Job summary A fantastic opportunity has arisen for a permanent Health Play Specialists to work within the Therapeutic and Specialised Play Service at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, including Wythenshawe and Trafford Hospitals. You will be employed as part of the Therapeutic and Specialised Play Service and working hours may change to reflect the department or ward you are linked to, for example earliest shifts 7.30am - 3.30pm, latest shift 11am - 7pm. The applicant must hold the Foundation Degree in Healthcare Play Specialism or the previous Level 4 qualification. Alongside this they will be required to hold an up to date registration with the Health Play Specialist Education Trust. Alternatively students who are due to qualify in 2025 may apply. The post holder will play a valuable role in the care of patients within the hospital, improving the patient journey and experience. They should be proactive, flexible and motivated, being able to work both individually and as part of a team. Main duties of the job The Therapeutic and Specialised Play Service is a well established team, working throughout the trust. We strive for high standards of care and work together to ensure our babies, children and young people have positive experiences whilst in hospital. We encourage personal development with yearly objectives, working task groups and relevant learning opportunities. Working within our team allows for a valuable support network, scope to work in various hospitals and services throughout the trust and opportunities for sharing best practice. Techniques such as procedural preparation, distraction/diversional therapy and developmental play will be an integral part of the role. The Health Play Specialist will work with patients within the ward or department area, as well as taking patient referrals from a variety of professionals. They will be working within a multi-disciplinary team including the medical and clinical staff, Allied Health Professionals, the Youth Service, Specialist Nurses and the Focus Support Team. The post holder will be expected to complete thorough electronic documentation in patient notes, and attend any relevant meetings. The Health Play Specialist will be part of organising and taking part in patient experience agendas including events and Public Health initiatives. About us MFT is one of the largest NHS Trusts in England with a turnover of £2.8bn & is on a different scale than most other NHS Trusts. We're creating an exceptional integrated health & social care system for the 1 million patients who rely on our services every year. Bringing together 10 hospitals & community services from across Manchester, Trafford & beyond, we champion collaborative working & transformation, encouraging our 30,000 workforce to pursue their most ambitious goals. We set standards that other Trusts seek to emulate so you'll benefit from a scale of opportunity that is nothing short of extraordinary. We've also created a digitally enabled organisation to improve clinical quality, patient & staff experience, operational effectiveness & driving research, and innovation through the introduction of Hive; our Electronic Patient Record system which launched in September 2022. We're proud to be a major academic Research Centre & Education provider, providing you with a robust infrastructure to encourage and facilitate high-quality research programmes. What's more, we're excited to be embarking on our Green Plan which sets out how MFT continues to play its part in making healthcare more sustainable. At MFT, we create and foster a culture of inclusion and belonging, provide equal opportunities for career development that are fair, open, and transparent, protecting your health and wellbeing and shaping the future of our organisation together. Date posted 10 February 2025 Pay scheme Agenda for change Band Band 5 Salary £29,970 to £36,483 a year per annum, pro rata Contract Permanent Working pattern Full-time Reference number 349-MCH-6969170 Job locations Royal Manchester Children's Hospital / MCS Oxford Road Manchester M13 9WL Job description Job responsibilities To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience youll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading. So that youre even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, youll need to take time to read the Candidate Essentials Guide that sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how we care for you as you care for others. Most importantly, it also contains critical information youll need to be aware of before you submit an application form. Diversity Matters MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, email our team at resourcingmft.nhs.uk. Were looking forward to hearing from you Job description Job responsibilities To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience youll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading. So that youre even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, youll need to take time to read the Candidate Essentials Guide that sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how we care for you as you care for others. Most importantly, it also contains critical information youll need to be aware of before you submit an application form. Diversity Matters MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, email our team at resourcingmft.nhs.uk. Were looking forward to hearing from you Person Specification Registration with HPSET Essential HPSET registration Healthcare Play Specialism, Foundation Degree/Level 4 or qualifying 2025 Desirable Post qualification experience in a healthcare setting Experience working with young people Experience working with additional needs such as Autism Person Specification Registration with HPSET Essential HPSET registration Healthcare Play Specialism, Foundation Degree/Level 4 or qualifying 2025 Desirable Post qualification experience in a healthcare setting Experience working with young people Experience working with additional needs such as Autism Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions. UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window). Additional information Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions. UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window). Employer details Employer name Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust Address Royal Manchester Children's Hospital / MCS Oxford Road Manchester M13 9WL Employer's website https://mft.nhs.uk/careers/ (Opens in a new tab)