Job requirements
Essential
9 listedRequirements the employer expects applicants to meet.
- Experience
Experience of working with children aged 0 -18 years and understanding their developmental process.
- Experience
Experience leading play / recreation activities for babies, children and young people
- Experience
Experience of working with children in a healthcare setting
- Qualifications
Registered and Qualified Health Play Specialist holding the Foundation Degree in Healthcare Play Specialism
- Qualifications
NNEB/NVQ Level 3 or equivalent training involving normal childcare development
- Knowledge and Skills
Knowledge of child development and the ability to apply therapeutic play intervention for children
- Knowledge and Skills
Recognition of the effects of hospitalisation on the child and family
- Knowledge and Skills
Awareness of child safeguarding processes
- Knowledge and Skills
Knowledge of professional and ethical issues, including professional boundaries
Desirable
4 listedAdditional qualities the employer would prefer.
- Experience
Ability to deal with conflict in a professional manner.
- Experience
Supervisory Skills/ Mentoring students
- Knowledge and Skills
Knowledge of current best practice in clinical area
- Knowledge and Skills
Basic competency of Word andExcel
Job overview
Health Play Specialist- Band 4
Full time and part time options are available
Would you like to work in Epsom General Hospital. Are you a newly qualified or experienced Health Play Specialist and wanting a step in the door to working within the NHS and provide play and support to Children and their Families in acute care. If so, then this post is for you, you will have the opportunity to support all ages and a variety of medical conditions. The Health Play Specialist works within the MDT on the ward, ensuring that all Children and Young People have a positive admission experience.
Main duties of the job
You will be working to organise play activities to help children prepare for clinical procedures, safeguarding reviews and to work through their concerns and worries through a range of techniques suitable.
The work that you will be doing will be supported by a combination of evidence based practice and theoretical knowledge which will enable you to be able to plan, implement, review and evaluate therapeutic play programmes that support children (from birth) and young people emotionally and developmentally.
You will also be providing support to parents, carers and the wider family, including siblings, and will offer advice on how they can use play to help their children make sense of what's happening to them.
The Foundation degree in Healthcare Play Specialism, Edex /BTEC in Specialised play for the sick child or the previous HPSC/HPSEB, or international equivalent, is required for this post along with current registration with HPSET. Students currently undertaking the FdA Healthcare play specialism are welcome to apply or those working towards the registration.
For further details / informal visits contact:
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the attached supporting Job description/Person Specification documents which contains more information about the role
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.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Health Play Specialist with Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust in Carshalton, England. It is listed as a Band 4 Play specialist role. The advertised salary is £33,262 - £36,027 pa incl HCAS Outer pro rata. The contract type is Permanent: 5 days a week. The application deadline is 27 Sep 2026.
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