Play Manager / Outreach Play Specialist

We are seeking an enthusiastic, compassionate and motivated registered Health Play Specialist to join the Outreach Play Service at Leeds Children's Hospital, working within the Children's Cancer Outreach Team. This role involves working closely with Children and Young People diagnosed with Cancer, and their families, to assess the need for therapeutic play interventions and to develop appropriate, individualised support plans. The post holder will liaise with local play therapy services where required and deliver play-based interventions within the child's home and school environments., A key aspect of the role is supporting children to understand their diagnosis and treatment in an age-appropriate way, as well as helping to reduce procedure-related anxiety through therapeutic play. The post holder will play an important role in promoting positive mental health and emotional wellbeing for children and young people throughout their cancer journey.

A significant aspect of this role includes supporting children receiving palliative care, as well as their siblings and families. You will provide engaging, tailored play sessions based on each child's interests, delivered within the comfort of their home. The role also involves sensitive work within palliative and end-of-life care contexts, including memory-making activities and pre and post bereavement support for siblings.

The post holder will work autonomously on a daily basis, with support from a team leader and the wider multidisciplinary team (MDT). You will be required to demonstrate experience of working sensitively with families who may be experiencing significant stress and emotional pressure., The role involves a significant amount of travel and driving due to the geographical area covered and the need to visit children and families in community settings, including homes and schools. The post holder will also be required to undertake after-school visits; therefore a flexible approach to working hours is essential to meet the needs of children and families.

The successful candidate will be responsible for maintaining and ordering play equipment and resources for us in home setting settings, ensuring materials are appropriate, safe and responsive to individual needs. You will also need to demonstrate emotional resilience and have effective strategies in place to support your own wellbeing, given the nature of the work., Our Play Service Vision is "to be a play service that will provide therapeutic, specialised and developmental work, with areas of outstanding preparation and distraction play for all children and young people at Leeds Children's Hospital. Taking into consideration their culture, gender and all-round individual needs".
What you will bring to the role

To lead therapeutic play interventions that meet the emotional and developmental needs of children and young people (0-18 years) diagnosed with cancer. The role involves working autonomously to plan and deliver specialised play programmes within the child's home environment, supporting emotional wellbeing and reducing anxiety associated with hospital admissions, medical procedures, and long-term treatment. Working as part of the multidisciplinary children's cancer team at Leeds Children's Hospital and alongside community children's services, the post holder assesses individual emotional needs and implements tailored therapeutic interventions to promote psychological wellbeing. The role also includes developing and leading play-based interventions for children receiving palliative care and supporting families through memory-making activities, creating meaningful keepsakes before and after bereavement. In addition, the post holder provides bereavement support to siblings, including
supporting siblings within school settings where appropriate, and offers guidance to parents. The post holder will also contribute to the supervision and mentoring of play staff and students. They will be responsible for cleaning and maintaining play equipment. Due to the geographical area covered by the service, the role requires a significant amount of travel and independent community-based working across multiple locations., The Leeds Way is working together to support each other and deliver the best possible care to patients.

Applicants must hold a Health Play Specialist Foundation Degree and have knowledge and understanding of bereavement in children and young people. Due to the nature of the role, experience of working within a healthcare setting with children and young people is desirable. A full driving licence and access to a vehicle are essential requirements for this role.

The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is committed to delivering the highest quality and safest treatment and care to every patient, every time. Our vision is to provide the highest quality specialist and integrated care. We will do this through delivery of our multi-year goals and strategic priorities, which you can read about on this page. Central to it all is The Leeds Way our values and behaviours that are at the heart of everything we do., Leeds Children's Hospital is one of the largest Children's Hospitals in the UK and is part of the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Based in one of the fastest growing and most vibrant cities in the UK, we provide secondary and tertiary care to children, young people and their families from Leeds, Yorkshire and the North of England.