Seasonal jobs in United Kingdom

Are you passionate about using play to make a difference in children's lives during their hospital journey? Do you have the creativity, empathy and energy to turn a hospital environment into a place of comfort, fun and recovery? If so, we would love you to join our dedicated team as a Hospital Play Worker at St George's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Working as part of the Play Team, supported by the Paediatric Psychological Therapies Team, you will help ensure that children and young people receive care that meets not only their physical but also their emotional and developmental needs. The role involves preparing and maintaining resources for children and families, using therapeutic play, and helping to reduce anxiety and distress during their hospital stay. If you are motivated, kind, and committed to improving the hospital experience for children and families, we would love to hear from you!

St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's largest teaching hospitals and a major tertiary centre, providing specialist care for children and young people across South West London and beyond. In partnership with St George's, University of London, the Trust is committed to providing outstanding patient care, education and research. The Play Team is a service consisting of 7 qualified staff and is managed by the Paediatric Psychological Therapies Service. Together these services offer holistic support to children, young people and their families to reduce distress and trauma and promote emotional wellbeing and recovery during their hospital experience.

• To create an environment in which play occurs naturally at all times.
• To create an attractive, child‑orientated environment including the child/young persons own work.
• To encourage play to maintain the child/young person's link with family and home and to help the child/young person to adjust to the hospital situation.
• To provide appropriate play for normal growth (social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development) and to continue during hospitalisation, using knowledge of child development.
• To help familiarise the child/young person with strange apparatus and procedures to reduce stress and anxiety and to help the child/young person to understand his/her treatment illness.
• To take on individual referrals for children/young people experiencing difficulty in managing hospital admission/procedures, using evidence base practice to assess, plan, implement and evaluate therapeutic interventions.
• To prioritise own caseload in accordance with the individual/service needs of the play team under the supervision of the Lead Healthcare Play Specialist.
• To support children/young people using distraction therapy before, during and following painful or unpleasant treatment / procedures.
• To be involved in the organisation and delivery of the play component of pre‑admission programmes.
• Meet the play, emotional and developmental needs of babies, children and young people attending the hospital.
• Plan, deliver and evaluate individual and group play sessions that meet the child's age, needs and circumstances.
• Maintain a welcoming, safe and stimulating play environment in all areas where children and young people are cared for.
• Communicate sensitively and effectively with children, families and the multidisciplinary team.
• Provide age‑appropriate explanations of hospital procedures to children and families using play and creative resources.
• Ensure play equipment and resources are safe, clean and appropriate to the developmental needs of children.
• Promote awareness among hospital staff of the importance and value of play in supporting emotional wellbeing and recovery.
• Assist in the supervision of students and volunteers where appropriate., Maintain a safe and clean play environment in line with infection prevention and control standards.
• Select and manage play resources appropriately, ensuring they meet the needs of the service and are regularly checked for safety., Participate in team meetings and training sessions to develop knowledge and skills in hospital play, child development and safeguarding.
• Support the wider team in promoting understanding of play's therapeutic and developmental role in hospital care.
• Participate in Trust appraisal and supervision processes and maintain continuing professional development (CPD)., Undertake any additional duties reasonably required by the Senior Play Specialist or Ward Managers.
• Comply with all Trust policies, including safeguarding, confidentiality, and health and safety requirements.
• Promote equality, diversity, and inclusion in all areas of work.
  Establish and maintain open, sensitive communication with children, young people, families, and the multidisciplinary team.
• Demonstrate empathy, understanding and respect for the diverse backgrounds and experiences of families.
• Work collaboratively to support effective care delivery and promote a positive patient and family experience., Disability Confident

A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high‑volume, seasonal and high‑peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non‑disabled people.