Healthcare Play Assistant

The Paediatric Department is looking to recruit a Healthcare Play Assistant to join the Healthcare Play Specialist team. You will use your knowledge and experience of child development to deliver play, recreation and leisure according to a child’s/young person’s individual needs. You will work as part of a fully integrated member of the Multidisciplinary Team to support the child/young person and their families. You will provide a safe environment to create positive experiences for children/young people and their families.

Neptune Paediatric Ward has 16 beds catering for children aged 0-16 requiring medical, surgical and day-stay admission. There is a designated Paediatric Assessment Unit within Neptune consisting of 7 beds and is managed separately. Children are referred to the PAU for assessment and/or treatment of surgical, medical or orthopaedic conditions from varied sources, including GP’s, ED, and Community Midwives. You will also work closely with children and young people within the Paediatric Emergency Department and the Paediatric Outpatient Department. These departments are within a separate location of the hospital to Neptune Paediatric Ward. All Paediatric Departments are supported by a large team of multi-disciplinary professionals including Doctors, Physiotherapists, Dieticians, Paediatric Educators and Paediatric Nurse Specialists

Please note that this role will include working shift patterns including weekends, bank holidays and out of hours.

The Healthcare Play Assistant will function as part of the multi-disciplinary team within the Paediatric Department to help provide a seamless service & high quality care to patients as part of the Healthcare Play Specialist Team. The Play Assistant is expected to provide access to developmental play and recreation for children and young people inclusive of equality and diversity, fulfilling emotional, social and developmental needs. As part of their role the Healthcare Play Assistant will deliver simple distraction techniques during clinical procedures and prepare children or young people for simple procedures under the supervision of a qualified Healthcare Play Specialist. The Healthcare Play Assistant will work collaboratively as part of the Paediatric Team, whilst working within the Trusts policies and procedures.

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is now one of the largest trusts in the country, serving a population of 1.2 million people. Our newly formed Trust, comprising acute hospital sites at Broomfield in Chelmsford, Basildon and Southend, is determined to provide the best health services for its local population. We are a well-led, high-performing and innovative organisation working in the best interests of the people we serve.

With a workforce of approximately 15,000 staff, we can now do more and go further in delivering health services to our local communities.

Our ambition is to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and wellbeing of our patients, and provide a vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers.

Patients will experience improved care as well as fewer delays and cancellations. We are able to provide more once-in-a-lifetime specialist care region-wide. With our new trust size will come more opportunities for development, research, networking and innovation

Please see attached job description for full details about this role, but responsibilities include:

• To establish effective communication with children/young people, parents, siblings and staff
• To organise daily play and art activities in the playroom and at the bedside.
• To plan play programmes for individual children/young people based on observations and child developmental theory.
• Use knowledge of child development when selecting play, recreation and leisure activities.
• Have an understanding of the adaptations required for children/young people with additional needs to fulfil their right to play and recreational activities.
• To undertake assessments of the child or young person based on observations during play / activities.
• Deliver stimulating, supportive, developmental play, through one to one or group play sessions