Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and motivated individual. We are looking for a Play Worker to join our team of Health Play Specialists and Play Workers at The Royal London Children's Hospital. We work across both in and out patients departments and provide support to children and young people accessing our services.

We are looking for a Play Worker who is committed to the delivery of compassionate high quality, child centered care and has the training and skills to implement specialised play input to support the young people and their families throughout their time in hospital.

We are looking for someone who has a good understanding with relevant experience of child development in varying ages and abilities, who is creative and keen to promote normalising and sensory play in the hospital setting. Our ideal candidate is able to work on their own initiative, a team player and a keen interest in working with children/young people and their families in hospital. We have a well-established programme of quality improvement and fully encourage CPD. We value team members who are resourceful, loyal, committed and can be an active part of our vision for continuing to drive play forward.

Essential qualifications needed to apply for this post include 5 GCSEs Grade C and above (to include Maths & English) and NNEB or NVQ level 3 in childcare or equivalent.

Main duties of the job
Working alongside your Play Department and wider multi-disciplinary team you will:Maintain a safe, child-focused environment where play occurs naturally.Provide play for normalisation for children attending hospital as in or out patients.Use your knowledge of child development and through to adulthood when selecting recreational / play activities. To plan and implement developmental play programmes for patients. Be able to identify children who need extra support and hand this over to a Play Specialist.

About us
Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain's leading healthcare providers.

Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.

We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.

Job 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 documents, please view the attachment/s below.

Person Specification
Experience
Essential

• Previous experience of working with Children/young people in a play, Education or hospital setting.
• Experience of working as a team member.
• Experience /knowledge of different cultures and ethnic groups.
• General knowledge/experience Child Protection.
• Experience working with adolescents, babies and children with special needs & their families.
• Theoretical knowledge of child development.
• Knowledge of the value of play for sick children.
• Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance.
• Basic knowledge of confidentiality.

Desirable

• Cultural awareness training.

Qualifications
Essential

• 5 GCSEs Grade C and above to include Maths & English NNEB or NVQ level 3 in childcare or equivalent

Desirable

• Awareness of Childrens Safeguarding

Skills
Essential

• Good interpersonal and supportive skills.
• To be creative and provide a wide Selection of art & craft activities for all ages.
• Health, safety and risk awareness.
• Play & organisation skills.
• Ability to understand and adhere to professional boundaries of the role, referring on to line manager where necessary.
• Ability to work with individuals and groups of children/young people.
• Effective verbal and written communicational skills.
• Good level of IT skills.

Desirable

• Documentation Skills.
• Good level of IT skills.

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.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).