Health Play Specialist

Job description

Fulfil your potential in hospitals that make history:

Charing Cross, Hammersmith, St Mary's, Queen Charlotte's & Chelsea and Western Eye.

With five world-renowned hospitals, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust is full of opportunity if you are looking to develop your healthcare career.

We are an NHS Trust of approximately 16,000 people, providing care for over a million and a half patients from north west London and beyond every year.

We have a rich heritage and an ambitious vision for the future of our patients and local communities.

With our partners, Imperial College London, and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, we form Imperial College Academic Health Science Centre, one of 6 academic health science centres in the UK, working to ensure the rapid translation of research for better patient care and excellence in education.

We are proud of our heritage in innovation and we are early adopters of new insights in technologies, techniques and treatments for improving health.

Job overview

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.

Working for our organisation

At Imperial College Healthcare you can achieve extraordinary things with extraordinary people, working with leading clinicians pushing boundaries in patient care.

Become part of a vibrant team living our values - expert, kind, collaborative and aspirational. You'll get an experience like no other and will fast forward your career.

Benefits include career development, flexible working and wellbeing, staff recognition scheme. Make use of optional benefits including Cycle to Work, car lease schemes, season ticket loan or membership options for onsite leisure facilities.

We are committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and will consider applications to work flexibly, part time or job share. Please talk to us at interview.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required.

For both overviews please view the Job Description attachment with the job advert.

Person specification

Education & Qualifications

Essential criteria

• 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 criteria

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

Experience & Knowledge

Essential criteria

• 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 criteria

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

Skills & Abilities

Essential criteria

• 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 criteria

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

Right to work

If you need sponsorship to work in the UK, please visit the Home Office website for information on sponsorship and visa status before you fill in your application form. Due to recent changes in the UK immigration rules which affect Skilled Worker Visas, Global Business Mobility, Higher Skill Level and Increased Salary Thresholds, please ensure that you are able to meet the requirements to live and work in the UK before applying. Further information about eligibility is available on