Health Play Specialist | Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

As the play specialist, you will help to provide high quality, holistic play service for all children, young people and their families within the Children's Emergency Department and Observation area, enabling them to feel safe and at ease within the hospital environment. Use play as a tool to communicate and build a rapport with children and young people whilst attending hospital which in turn will create a positive environment and patient journey. You will provide interesting and stimulating play for children, young people and their families and highlight the importance of play in assisting an atraumatic experience and aiding distraction to all health professionals and students. You will use your knowledge of child development; plan, initiate and supervise play activities for children in hospital, appropriate to their age, development, medical condition and background, in order to meet their social, emotional and developmental play needs. If you are interested in striving to deliver excellence in paediatric care and working in a friendly and welcomingteam please do contact us. We welcome a fun, enthusiastic & dedicated Healthcare Play Specialist to join our team.

• To manage and be responsible for the assessment, implementation and the evaluation of play strategies which encompass the developmental and emotional needs of the children and their families and or carers within the hospital environment.
• To apply a high level of understanding of the psychological effects of hospitalisation and long-term chronic illness, providing training and advice to members of the multi-disciplinary team
• To carry out play activities on a one-to-one basis with a child and/or a group of children and their families and or carers
• To observe for the signs of anxiety in children at all times, and if necessary, report to paediatric nursing team.
• To create an attractive child orientated environment that encourages play, and helps parents/carers and members of staff to participate in these activities
• To be responsible for ensuring that a whole range of toys and equipment is available for clinic use, being age appropriate whilst also maintaining safety and hygiene standards.
• To have a working knowledge and be able to carry out diversionary techniques as is appropriate for the child and procedure
  
  Why colleagues think we are"a great place to work!"
What does Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust offer you? As part of our BHT family, you'll benefit from learning and development opportunities to support your career progression. Alongside NHS benefits of generous annual leave entitlement and pension scheme, you'll have access to NHS discount schemes. We provide a range of health and wellbeing services to promote a healthy, happy workforce. What do we stand for? Our vision is to provide outstanding care, support healthy communities and be a great place to work. Our mission is to provide personal and compassionate care every time. We are working hard to increase diversity at all levels within the trust. We believe a diverse workforce can have a positive effect on both staff wellbeing and patient outcomes.