Hospital Play Specialist

Job summary

This is a varied and interesting role, supporting children and young people through play whilst they are in hospital. We are looking for a dynamic, flexible and adaptable individual to lead the play team on Rainbow ward in Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate and Dolphin Ward at Kent and Canterbury Hospital in Canterbury. Ideally, you will already hold a recognised Hospital Play Specialist qualification, however we will consider candidates willing to undertake the training.

You must have a desire to provide an out-standing service to the children, young people and families who access the services of East Kent Hospital University Foundation Trust.

Main duties of the job

Working within a busy children's unit with a variable and demanding workload to ensure a high standard of quality play and support.

• To engage with children and families to enhance the experience of the child in hospital through play and stimulation.
• To enable children to express and communicate through play and other media.
• Involvement in pre-assessment and preparation of children for surgery and procedures, supporting the CYP in areas outside of the ward environment e.g. MRI.
• Work with registered nurses to enable treatments and procedures to proceed whilst minimising the emotional effect upon the child.
• To participate in the maintenance of high standards of patient care in response to service needs.
• Assist in the maintenance and monitoring of agreed standards,
• Collect and present patient feedback information and implement any improvements agreed with line managee

About us

We are one of the largest hospital trusts in England, with fivehospitals and community clinics serving a local population of around 800,000 people. Our vision is 'great healthcare from great people'. Everything we do is guided by our values: 'People feel cared for, safe, respected and confident that we are making a difference'. We have a new way of working at East Kent Hospitals, called 'We care'. It's about empowering frontline staff to lead improvements day-to-day. We're looking for compassionate people to be part of our improvement journey for the patients, families and carers we care for every day.

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Please note that if you require a Certificate of Sponsorship to work in the UK you must declare this on your application form, even if you currently have a certificate of sponsorship or a work permit for another role and are already working in the country. Please note we are only able to sponsor candidates on a Skilled Worker Visa applying for roles Band 5 and above.