Job overview
The Hospital Play Specialist plays a vital role in delivering therapeutic play services to support the emotional, developmental, and psychological needs of children and young people in hospital settings. Using play as a therapeutic tool, the post holder helps children cope with medical procedures, hospitalisation, and illness.
Key responsibilities include:
1. Delivering age-appropriate therapeutic play to reduce anxiety and promote recovery.
2. Collaborating with the multidisciplinary team to contribute to holistic child assessments and care planning.
3. Communicating sensitively with children and families, often in challenging or emotionally charged situations.
4. Maintaining safe and developmentally appropriate play environments.
5. Managing and auditing play resources and contributing to departmental service improvement initiatives.
6. Supporting equality, diversity, and inclusion while upholding the Trust’s values of compassion, communication, teamwork, respect, professionalism, and inclusion.
The role requires a Level 4 Diploma in Specialised Play centred
Main duties of the job
As a Hospital Play Specialist, you will play a key role in supporting children and young people during their hospital experience through therapeutic play, preparation, and emotional support.
Your main duties will include:
7. Planning, delivering, and evaluating therapeutic play interventions to help reduce anxiety and support coping with medical procedures.
8. Providing emotional support to children and their families, adapting communication to suit developmental needs.
9. Creating and maintaining a safe, inclusive, and stimulating play environment.
10. Contributing to multi-disciplinary care planning by sharing observations and participating in team discussions.
11. Supervising and supporting Hospital Play Specialist students on placement.
12. Maintaining accurate documentation in line with Trust policies.
13. Selecting, maintaining, and auditing play resources in line with service needs and budgets.
14. Promoting awareness of the importance of play in hospital settings across the wider team.
You will work within a supportive team and be encouraged to contribute to service development, audits, and the delivery of high-quality patient care.
Working for our organisation
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First, as shown in our Outstanding for Caring CQC rating. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our Wellbeing Programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop.
We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do. We look forward to receiving your application and the start of your journey with UHSussex.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Job Description
Job Title Hospital Play Specialist
Band 4
Hours 150 per 4 weeks
Department Day case/play team
Division Women and Children’s Services
Location / Hospital Site RACH
Responsible to Ward manager for day case/play service manager
Accountable to Play service manager
DBS Level
DBS Barring
DBS Workforce
Role Summary
1. As a member of the multi-disciplinary team contribute to the provision of a high standard of patient care.
2. To supervise Hospital Play Specialist students on Placement
3. Maintain a safe, child focussed environment where play occurs naturally.
4. To use theoretical knowledge and evidence based practice to assess, plan, implement and evaluate therapeutic play interventions in Hospital.
5. To promote an awareness of the emotional needs of children in Hospital and the importance of play within the multi-disciplinary team.
6. Document play interventions
Key Working Relationships
Play team
Ward staff
RACH Matron
Structure Chart
General Manager
Women & Child Health Directorate
Lead Nurse Paediatrics Care Centre Manager
Paediatrics & Neonates
Matron Outpatient / Inpatient Services
Ward Manager Day Case/ Play Service Manager
Hospital Play Specialist
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Communication
· Establish and maintain effective communication, verbal and written, with children, families and all members of the multi-disciplinary team in child health and in other departments of the hospital where children are treated
· Negotiate sensitively with children and their carers particularly if there are any barriers to understanding.
· Communicate with children in a manner appropriate to their age and stage of development and their carers.
· Demonstrate use of basic IT skills to maintain records.
· Write precise, accurate and timely play records in accordance with Trust and professional standards.
· Listen actively and respond appropriately to information given.
· Take part in shift handovers ensuring relevant detail is communicated to the team.
Service Delivery and Improvement
· Monitor stock levels of play resources reporting to Play manager as required.
· Take part in mandatory audit as designated by the Play Manager, e.g.
Essence of Care.
· Take part in Department meetings.
· Demonstrate prudent use of resources in (stores, disposable
equipment)
· To participate in the selection of play resources to reflect the needs of
the patient group
· In conjunction with the play service manager is responsible for
selecting resources for the allocated ward area within budget.
· Contribute to the implementation of the National Service Framework for Children.
· Adhere to all Trust policies, procedures and guidelines and work within the National Association of Hospital Play Staff code of professional conduct.
· Support people’s equality, diversity and rights in accordance with UHSussex policy.
· To demonstrate an understanding of the National Association of Play staff guidelines for professional practice.
· Take part in the Essence of Care (Department Of Health).
· Contribute to the implementation of National Institute for Clinical Excellence guideline recommendations.
· Demonstrate an understanding of clinical governance.
· Participate in the planning, evaluation and audit of practice and the development of play protocols.
· Respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of children and their families and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to these needs.
· To be proactive in the delivery of the play service development plan by taking part in audits and sharing information and experience of the service with others
· Ensure that accurate and timely activity data is maintained in accordance with Professional and Trust standards.
People Management and Development
· Maintain an age and development appropriate environment that promotes safety, security and optimal health for the child and his family.
· Behave in a consistent manner with children and their carers, multi-
disciplinary team and the public.
· Work as a member of the ward team and provide play based
observations on children in Hospital to support the overall assessment
of the child.
Patient Care Delivery
· To select and apply therapeutic techniques to help children and young people overcome difficulties with hospital admission/procedures
· To plan and implement interventions to achieve therapeutic goals, in collaboration with the referrer, the child and their family.
· To use knowledge and understanding of child developmental to contribute to assessments and overall, long term care planning.
