Senior Health Play Specialist

The Senior Health Play Specialist is a senior member of the Play Team with responsibility for providing leadership and professional oversight within the Play Department, cross-site under the supervision and support of the Matrons.

The post holder ensures the planning, coordination and delivery of safe, high-quality play programmes across all aspects of hospital play provision, in line with Trust policies and national standards.

As a senior practitioner, the post holder with support from the Matrons holds line management responsibility for a designated team, providing supervision, appraisal, and day-to-day management, and supports the development of staff through mentoring Health Play Specialist students and supervising volunteers. The role includes acting as the named specialist for a ward, ensuring effective communication and multidisciplinary working.

• Ensures the planning, coordination, and delivery of safe, high-quality play programmes across all aspects of hospital play provision, in line with Trust policies and national standards.
• Holds line management responsibility for a designated team, providing supervision, appraisal, and day-to-day management.
• Supports the development of staff through mentoring Health Play Specialist students and supervising volunteers.
• Acts as the named specialist for a ward, ensuring effective communication and multidisciplinary working.
• Manages a team with support from the Matrons, which includes being responsible for annual appraisals, monthly 1:1s and approving annual leave and absence.
• Advises and supports Playworkers, Health Play Specialists, and Students.
• Is a support for the Play team with safeguarding concerns and attends safeguarding meetings regularly.
• Organizes and chairs with support from the matrons play meetings monthly.
• Receives, allocates, and action patient referrals appropriately for specialised play.
• Ensures all areas are compliant with CQC standards related to Play.
• Ensures all areas have resources that meet IPC standards and have robust cleaning schedules in line with trust policy.
• Ensures all areas are regularly auditing against national and local standards related to Play such as the Play Well standards.
• Designs, plans, and delivers high quality health play services for babies, children and young people.
• Contributes to projects such as the Autism accreditation project, compassion in care, and embedding these standards.
• Ensures the LGT Play department can meet the needs of patients who present to hospital with emotional or behavioural dysregulation whilst maintaining the safety of the patient and staff i.e Camhs patients.
• Ensures there is equity in standards cross-site and amongst all areas.