Hospital Play Team Manager

Job Overview

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for detailed job description of the role.

Main duties of the job

Are you an inspiring leader with a passion for child‑centred care? Do you thrive in creative, fast‑paced environments where no two days are the same? We’re looking for an exceptional Hospital Play Team Manager to lead our dynamic play service and help shape outstanding experiences for children, young people and their families across UHS.

As the manager of our dedicated Hospital Play Team, you’ll play a pivotal role in driving a high‑quality, innovative and compassionate play service throughout the children’s hospital. You’ll lead a talented team of Play Specialists and play leaders, champion therapeutic play across the multidisciplinary team, and ensure that every child receives the emotional support, preparation and distraction they need to feel safe and confident during their hospital stay.

This is a role for someone who brings energy, vision and passion to their profession. You’ll oversee service development, nurture a positive and collaborative team culture, and work closely with clinical colleagues to embed play as a vital part of holistic care. From enhancing environments to developing new play‑based initiatives, you’ll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the experiences of children and families every single day.

Working for our organisation

University Hospital Southampton is one of England's largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations.

Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast.

We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalizing your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.

At UHS we’re committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. Whether you are balancing family, study, or your wellbeing with your career, we want to support you so you can help our patients.

At UHS, we proudly champion individuality, recognizing that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We’re committed to creating an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive, and contribute.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

We’re looking for someone who is:

A confident and compassionate leader

A Qualified play specialist

Passionate about improving the hospital experience for children and young people

Able to build strong relationships across the MDT

Creative, organised and ready to drive service excellence

If you’re excited by the idea of leading a service that brings comfort, confidence and joy to children when they need it most, we’d love to hear from you. Join us and help shape the future of play in healthcare at UHS.

Responsibilities

Responsible for leading a team to provide the safe therapeutic management of a defined patient / client caseload.

Provide play therapy, education through play and support to patients, their carers and other health care professionals. Practice clinically in agreed care settings and advise and support Divisions regarding the overall management of the service.

Identify, develop and implement service improvement by working with partners to put in place

administrative and operational pathways that support care for patients in the most appropriate

settings, and reducing inappropriate or avoidable demand for acute services.

What Experience And Skills Are Required

Registered play specialist

Degree level qualification or equivalent experience

Evidence of supporting/ managing a range of learners in practice

Person specification

Trust Values

Essential criteria

Patients First Always Improving Working Together

Qualifications, Knowledge And Experience

Essential criteria

Registered play specialist Degree level qualification or equivalent experience Post registration qualification within area of speciality or equivalent experience (HPS BTEC or equivalent) Full understanding of therapeutic play with the ability to use play specialist techniques to enhance the care of children Evidence of supporting/ managing a range of learners in practice Knowledge of current issues within the acute health service. Understanding of personal accountability. Confident of own knowledge base, aware of learning needs and seeks guidance when appropriate. Clear about professional accountability and autonomous practice components of role. Flexible and adaptable to quick changing situations Empathetic Excellent communication skills – oral, written and non-verbal.

Desirable criteria

IT training Change Management, clinical practice development. Multidisciplinary team working. Organisational/strategic awareness.