on children, young people and their families
- oBasic knowledge of health legislation and SoHPS guidelines for professional practice
- oKnowledge of confidentiality
- oBasic knowledge of the principles of clinical governance
- oKnowledge of professional code of conduct and its application in practice
- Skills/Abilities
- oAbility to work with and provide creative activities to individual and groups of children/adolescents
- oEffective verbal and written communication skills
- oGood organisation skills
- oA full understanding and ability to plan and apply play preparation, distraction therapy and post procedural play
- oAbility to reflect and adhere to profession boundaries of the role, referring on to line manager where necessary
- oAbility to be flexible, exchange and learn new ideas as part of your team
- oAbility to reflect and critically appraise own performance
- oHealth, safety, and risk awareness
- oDocumentation skills
- oPresentation Skills
- oIT Skills
- Our Always values
- o Our Always values
- Academic/Professional qualification/Training
- oFdA Health Care Play Specialism. Previous equivalent qualification (HPSC/HPSEB) or Child Life Specialist
- oRegistered Society of Health Play Specialists (SoHPS) or Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS)
- oBasic Secondary Education up to 5 GCSE' or beyond, including English and Maths
- oNVQ, CACHE, NNEB (level 3) in Child Care/Play Work or Diploma in Children and Young Peoples Workforce or Early Childhood Studies (BA)
- Experience/Knowledge
- oTheoretical knowledge and understanding of therapeutic play and child development
- oKnowledge of current best practice
- oKnowledge of the value of play for sick children
- oKnowledge of effects of hospitalization on children, young people and their families
- oBasic knowledge of health legislation and SoHPS guidelines for professional practice
- oKnowledge of confidentiality
- oBasic knowledge of the principles of clinical governance
- oKnowledge of professional code of conduct and its application in practice
- Skills/Abilities
- oAbility to work with and provide creative activities to individual and groups of children/adolescents
- oEffective verbal and written communication skills
- oGood organisation skills
- oA full understanding and ability to plan and apply play preparation, distraction therapy and post procedural play
- oAbility to reflect and adhere to profession boundaries of the role, referring on to line manager where necessary
- oAbility to be flexible, exchange and learn new ideas as part of your team
- oAbility to reflect and critically appraise own performance
- oHealth, safety, and risk awareness
- oDocumentation skills
- oPresentation Skills
- oIT Skills
- Our Always values
- o Our Always values
Useful to know
Agenda for Change 2024/25 pays Band 4 at £26,530 – £29,114 a year, across England.
This advert: £34,186 – £37,389 — outside the standard scale; check for HCAS/London weighting.
Posted 9d ago · Closes in 5d
Plenty of time to prepare a strong application.
Full advert · preview
Job summary
We work closely with all referring specialities, however the BMT patients remain under the care of the BMT service until there are no acute BMT related problems, this period can be between 6 months or a number of years.
Additional support: An area identified as requiring play therapy support is in the sibling donor clinic. The pathway for sibling donors has a clear clinical and ethical framework in line with the Human Tissue Act (2004).
A key aspect of the sibling donor clinic is to support the child and ensure they are adequately prepared. A priority of the donor care pathway is to prevent psychological harm. We currently don't have any play specialist available to input with this clinic and it has been identified that it would be beneficial for play therapy support to be extended to sibling donors.
This would be a new service. We would plan to evaluate the service with patient and carer surveys.
Additionally, we would envisage that we could develop the following areas with increased play staffing:
Availability for support if acute patient needs arises - including support with other allied health professionals.
Support with palliative care discussions.
Bereavement support - this also links with sibling donor care and follow up.
Main duties of the job
Main duties of the job
- To undertake therapeutic assessments and devise play programmes for chil
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