Senior Health Play Specialist

Senior Health Play Specialist

Go back University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW)

The closing date is 10 March 2026

The Senior Health Play Specialist is a senior member of the Play Team with responsibility for providing leadership and professional oversight within the Play Department. The post holder ensures the planning, coordination and delivery of safe, high-quality play programmes across all aspects of hospital play provision, in line with Trust policies and national standards.

This vacancy may close earlier than advertised if a sufficient number of applications are received.

As a senior practitioner, the post holder holds line management responsibility for a designated team, providing supervision, appraisal, and day‑to‑day management, and supports the development of staff through mentoring Health Play Specialist students and supervising volunteers. The role includes acting as the named specialist for a ward, ensuring effective communication and multidisciplinary working.

The post holder contributes to the effective operational management of the service by maintaining positive working relationships with charitable partners and supporting the Play Services Manager with the smooth running, service development, and continuous improvement of the department.

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England. UHBW has been rated by the CQC as ‘Good’ overall and our staff are proud to deliver excellent care to the people of Bristol, Weston and beyond.

As a forward‑thinking multi‑award winning Trust and a digital exemplar committed to improving patient care, our world‑leading research and innovations are having a positive local and global impact. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston; join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer.

UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them.

Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

• Experience of assessing patients’ needs to provide specialised play, therapeutic distraction, preparation and post‑procedural play
• Experience of working as part of a multi‑disciplinary team and ability to communicate effectively at all levels
• Can motivate, guide, and support a small team, promoting a positive and productive working environment
• Demonstrates strong communication and builds positive relationships within the team and with others.
• Can work effectively under pressure and manage competing demands while remaining motivated.
• Open to feedback, reflects on practice, and embraces new ideas or ways of working.
• Demonstrates awareness of Trust values and consistently applies them in practice

• Demonstrates strong IT skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Outlook and in‑house Trust systems.
• Can analyse issues effectively, make decisions, and manage time efficiently.
• Maintains a clean, safe, and child‑focused environment, following Trust health and safety policies.
• Awareness of budget and stock control

• Foundation Degree (FdA) in Healthcare Play Specialism or equivalent AND Current HPSET registration
• Leadership training

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.

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW)