Job overview
We have an exciting opportunity to welcome a Hospital Play Specialist to join our established play service on the Paediatric Unit at Ormskirk Hospital. We strive to provide an excellent service, putting children and their families at the forefront of our care. Our Play Specialists support individual patient journeys and promote the voice of the child during their time within the department. We are looking for a friendly and approachable Play Specialist who is flexible, proactive, motivated, and able to demonstrate excellent communication skills. You will work collaboratively with the children’s nursing and medical teams and other disciplines to facilitate a seamless, high-quality service for the child and family. Within the trust you will have the opportunity to work alongside many specialties as an active member of the multi-disciplinary team, including Outpatient’s clinic, Paediatric day surgery, Children’s Community Nursing team and Diabetes team.
The JD & PS are currently AfC reviewed and are subject to change.
Main duties of the job
To manage and maintain a child-focused environment where play occurs naturally and helps bridge the gap between hospital and home. Provide interesting and stimulating play programmes and appropriate distraction activities to fulfil emotional, social and developmental needs and to help alleviate emotional traumas for the child and family in any area of the hospital where children are seen or admitted. To supervise students and volunteers on placement within the Ward / A&E environment. Please refer to the job description for full details.
Working for our organisation
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9,000 across 21 sites. We believe that all communities should have access to Five Star Patient Care.
Our services:
* Acute Care: Emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across sites.
* Primary Care: Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre in St Helens Hospital.
* Community Services: Adult community services for St Helens, wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble and West Lancashire. Inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital for rehabilitation and urgent care at the Urgent Treatment Centre in St Helens town centre.
* Specialist Regional Services: Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital serving Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.
Awards and Achievements:
* Rated Outstanding by CQC (August 2018)
* Top 100 places to work in the NHS
* National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To manage and maintain a child-focused environment where play occurs naturally and bridge the gap between hospital and home. Provide engaging play programmes and appropriate distraction activities to meet emotional, social and developmental needs and to alleviate trauma for the child and family in any hospital area. Supervise students and volunteers on placement within the Ward / A&E environment.
Person specification
Qualifications
* BTEC / NNEB
* Willingness to undertake internal training and other relevant study days
Knowledge and Experience
* Evidence of experience in a hospital environment
Skills
* Good leadership qualities
* Artistic and creative
* Willingness to share knowledge with others
* Good interpersonal skills
* Professional appearance
* Able to be flexible
* Self-motivated and able to motivate others
* Awareness of IT systems
Thank you for considering an application to work for MWL. We are committed to being a forward-thinking NHS Trust and one of the best places to work in England.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
We cultivate fairness, equality, dignity, and respect for all individuals. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and value diverse skills and experiences. We are committed to offering an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria (Disability Confident). If applying under this scheme, please indicate this on the online application.
If you require disability reasonable adjustments to the application process, please contact Recruitment@merseywestlancs.nhs.uk. We also commit to offering an interview to all armed forces veterans who meet the minimum criteria under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme. The Trust operates anonymous shortlisting and uses equality monitoring information to review recruitment practices.
Visa and sponsorship
Check eligibility for sponsorship if applicable. For successful visa routes, the organisation provides guidance on eVisa processes where relevant.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
Role may be subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and DBS disclosure. Applicants may be required to pay for their DBS check; costs are deducted from salary following appointment. Enrolment in the DBS Update Service is encouraged.
Flexible Working
MWL supports flexible working. You may request flexible working from day one of employment; there is no limit on the number of requests and requests will be considered at interview stage.
Working for Team MWL
We recognise staff through Employee of the Month, offer a generous pension, and provide benefits such as annual leave and NHS discounts. The Trust is smoke-free across sites.
Important note
You must ensure that your application is truthful and accurate. The Trust may use AI-detection tools to check applications.
Additional information
Please review the Trust’s Values and Behaviours: We are KIND, We are OPEN, We are INCLUSIVE. An applicant guide is available in supporting documents.
Contact
Name: Nicola Slilem, Ward Manager | Email: nicola.slilem@merseywestlancs.nhs.uk | Tel: 01695 656783
Alternate contact: Shirley Coward, Paediatric / Neonatal Matron | Tel: 01695 656287
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