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Health Play Specialist

Employer
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Location
London
Salary
£34,089 to £41,498 per annum, inc HCA
Closing date
19 Jun 2024
View moreView less
Profession
Other Health Profession
Grade
Band 5
Contract Type
Permanent
Hours
Full Time
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Qualified and Registered Health Play Specialist, Band 5 ( to join our dynamic Play and Youth Team in the Department of Child Health, led by a Team Co-Coordinator. Additionally, the successful candidate will form an integral part of the Paediatric Oncology Shared Care Unit (POSCU) multidisciplinary team, working alongside them to support children and young people with a diagnosis of cancer.

This is an exciting and challenging role where you can apply your skills in providing therapeutic play, preparation, distraction therapy and normalised play to children and young people with cancer, providing a varied and stimulating programme ensuring children and young people are distracted and continue to focus on normalised and familiar activities.

You should have excellent communications skills, requiring a high degree of empathy, understanding, diplomacy, honesty, integrity and sensitivity. You will need to have experience of working well within a multi-disciplinary team, maintaining confidentiality throughout. You must be able to accurately document all patient interventions on the patient's records.

You will need the Health Play Specialist qualification and be a registered Health Play Specialist with HPSET and have experience in working with young people (ages 0 - 18 years), as well as individual, groups and multi-agency work. You will need an understanding of the differing needs of patients with additional and special needs.

Main duties of the job

To manage and be responsible in using theoretical knowledge and evidence-based practice to assess, plan, implement and evaluate therapeutic play interventions which encompass the development and emotional needs of CYP. (This includes distraction. and preparations techniques including chemotherapy).

To ensure that patient records and activity data are maintained contemporaneously in accordance with Professional and Trust standards.

To plan and implement individual therapeutic play programmes to include preparation for invasive and non-invasive procedures, distraction therapy and post procedural play,

To empathise with and provide and/or facilitate emotional support to parents, carers and siblings during times of stress or crisis, such as at a time of medical diagnosis or bereavement.

To establish effective communication, both verbal and written, with all members of the multi-disciplinary team and other agencies

To work as a member of the multi-disciplinary team, contributing to patient treatment/care plans.

To provide play-based observations to influence and support the overall assessment of CYP.

To contribute to the development of protocols, standards (including cancer standards), guidelines and competencies for the department and devise standards for the Play and Youth service.

About us

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King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of �1 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 15,000 staff based across South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. The trust-wide strategy of Strong Roots, Global Reachis our Vision to be BOLD, Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. By being person-centred, digitally-enabled, and focused on sustainability, we aim to take Team King's to another level.

We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.

King's is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone's contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust's carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To create a welcoming, caring and safe play environment for the CYP and their families.

To use play as a tool to communicate and build a rapport with children and young people attending the hospital.

To manage and be responsible in using theoretical knowledge and evidence-based practice to assess, plan, implement and evaluate therapeutic play interventions in hospital which encompass the development and emotional needs of CYP. (This includes distraction and preparations techniques).

To take individual referrals for children/Young people and their family members experiencing difficulty in managing hospital admissions/procedures.

To work with members of the Oncology MDT.

To document therapeutic interventions and outcomes on patient records system.

To ensure that patient records and activity data are maintained contemporaneously in accordance with Professional and Trust standards.

Attend MDT meetings and contribute to treatment and care plans.

Devise play programmes for CYP in hospital or home, according to their individual needs and as part of their overall care plan.

To plan and implement individual therapeutic play programmes to include preparation for invasive and non-invasive procedures, distraction therapy and post procedural play, including chemotherapy.

To monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions using reflective practice to achieve best outcomes.

To support and involve parents and carers in their CYP distraction and play plans.

To empathise with and provide and/or facilitate emotional support to parents, carers and siblings during times of stress or crisis, such as at a time of medical diagnosis or bereavement.

To establish effective communication, both verbal and written, with all members of the multi-disciplinary team.

To establish communication links with other agencies / hospitals involved with the CYP.

To work as a member of the multi-disciplinary team, contributing to patient treatment/care plans.

To provide play-based observations to influence and support the overall assessment of CYP.

To contribute and provide expert knowledge when involved in specific projects, audits and plans sharing at a local level.

To contribute to the development of protocols, standards (including cancer standards), guidelines and competencies for the department and devise standards for the Play and Youth service.

To be responsible for mentoring and clinically supervising Play Workers in your team, with support from your team.

Person Specification

Essential

Essential

  • Edexcel Certificate in Hospital Play
  • Specialism (HPSC/HPSEB)
  • Registered with HPSET
  • Demonstrable post registration experience in a range of clinical settings with children/young preferably 2 years of which is in a hospital setting
  • Experience of working with children with special needs including those with challenging behaviours


Desirable

  • Documented evidence of Continuing Professional Development
  • Experience of supporting junior staff and/or students


Employer details

Employer name

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Kings College Hospital

Denmark Hill

London

SE5 9RS

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

213-CAX-6157126-A

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