Starlight is the national charity transforming children’s health through play. We work
to ensure that every child can benefit from the incredible power of play, supporting
their mental and physical health during treatment and recovery from illness.
Play is not just a ‘nice to have’; without play, children can experience short and
long-term problems. In fact, it’s so important that being able to engage in play is
one of the human rights listed in the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Without play, problems faced can range from anxiety around having blood tests,
which could mean appointments being abandoned and rescheduled, to developing
PTSD and a fear around visiting hospitals and healthcare settings. It’s not
uncommon for health play specialists to have to meet children in the car park as
they are too scared to even set foot inside the hospital.
Each year, there are nearly 1.8 million child hospital admissions in the UK and
nearly three-quarters (71%) of NHS trusts and health boards do not have any
budget for play. This is simply not good enough; we think that play in healthcare is
non-negotiable.
Driven by our research and insights into what works best for them, we provide direct
services and resources for children and their families, and to the health
professionals working with them. We also advocate for more and better health play
services in public policy and promote the full recognition of health play practitioners
as an integral component of the children’s health workforce.
Our Health Play Services Delivery team provides physical and digital materials and
resources which support the delivery of health play to practitioners and families.
These are informed by insight, evidence, and evaluation from our Insight and Impact
Team.
Central to these materials and resources is our range of Boxes which contain toys
and activities specifically selected to help children relax, distract, and engage to
ensure their treatment can be carried out as quickly and effectively as possible with
minimal stress.
The current Health Play Services Delivery Manager is about to be seconded to a
new Commercial Development role, initially for 6 months, as we shape the
development of a new source of income for Starlight through paid services.
There may be the possibility of an extension to this contract depending upon the
outcome of the secondment.
The Health Play Services Delivery Manager, reporting to our Head of Play, leads the
end-to-end process of our services. You’ll need experience in the operational
management of service delivery, and experience of working with the NHS and in
children’s services would be an advantage.
You’ll work across all areas from procurement through stock control to the logistics of
delivery, and you’ll build relationships internally and externally to ensure efficient,
effective, high-quality service delivery and excellent customer relationship management.
Reporting directly to the Head of Play, you’ll manage the Service Delivery Co-ordinator
and the Service Data Officer within the Hospital Services Team.
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