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Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen at UCLH for a Play & Activity Worker, to join a highly respected Play and Youth Services Team. We are looking for someone who is committed to the delivery of compassionate high-quality care and has the skills to provide holistic play services for all babies, children and young people (BCYP) along with their families. Enabling them to feel safe and at ease within the hospital environment. This post is a fantastic opportunity for you to expand your knowledge, skills and experience as a professional working with BCYP within a leading, award-winning play and youth team. A team which is led by a supportive leadership team, striving to embed high quality specialised play practices on a national level. This post will help shape the delivery of services to children and young people within health and is an opportunity to expand your knowledge, skills and experience of working within our services. You will need to have relevant experience of working with children and young people, ideally in a healthcare or social setting and be able to deal sensitively with families under stress.
Main duties of the job
This post holder will be providing play and recreation interventions in both inpatient and outpatient departments, helping to alleviate patient’s anxieties and fear, as well as normalising their time in hospital. You will need to be able to engage with BCYP, providing creative activities as well as social and emotional support. You will need to be able to work flexibly and adapt to support a variety of ages and specialities.
We provide a 7 day a week service for BCYP, and therefore the post holder will need to be able to work flexible hours to meet the needs of the service, including evening and weekend working.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.
Please note, due to anticipated high volumes of applications, this vacancy may close earlier than the listed closing date. You are advised not to delay submitting your completed application
Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff*
* UCLH top trust to work at in England - In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England – for the third year in a row.
UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff – To find out more, visit: Flexible working.
To discover more about what makes UCLH a great place to work, visit: Why Choose UCLH?
Person specification
Experience
Essential
- Previous experience of working with children/young people in a play, education or hospital setting.
- Experience leading play/recreation activities for babies, children and/or young people.
Desirable
- Experience of working with children and/or young people with learning disabilities including those with challenging behaviours.
- Experience of formal and informal teaching.
Other Requirements
Essential
- Able to work flexible hours and weekends according to needs of clinical area.
Desirable
- Membership of NAHPS Professional Body.
- Documented evidence of Continuing Professional Development.
Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Ability to work as part of a team.
Desirable
- Basic competency using Word and Excel.
Knowledge & Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ, CACHE, NNEB (Level 3) in Child Care/Play Work or Diploma in Children and Young Peoples Workforce or Early Childhood Studies (BA)
- Basic knowledge of professional and ethical issues, including professional boundaries, clinical governance and safeguarding children policies and practice.
Desirable
- Bachelor’s Degree (or overseas equivalent) in a subject relevant to work with children and/or young people.
- Knowledge of NAHPS Guidelines for Professional Practice.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Play and Activity Worker with University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in London, London, England. It is listed as a Band 3 Healthcare support worker role. The advertised salary is £31,554 - £33,270 per annum inclusive of HCAS. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 19 Jul 2026.
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