Health Play Specialist
Job Description:Health play specialists understand child development and use therapeutic play activities to help children cope when in hospital.
Job Category:What you will do:
As part of this role you may:
- carry out therapeutic assessments
- design play activities to meet children’s individual needs
- plan and run play, art and craft activities at the bedside, on the ward or in a hospital play area
- create an environment that encourages play
- talk to parents or carers about the value of play and suggest suitable activities
- organise parties and other special events
Skills:
You’ll need:
- counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
- knowledge of psychology
- customer service skills
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
As well as:
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- sensitivity and understanding
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure (leadership skills)
- to be flexible and open to change (adaptability skills)
- the ability to understand people’s reactions
Entry Requirements:
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- an apprenticeship
- volunteering
University
You’ll need a foundation degree in a healthcare play specialism. To get onto the course, you usually need:
- a childcare qualification
- to have studied English and maths
- at least 2 years’ experience of working with children – paid or voluntary
Courses are a mix of practical work and theory. If you’re not already working in healthcare play, you need to arrange a placement during the course.
Apprenticeship
You may be able to do a health play specialist practitioner higher apprenticeship.
You will need some experience of working with children in a childcare or healthcare setting.
Volunteering
Volunteering in a healthcare setting will give you useful work experience for applying for courses and jobs.
Working Hours and Environment:
A typical week consists of 37-39 hours of work. You could be required to work weekends.
You could work in a public or private hospital. You may need to wear a uniform.
Career Path & Progression:
You could go on to work outside of a hospital setting, for example in a child development centre, hospice, or within a community paediatric team.
With experience, you could progress to team leader or team manager.
You could also apply to train as a healthcare professional, like a nurse or occupational therapist.