Senior Play Specialist

Job overview

As a Band 5 Play Specialist at Kingston Hospital, you’ll step into a role with real breadth and variety — from fast-paced shifts in our Emergency Department (ED) to providing longer-term support for children receiving oncology care or attending specialist clinics.

You’ll rotate between our paediatric wards and ED, working with babies, children and young people from just a few days old up to 18. Some days you’ll be supporting planned admissions and outpatient pathways; other days you’ll be in ED where things move quickly and you need to think on your feet. The pace changes, the setting changes, and no two days are the same.

You’ll also play an important role supporting children undergoing oncology and longer-term treatment. In this area you’ll work closely with families during more complex and emotional parts of their hospital journey, building trusted relationships and becoming a familiar, reassuring face for those who visit regularly.

Alongside ward and ED work, you’ll support a wide range of outpatient clinics including phlebotomy, dermatology, asthma, dental, orthopaedics, ENT and day surgery, giving you broad experience across our paediatric services.

As part of our small, friendly play team, you’ll also have the opportunity to take on additional responsibility — mentoring students and junior colleagues, contributing to service improvements and managing your own caseload with increasing independence.

Main duties of the job

Our service spans a 24-bed inpatient ward, two HDU beds, the Physical Assessment Unit and outpatient clinics, offering plenty of variety. You’ll develop specialist skills, gain experience across different clinical settings and build a strong foundation for future progression.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and deliver therapeutic play interventions for children and young people across wards and ED, including preparation, distraction and post-procedural support.
• Manage an independent caseload, prioritising referrals and adapting approaches based on clinical need.
• Provide mentorship and informal supervision to Band 4 Play Specialists, trainees and students on placement.
• Contribute to training and awareness sessions for the MDT to promote the emotional and developmental needs of children in hospital.
• Support children and families experiencing anxiety, crisis or longer-term treatment.
• Create and maintain inclusive, age-appropriate play environments and resources.
• Maintain accurate documentation and activity data in line with professional and Trust standards.
• Participate in audits, service evaluation and quality improvement initiatives.
• Monitor, select and order play resources, ensuring infection control and safety standards are met.
• Contribute to safeguarding assessments and holistic care planning.
• Work collaboratively with the MDT while also being confident working independently and making informed decisions.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

***Please see the attached supporting document/s (JD) which contains more information about the role in the job description and person specification***

NB: ensure any supporting statements align with the job description and person specification, as your application will be assessed against these criteria.

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.