Play Worker | Barts Health NHS Trust

Barts Health Nhs Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Greater London is seeking a Play Worker to support children and young people in hospital settings. The ideal candidate will possess qualifications in childcare and have a strong understanding of child development. Responsibilities include maintaining a safe play environment, providing recreational activities, and implementing developmental play programmes. This role offers a fantastic opportunity to work in a compassionate team focused on high-quality care.

Qualifications

• Experience in child development for varying ages and abilities.
• Commitment to compassionate, high-quality child-centered care.
• Keen interest in working with children and young people.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a safe, child-focused environment for play.
• Provide recreational play for children attending hospital.
• Plan and implement developmental play programmes.

Skills

Understanding of child development

Creative play promotion

Team player

Ability to work on own initiative

Education

5 GCSEs Grade C and above including Maths & English

NNEB or NVQ level 3 in childcare or equivalent

Job description

Play Worker – The Royal London Children's Hospital

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and motivated individual. We are looking for a Play Worker to join our team of Health Play Specialists and Play Workers at The Royal London Children's Hospital. We work across both in and out patients departments and provide support to children and young people accessing our services.

We are looking for a Play Worker who is committed to the delivery of compassionate high quality, child centered care and has the training and skills to implement specialised play input to support the young people and their families throughout their time in hospital.

We are looking for someone who has a good understanding with relevant experience of child development in varying ages and abilities, who is creative and keen to promote normalising and sensory play in the hospital setting. Our ideal candidate is able to work on their own initiative, a team player and a keen interest in working with children/young people and their families in hospital. We have a well‑established programme of quality improvement and fully encourage CPD. We value team members who are resourceful, loyal, committed and can be an active part of our vision for continuing to drive play forward.

Essential qualifications needed to apply for this post include 5 GCSEs Grade C and above (to include Maths & English) and NNEB or NVQ level 3 in childcare or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a safe, child‑focused environment where play occurs naturally.
• Provide play for normalisation for children attending hospital as in or out patients.
• Use your knowledge of child development and through to adulthood when selecting recreational / play activities.
• Plan and implement developmental play programmes for patients.
• Be able to identify children who need extra support and hand this over to a Play Specialist.

About The Trust

Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain's leading healthcare providers.

The Barts Health group of NHS hospitals is entering an exciting new era on our improvement journey to becoming an outstanding organisation with a world‑class clinical reputation. Having lifted ourselves out of special measures, we now have the impetus and breathing space to chart a fresh course in which we are continually striving to improve all our services for patients.

Our vision is to be a high‑performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm‑free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.

We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.