Health Play Specialist: Sponsorship Available

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

Job Summary

Come and join us in a bustling central London children’s department, with lots of opportunity to grow as a qualified play specialist. Some shifts will be faster paced & others will focus on longer term input with patients & families. Each day is unique!

Key Highlights:

  • Use your skills to offer specialised play from birth to teens.
  • Your input matters – be part of exciting developments for our babies, children & young people (BCYP), including those with additional needs.
  • Help families to celebrate key events & milestones.
  • Be part of a friendly, thriving team of play specialists, play workers & volunteers.
  • Come & enjoy a central & accessible location.
  • Children’s health & wellbeing is at our core & your contribution will make a real impact within a team who value play.

Why join us?

  • We are specialist hospital & London trauma hub,
  • There’s variety to grow within your role – our many specialities include oncology/ haematology, transplant, children’s intensive care, diabetes, allergy, among others.
  • It’s a rewarding place to work, alongside an amazing team of professionals.
  • Strong support from within the team & charity partners.

Apply now, if you:

  • Hold the Health Play Specialist qualification or due to qualify in summer 2026.
  • Registered with SOHPS
  • Have experience & confidence with specialised play interventions in healthcare.
  • Are familiar with games, activities, devices enjoyed by all ages/stages.

 

Main duties of the job

  • Introducing play as a tool to communicate & support BCYP (babies, children and young people).
  • Assess, plan & deliver specialised play interventions.
  • Building partnerships with families & siblings.
  • Contributing to multi professional team care.
  • Supporting team referrals.
  • Documenting play input.
  • Sharing important information with other professionals.
  • Creating a welcoming, safe & age-appropriate environment for all BCYP.

Person Specification

Skills & Abilities

Essential

  • Ability to recognise stress in self and others and take appropriate action.
  • Ability to motivate and prioritise workload for self and others in the team
  • Ability to use a diplomatic approach with both practice and management issues.
  • Ability to build effective working relationships at MDT levels.

Desirable

  • Ability to contribute to teaching programmes for students and affiliated staff about the profession
  • Ability to apply and evaluate independent projects within the workplace

Education & Qualifications

Essential

  • Foundation degree in Healthcare Play Specialism
  • Edexcel Certificate in Hospital Play Specialism or HPSC/HPSEB or overseas equivalent
  • Current registration with HPSET or overseas equivalent.
  • Documented evidence of Continuing Professional Development (up to date professional portfolio)

Desirable

  • Additional training relevant to role
  • Communication strategies e.g Makaton

Experience & Knowledge

Essential

  • General & current working knowledge of children’s legislation
  • Good foundation of clinical experience with a wide range of children and families in the hospital setting and/or community.
  • Experience with children with additional needs – such as challenging behaviour, neurodiversity disabilities and multiple health needs
  • Specialist knowledge and application of therapeutic assessments and interventions relevant to patient group and treatment plan

Desirable

  • Experience of audit procedures.
  • Experience & confidence working with adolescents
  • Experience working with a multi-professional team

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Closing Date: 07 May 2026

To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.