Health Play Specialist

Job overview

As a registered Health Play Specialist (HPS) you will be responsible for participating in the delivery of a specialised pathway called Kidzscan.

The kidzscan pathway is a structured programme that supports children to carry out Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanning without any form of sedation. This is an exciting new position where the post holder will be a positive role model for Kidzscan and work with children from all specialties with the north east of England.

For each child referred to the kidzscan pathway, you will carry out a play preparation session using various resources such as a LEGO scanner, short film and role play. This session will inform the child what happens during a MRI scan and you will create an individualised plan to meet the child’s emotional, physical, sensory and social needs. This plan will then be used with your support on their day of scan.

You will be expected to work in partnership with all members of the multi-disciplinary team to support the delivery of this service and respond appropriately to unexpected events in order to maintain service delivery.

• Interview Date Monday 18 August 2025
• 34 Hours 30 Minutes/Week
• You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy.  Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy

NO AGENCIES PLEASE

Main duties of the job

• Use communication skills with parents and families where situations are complex, sensitive and there are barriers to understanding.
• Acts as an advocate for the patient and their family / carer.
• Respects the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of patients and their families. Contributes to the provision of a service sensitive to these needs.
• Effective verbal and written skills.
• Adjust and amend play intervention to reflect changing needs of child/young person.
• Caring attitude.
• The post holder is required to have knowledge and experience of developmental, emotional and social play for all age ranges and abilities of children and young people.
• Inform, educate, support and advise other healthcare specialists, nursing staff, and families in the role of play.
• The post holder is expected to work across all specialties within The Great North Children’s Hospital.
• Receive and manage requests from relevant health care professionals to support children through the kidzscan pathway.
• Prioritise and manages a wide and varied workload.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

As some children who have MRI scans require cannulation, you will also be expected to support The Great North Children’s Hospital to carry out all blood taking and cannulation using the new initiative kidzaccess, and where appropriate act as a resource to support the professional development and education of all other staff.

• The Hospital Play Specialist role will, under the accountability of the Learning Disability Liaison Nurse offer normalising and specialised play for children, young people and on occasion adults with complex healthcare needs and their families, considering age, stage of development, medical condition and background to promote emotional health and optimal development, this will include the effects of hospitalisation, ill health and treatments required.
• The Play Specialist is required to have knowledge and experience of developmental, emotional and social play for all age ranges and abilities of children and young people in hospital.
• Inform, educate, support and advise other healthcare specialists, nursing staff, and families in the role of play.
• Use play to help and assist in alleviating anxieties, pain, or emotional trauma caused to the child, young person and their families, which can often occur in the unfamiliar hospital environment, aiding them to engage in hospital life, promoting their understanding of their healthcare needs, investigations and treatments.
• The post holder is expected to be a fully integrated member of the department team.
• Contribute to the maintenance, consistency and development of the play service throughout the Trust.
• Receive requests from relevant health care professionals and other HPS for a patient to be seen following a referral to a medical consultant and his team.
• To escort children and young people to theatre (where appropriate) in line with Trust policy, to aid and promote understanding and coping mechanisms.

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.