Play Assistant

Due to an exciting development we are looking to recruit a band 3 play assistant to join our play team in supporting Children and young people through their hospital journey. Candidates must hold a level 3 child care qualification in order to provide and maintain a safe, friendly and childfocusedenvironment. Thesuccessfulcandidate will have excellent knowledge, skills and experience in child development, play and communication skills and demonstrate the ability todocument and participate in developmental assessments. Experience of working in a health care setting would bebeneficial.

For an informal discussion please contact Sally Shepherd or Helen Hayles on 0116 258 7549

• To provide a safe and welcoming environment demonstrating a caring and relaxed attitude towards any child and family entering the ward or departments
• To work with children of all ages, individually or in groups in a variety of settings.
• To 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 and young people
• 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 ensure that all toys, play equipment and facilities are clean, in good repair and stored safety
• To ensure that a safe environment is created for children their families and staff in accordance with the Trusts safety polic

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

Our patients are at the heart of all we do and we believe that ‘Caring at its best’ is not just about the treatments and services we provide, but about giving our patients the best possible experience.

About the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust: (leicestershospitals.nhs.uk)

The detailed job description and main responsibilities are included as an attachment to this advert.

• To be responsible for achieving standards of care set by example and direction.
• To be involved in Personal and Development reviews
• To support play audits
• To demonstrate flexibility when required to work in other areas
• To participate in play team meetings
• To review and reflect on own practice and performance through the effective use of clinical supervision and appraisal
• To attend mandatory training, keep abreast of current trends in play through reading literature and journals. And being supportive to change