· To monitor, evaluate and modify therapeutic interventions in order to measure child’s progress and ensure effectiveness of care plan
· To demonstrate and apply knowledge gained from the Hospital Play Specialist Course on the effect of hospitalisation and illness on the child/family when contributing to care pathways. Sharing ideas and experience with other members of staff.
· To support children and families under stress
· Work effectively as a member of the multi-disciplinary team.
· Assist with the pre-assessment of children during pre-clerking
Risk Management
· Responsible for maintaining play equipment.
· Recognise and take action to prevent situations that may be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of the individual.
· Demonstrate an understanding of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
· Demonstrate an understanding of Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health guidelines.
· Demonstrate an understanding of actions to be taken in the event of an emergency.
· Demonstrate an understanding of correct moving and handling procedures (this must be done with the key worker in the department in line with BSUH policy).
· Adhere to all BSUH policies, guidelines and protocols.
· Complete documentation relevant to clinical risk management, e.g. safecode, statements, etc.
Learning and Development
· Attend mandatory training updates as required.
· Undertake training as necessary in line with the development of the post and as agreed with the line manager as part of the personal development process.
· Achieve and demonstrate agreed standards of personal and professional development within agreed timescales.
· Identify own learning needs and jointly plan training requirements with your line manager
· Participate in the Trust’s appraisal process to discuss how your role will help deliver the best possible care to our patients and help to deliver any changes in service.
This job description is an outline of the role and responsibilities. From time to time due to the needs of the service, we may ask you to flexibly undertake other duties that are consistent with your role and banding, including project work, internal job rotation and absence cover.
The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the department and the organisation.
Mission and values
The mission of University Hospitals Sussex – what we are striving to achieve – is to provide:
‘excellent care every time’
All our efforts to do this put the interests of our patients first and foremost, and are underpinned by our values:
· Compassion
· Communication
· Teamwork
· Respect
· Professionalism
· Inclusion
These values were selected by our staff, patients and public when we were talking about the merger and the sort of organisation we want University Hospitals Sussex to be.
Our mission and values are extremely important to us and we expect everyone who works at University Hospitals Sussex in any capacity to share and uphold them.
Patient First
· Patient First is our Trust-wide approach to improving the quality of care for patients and to build and embed a culture where staff can be confident that their views matter and will be heard.
· The aim is to empower all staff to lead change, raise issues, concerns, identify and implement areas for improvement within the workplace and find solutions collectively as part of a team.
· Staff will be equipped with skills to identify improvement opportunities and supported to see those through
· It encourages all staff to be innovative and drive forward quality improvement and positive changes in their areas.
· The philosophy behind this is centred on:
· Standardisation, system redesign and the improvement of patient pathways to eliminate error and waste and improve quality
· The patient being at the heart of every element of change
· Embedding cultural change across the organisation, where everyone is passionate about delivering exceptional quality every time and “where better never stops”.
· Continuous improvement of our services through small steps of change
· Constantly testing the patient pathway to see how we can develop
· Encouraging frontline staff to lead the redesign processes
· Equal voices for all
· Engagement of staff is a big factor in job performance.
· Good engagement leads to improved quality, mortality and safety measures
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
The Trust is committed to supporting Inclusion as can be seen by our Patient First Triangle with a clear value being Inclusion. We all have a responsibility to treat our colleagues, patients and service users with respect and dignity irrespective of; age, race, disability, gender reassignment/identity, marriage and civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity status, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.
We are a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and part of the Stonewall Workplace Equality Champions programme.
All staff have a duty to report any behaviours which contravene this to their managers.
Person specification
Experience/Qualifications
Essential criteria
15. Hospital Play Specialist Education Trust
16. Level 4 Diploma in Specialised Play for Children and Young People/Edexcel Certificate in Hospital Play Specialism or HPSC/HPSEB or equivalent
17. CACHE Diploma in child care and education, NNEB or equivalent
18. Evidence of post-certificate education
19. Experience working with children and young people in a Hospital setting
20. Experience working with children with additional needs including those with challenging behaviours.
21. Knowledge and understanding of child development
22. Documented evidence of continuing Professional Development
23. Post qualification experience as a Hospital Play Specialist in a relevant clinical setting or equivalent
24. Knowledge of and ability to apply therapeutic interventions for children and young people experiencing difficulties with hospitalisation, treatment and chronic illness
25. Ability to plan and coordinate therapeutic input.
Desirable criteria
26. Food hygiene certificate.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Essential criteria
27. Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
28. Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).
Important information for applicants:
A Note on AI Use in Applications
We value the individuality and authenticity that each candidate brings to the application process. While AI tools are increasingly accessible, we strongly discourage their use in completing your application. Your responses should reflect your own voice, experiences, and motivations—elements that are essential to a fair and accurate evaluation.
Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content may misrepresent your abilities and could result in your application being rejected. We encourage you to take the time to present your genuine self, as this helps us better understand your potential and ensures a transparent selection process.
Closing Adverts Early: In the event of exceptional interest, we may close adverts earlier than specified.
Some of our adverts are capped for a limited number of applications; therefore, the advert will close once the cap has been reached. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible if you are interested in the position to prevent you from missing out on applying for the opportunity.
Flexible Working: If you would like to explore potential options regarding flexible working please speak with the appropriate recruiting/line manager.
DBS Checks: As part of our commitment to a safe working environment, we undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check on all new employees where the role is eligible for a criminal record check. We make offers in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.
Skilled Worker Visa: Applications for Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome for the roles that meet the Visa and Immigrations eligibility criteria. For further information please visit the gov.uk website searching for Skilled Worker. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that you meet this criteria.
UHSussex reserves the right to close the role early if we receive a high volume of applications