Hospital Play Team Manager

Job overview

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for detailed job description of the role.

Main duties of the job

Are you an inspiring leader with a passion for child‑centred care? Do you thrive in creative, fast‑paced environments where no two days are the same? We’re looking for an exceptional Hospital Play Team Manager to lead our dynamic play service and help shape outstanding experiences for children, young people and their families across UHS.

As the manager of our dedicated Hospital Play Team, you’ll play a pivotal role in driving a high‑quality, innovative and compassionate play service throughout the children’s hospital. You’ll lead a talented team of Play Specialists and play leaders, champion therapeutic play across the multidisciplinary team, and ensure that every child receives the emotional support, preparation and distraction they need to feel safe and confident during their hospital stay.

This is a role for someone who brings energy, vision and passion to their profession. You’ll oversee service development, nurture a positive and collaborative team culture, and work closely with clinical colleagues to embed play as a vital part of holistic care. From enhancing environments to developing new play‑based initiatives, you’ll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the experiences of children and families every single day.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

We’re looking for someone who is:

A confident and compassionate leader

A Qualified play specialist

Passionate about improving the hospital experience for children and young people

Able to build strong relationships across the MDT

Creative, organised and ready to drive service excellence

If you’re excited by the idea of leading a service that brings comfort, confidence and joy to children when they need it most, we’d love to hear from you. Join us and help shape the future of play in healthcare at UHS.

Responsibilities: Responsible for leading a team to provide the safe therapeutic management of a defined patient / client caseload.

Provide play therapy, education through play and support to patients, their carers and other health care professionals. Practice clinically in agreed care settings and advise and support Divisions regarding the overall management of the service.

Identify, develop and implement service improvement by working with partners to put in place administrative and operational pathways that support care for patients in the most appropriate settings, and reducing inappropriate or avoidable demand for acute services.

What experience and skills are required:  Registered play specialist Degree level qualification or equivalent experience Evidence of supporting/ managing a range of learners in practice