Senior Health Play Specialist

Job summary

JOB PURPOSE

As a member of the multi-professional team to use theoretical knowledge and evidence-based practice to assess, plan, implement and evaluate therapeutic play interventions.

To manage and maintain a child focussed environment where play occurs naturally.

To take on individual referrals for children having trouble in managing hospital admission/procedures, using evidence-based practice to assess, plan, implement and evaluate therapeutic interventions.

To provide leadership for junior staff and students as delegated supervisor.

Main duties of the job

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES

1. To select and apply therapeutic assessments and devise play programmes for children and young people in hospital, according to their individual needs and as part of the overall care plan.
2. Using knowledge and understanding of child development to plan and implement interventions to achieve therapeutic goals, in collaboration with the referrer, the child and their family.
3. To monitor, evaluate and modify therapeutic interventions to measure a child's progress and ensure effectiveness of the care plan.
4. To prioritise caseload in accordance with individual /service needs.
5. To support children and families under stress and in crisis.
6. To act as a resource to the Play Team through the development of identified areas of special interest relevant to the needs of the service.
7. As required to provide training to other professional groups on play techniques and the role of the Health Play Specialist.
8. Support the Lead Health Play Specialist in the rota of off duty, sickness, and annual leave management.
9. To provide support to the Lead Health Play Specialist, including deputising for them in their absence and on specific tasks and projects.
10. To be responsible for ensuring the safe use of play equipment and to contribute to the maintenance of a safe and tidy environment where children and young people have access to play facilities identifying and reporting areas of risk.

About us

Our vision is to provide outstanding care for every patient. Patient care is at the heart of what we do at our three sites: Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester and Andover War Memorial Hospital. Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides medical and surgical services to a population of approximately 600,000 people across Hampshire and parts of West Berkshire.

Our cultural ambition is to have a culture that places people at the heart of all we do, where we all belong, and where learning, improvement and excellence thrive.

We provide specialist services to people across the UK and internationally. We are one of only two centres in the UK treating pseudomyxoma peritonei (a rare form of abdominal cancer) and we are leaders in the field of tertiary liver cancer and colorectal cancer.

The trust employs more than 9,000 staff and has a turnover of over £500 million a year. As a Foundation Trust, we are directly accountable to our members through the governors. The Council of Governors represent the interests of their constituencies and influence the future plans of the Foundation Trust.