Job overview
Join Our Team as a Hospital Play Worker!
Where every day you can make a child smile—even on their toughest days.
Are you creative, energetic, and passionate about making a difference?
Do you believe glitter is a coping strategy and that playtime is serious business?
If so… we want YOU!
Create play experiences that truly connect with each child by tailoring activities to their emotional state and developmental stage. These experiences are shaped through thoughtful observation, warm interactions, and meaningful conversations with the child or young person—and with their parents or carers—throughout their time in our care.
Deliver individualised play sessions both on the ward and in the sensory room, ensuring each session is carefully designed to support the child or young person’s emotional, physical, and developmental needs. These sessions aim to offer comfort, stimulation, and a safe space for self‑expression during their healthcare journey.
Main duties of the job
About the Role
As a Hospital Play Worker, you’ll be a superhero in plain clothes (cape optional). You’ll support children and young people during their hospital stay by:
1. Creating fun, imaginative play sessions to help children feel at ease
2. Using play to help prepare patients for procedures
3. Providing distraction, comfort, and reassurance during difficult moments
4. Working closely with nurses, doctors, and families to make the hospital feel a little more like home
5. Transforming even the dullest waiting area into a magical world of creativity
Working for our organisation
We have 10000 fantastic people working hard to deliver quality services to our patients. Whatever your role, you help look after 370,000 people in our local area & give specialist care to 1.5 million people across Lancashire & Cumbria.
Working with us gives you the knowledge and sense of pride that every activity you do genuinely does make a difference to support our patients & staff, ensuring we keep thriving & delivering outstanding healthcare right across our local towns.
You’ll have access to varied development opportunities, learn new skills, meet fab people & do things you’d never have done. You’ll learn about working in a hospital, interacting with people from all different roles to build skills & enhance your career path.
You’ll make an impact, be challenged to think differently, be bold & help innovate to keep improving things. Everything we do centres around patient care which means your role is pivotal and something really to be proud of.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
1. Therapeutic & Developmental Play
6. Provide daily play and art activities in playrooms, or at the bedside.
7. Use play to support normal developmental milestones and promote emotional wellbeing.
8. Tailor activities based on age, ability, developmental stage, and emotional need.
9. Help children regain skills affected by illness or hospitalisation.
Person specification
Qualifications and Education
Essential criteria
10. GCSE Maths and English Grade C and above or equivalent
11. Level 3 or equivalent childcare and education/child development/play qualification
12. Evidence of continued professional development
Desirable criteria
13. Up to date: Child Protection/ First Aid/ Food Safety/ Inclusion training/ safeguarding
14. A clear Enhanced DBS – Child & Adult
Knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria
15. Experience working with children and young people
16. An understanding of safeguarding children
17. Understanding of child development and the role of play in healthcare
18. Awareness of safeguarding and infection control procedures
Desirable criteria
19. Experience of working with children
20. Experience with adolescents and children with dysregulated behaviour
21. Experience with adolescents and children with additional needs and neurodiversity
22. Experience of working with children in a hospital setting
23. Evidence of working within a MDT team