Health Play Specialist

Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals; Epsom; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust is seeking a Health Play Specialist (Band 4) to join Epsom General Hospital. The role offers full-time or part-time options and involves planning and delivering therapeutic play to support children and families during hospital admission.

You will work within the MDT to prepare children for procedures, provide parent and carer support, and apply evidence-based play interventions in a clinical setting.

Qualifications

• Foundation Degree in Healthcare Play Specialism required
• NNEB/NVQ Level 3 or equivalent training involving normal childcare development
• Experience with children 0-18 years and healthcare setting preferred
• Knowledge of child development and therapeutic play concepts
• Basic Word and Excel skills

Responsibilities

• Organise play activities to prepare children for procedures and safeguarding reviews
• Provide play-based support to children and families during admission
• Plan, implement, review and evaluate therapeutic play programmes for children and young people
• Support parents, carers and siblings on how to use play to help their child understand hospitalisation

Job description

Site Epsom Town Epsom Salary £33,262 - £36,027 pa incl HCAS Outer pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 22/09/2026 23:59

At Epsom and St Helier Hospitals, above all we value respect. We put respect at the heart of all we do, by living up to our shared behaviours of kindness, professionalism, positivity and teamwork. This enables us to provide great patient care and make ESTH a great place to work. When you sign up to work with us, you sign up to this and we welcome applicants who share our values.

Job overview

Health Play Specialist- Band 4

Full time and part time options are available

Would you like to work in Epsom General Hospital. Are you a newly qualified or experienced Health Play Specialist and wanting a step in the door to working within the NHS and provide play and support to Children and their Families in acute care. If so, then this post is for you, you will have the opportunity to support all ages and a variety of medical conditions. The Health Play Specialist works within the MDT on the ward, ensuring that all Children and Young People have a positive admission experience.

Main duties of the job

Full time and part time options are available

You will be working to organise play activities to help children prepare for clinical procedures, safeguarding reviews and to work through their concerns and worries through a range of techniques suitable.

The work that you will be doing will be supported by a combination of evidence based practice and theoretical knowledge which will enable you to be able to plan, implement, review and evaluate therapeutic play programmes that support children (from birth) and young people emotionally and developmentally.

You will also be providing support to parents, carers and the wider family, including siblings, and will offer advice on how they can use play to help their children make sense of what's happening to them.

The Foundation degree in Healthcare Play Specialism, Edex /BTEC in Specialised play for the sick child or the previous HPSC/HPSEB, or international equivalent, is required for this post along with current registration with HPSET. Students currently undertaking the FdA Healthcare play specialism are welcome to apply or those working towards the registration.

Working for our organisation

Welcome to Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust

Thank you for showing an interest in working with us at Epsom and St Helier – a family of more than 7,000 colleagues.

We are truly an integrated health and care Trust. In simple terms, that means that as well as the services we provide at our acute care hospitals (Epsom in Surrey and St Helier nearby in south west London) we work with local GPs, mental health services, community providers and local authorities, with the joint aim of preventing local people from becoming unwell, and when they do, that they receive the right care, in the right place, with the right support.

So, as well as great hospital care, together we offer an increasing range of services.Theseincludeadult community health, sexual health and children's therapies. Many of these community services are run by thepartnerships we host, Surrey Downs Health and Care and Sutton Health and Care.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the attached supporting Job description/Person Specification documents which contains more information about the role

Person specification

Qualifications

• Registered and Qualified Health Play Specialist holding the Foundation Degree in Healthcare Play Specialism
• NNEB/NVQ Level 3 or equivalent training involving normal childcare development

Experience

• Experience of working with children aged 0 -18 years and understanding their developmental process.
• Experience leading play / recreation activities for babies, children and young people
• Experience of working with children in a healthcare setting
• Ability to deal with conflict in a professional manner.

Knowledge and Skills

• Knowledge of child development and the ability to apply therapeutic play intervention for children
• Recognition of the effects of hospitalisation on the child and family
• Awareness of child safeguarding processes
• Knowledge of professional and ethical issues, including professional boundaries
• Knowledge of current best practice in clinical area
• Basic competency of Word andExcel

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.

Application numbers

This vacancy may have an application cap, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment. Ensure your supporting statement clearly shows how you meet the job specifications.