Apprentice Play Specialist Leicester, England
Job description
Due to an exciting development opportunity, we are looking to recruit an enthusiastic, innovative and motivated apprentice play specialist to work within our experienced and friendly team of health play specialists and play assistants at Leicester Children’s Hospital.
You will work alongside the multi-professional team to ensure that access to play and therapeutic support is central to the patients care pathway.
Candidates will be expected to complete the Play specialist level 3 apprenticeship offered by Leeds City College (Luminate).
Your role will be to maintain a safe, welcoming, child focused environment within the healthcare setting, ensuring that all children and young people within the setting have access to appropriate play and recreation facilities. To use your knowledge of child development to facilitate normalising play and therapeutic play interventions for sick infants, children and young people throughout their healthcare journey. Alongside this you will undertake the Health play specialist foundation degree at Leeds College. You will be given one day a week study leave to attend remote learning and expected to attend some face to face teaching in Leeds (approx. every 6 weeks) The apprenticeship course will take 27 months and you must have the ability to complete the course. You will be employed on a fixed term contract for this period. On successful completion of the foundation degree and registered with HPSET you will be eligible to work as a permanent healthcare play specialist.
The applicant will need to hold a level 3 childcare qualification or equivalent. Maths and English grade A-C or equivalent level 2 or above in literacy and numeracy. These are the requirements for the course.
Working patterns are 7.5hr shifts between the hours of 07.30 and 18.00. Some weekend working may be required.
For more information on the course and qualification
https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/health-play-specialist-v1-0
We are one of the biggest and busiest NHS trusts in the country, incorporating the General, Glenfield and Royal Infirmary hospitals. We have our very own Children’s Hospital and run one of the country’s leading heart centres.
Our team is made up of more than 17,000 staff providing a range of services primarily for the one million residents of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
We work with partners at the University of Leicester and De Montfort University providing world-class teaching to nurture and develop the next generation of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, many of whom go on to spend their working lives with us.
Our purpose is to provide ‘Caring at its best’ and our staff have helped us create a set of values that embody who we are and what we’re here to do. They are:
- We focus on what matters most
- We treat others how we would like to be treated
- We are passionate and creative in our work
- We do what we say we are going to do
- We are one team and we are best when we work together
About the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust: (leicestershospitals.nhs.uk)
To provide a safe and welcoming environment demonstrating a caring and relaxed attitude towards any child, young person and family entering the ward or department.
Will work with children of all ages from 0-18 years, individually or in groups in a variety of settings.
Will organise and supervise play activities for individual and groups of children and young people in hospital according to their individual needs and as part of their overall plan.
To provide play based observations to support the overall assessment of children
To devise and implement individual written developmental assessments and implement requirements.
Physically be able to provide art and craft activities for patients that require some degree of dexterity.
To establish effective communication, both verbally and written with children/families and the multi-disciplinary team.
To understand and use play documentation to communicate relevant information and /or progress being aware of the need for confidentiality both with the written and spoken word.
To work collaboratively with colleagues and other medical professionals to work together in the best interests of the patient, supporting their holistic needs and acting as an advocate when appropriate. Under supervision of a registered Health Play Specialist, and as part of the apprenticeship requirements facilitate appropriate play activities to assist the child and family in understanding the admission, medical, surgical procedures and other interventions.
To be responsible for ordering toys and play equipment within the budget set.
