# Play Specialist

> NHS job listing from Job Clerk for Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust.

## Canonical URLs

- **HTML:** https://www.jobclerk.com/job/play-specialist/b886e5a1-5385-45c8-b71c-faac3b7bf4b6
- **Markdown:** https://www.jobclerk.com/job/play-specialist/b886e5a1-5385-45c8-b71c-faac3b7bf4b6.md

## Summary

- **Status:** Live
- **Employer:** Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
- **Location:** Frimley Park Hospital
- **Workplace type:** onsite
- **Profession:** Play specialist
- **Grade:** Band 4
- **Salary:** £23,849 - £26,172 per annum incl HCAS
- **Contract type:** Permanent
- **Employment type:** Part time - 30 hours per week
- **Closing date:** 2026-09-23T22:59:00.000Z
- **Posted:** 2026-09-16T13:41:15.770Z
- **Source information URL:** https://www.healthjobsuk.com/job/UK/Surrey/Frimley/Frimley_Health_NHS_Foundation_Trust/Play_Specialist/Play_Specialist-v8289239
- **Application URL:** https://apps.trac.jobs/job-advert/8289239?ShowJobAdvert=&feedid=9002
- **Employer website:** https://www.fhft.nhs.uk

## Job Content

### Job overview

We are looking to recruit a Band 4 Play Specialist. The key components of this role will be : * Reducing Anxiety and Stress: Through play, they help children express their feelings, understand their experiences, and alleviate fear or anxiety related to medical treatments or hospitalisation * Distraction and Comfort: During medical procedures, they engage children in play or activities that distract them from pain or discomfort, making the experience less frightening. * Promoting Development: Play specialists provide age-appropriate activities to encourage cognitive, emotional, and physical development, even in hospital environments. * Education and Preparation: They prepare children for medical treatments by using dolls, toys, or drawings to explain what's going to happen in a way the child can understand. This helps demystify the process and reduces fear. * Emotional Expression: Play is a natural way for children to express their emotions. Play specialists use therapeutic play to allow children to process and express feelings like fear, anger, or confusion. * Family Support: They also offer guidance and support to parents and caregivers, helping them understand their child’s emotional needs and providing strategies to support their child during stressful times.

### Main duties of the job

- Reducing Anxiety and Stress: Through play, they help children express their feelings, understand their experiences, and alleviate fear or anxiety related to medical treatments or hospitalisation
- Distraction and Comfort: During medical procedures, they engage children in play or activities that distract them from pain or discomfort, making the experience less frightening.
- Promoting Development: Play specialists provide age-appropriate activities to encourage cognitive, emotional, and physical development, even in hospital environments.
- Education and Preparation: They prepare children for medical treatments by using dolls, toys, or drawings to explain what's going to happen in a way the child can understand. This helps demystify the process and reduces fear.
- Emotional Expression: Play is a natural way for children to express their emotions. Play specialists use therapeutic play to allow children to process and express feelings like fear, anger, or confusion.
- Family Support: They also offer guidance and support to parents and caregivers, helping them understand their child’s emotional needs and providing strategies to support their child during stressful times.

### Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For further information regarding the detailed job description and main responsibilities, please refer to the attached job description and person specification documents.

### 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.

## Person Specification

### Skills

**Essential**

- Good communication with children/families
- Empathetic to the effects of hospitalisation on the family unit.
- Full understanding of therapeutic play with the ability to use play specialist techniques to enhance the care of children.

### Experience

**Essential**

- Experience supporting children, in stressful situations in any setting.
- Experience working in Play Worker/Specialist role.

**Desirable**

- Has previous experience as a play specialist in Hospital/Hospice setting.
- Familiar with EPIC system.

### Qualifications

**Essential**

- Level Four Diploma in specialized play for sick children and Young peoplee/EDEXCEL Cert in hospital play specialism/HPSC/HPSEB Or Foundation degree in health care play specialism.
- GCSE or equivalent in Maths and English.

## Documents

- [trust values (pdf, 577.9kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?edoc=736)
- [play specialist (pdf, 208.4kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?vdoc=10620125)

## Agent Notes

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- Use the canonical HTML URL for user-facing references.
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