Play Team Lead

The post holder will assist the senior nursing team in providing a comprehensive play service within the Child Health Directorate, by co- ordinating the day-to-day activities of the play team.
The post holder will be required to lead and support the play team in ensuring the emotional and behavioural needs of all children and young people are met in an effective and timely manner.
The post holder will liaise with the senior nursing team to develop and maintain a safe and welcoming environment to children and their families attending the hospital.
The post holder will be responsible for ensuring the provision of appropriate play and leisure opportunities both within the activity centre, at the bedside, and other identified areas within the Child Health Directorate., Northampton General Hospital is one of the largest employers in the area and we are on an exciting journey. All of our divisions are committed to doing things better, with more efficiency as we update, modernise, and advance. We have also entered into a Group Model with neighbouring Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and become University Hospitals of Northamptonshire.
Our Excellence Values
Compassion
Accountability
Respect
Integrity
Courage
We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help to unleash everyone's full potential. As an organisation, we value how we communicate and promote our vacancies to all communities.
We are a Defence positive trust, supporting our reservists, veterans, spouses and partners.
The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups, especially those from BAME, Disabled and LGBTQ+ backgrounds as these are underrepresented in our hospitals.
We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative.
We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds. This ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals., Ensure appropriate play representation within the acute children's ward areas, children's outpatient department, medical daycare centre and for specific multidisciplinary meetings, and identified specialist areas within the Directorate.
Ensure the appropriate level of input is provided by the play team to support children and young people being exposed to clinical procedures and medical interventions.
Undertake individual child assessments in relation to play and development, plan individual play programmes and strategies, monitor and evaluate outcomes.
Ensure effective communication between the play team, nursing and medical colleagues, and other allied professionals to ensure the play, and distraction become an integral aspect of the child's care.
Plan and organise the play teams work patterns and activities on a day-to-day basis to ensure the play and therapeutic needs of all children are met.
To promote evidence-based practice, review evidence-based service guidelines and protocols, and participate in the implementation of new ideas in order to improve and develop the play service.
Provide day to day clinical supervision and training in play to the play team staff, ensuring opportunities are made available for staff development.
Provide support to staff at the earliest opportunity, following involvement in untoward incidents, escalating to manager to ensure appropriate ongoing input is identified.
To coordinate the training and education of other staff in relation to all aspects of play and development.
To participate on study days, and local events both internally and external to promote the role of the play specialist and the play service.
To liaise with Charitable funds in respect of any fund-raising opportunities and ensure compliance with national and Trust policies in relation to receiving donations on behalf of the Child health directorate.
Monitor compliance of the staff team in relation to mandatory training, appraisals, sickness, absence and performance in line with Trust policies, take action to rectify deficiencies, escalating to manager as required.
Request, maintain and control stock for the play service, ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations. Escalating any concerns to senior managers.
At Northampton General Hospital we provide general acute services and hyper-acute stroke, vascular and renal services to people living in Northamptonshire. As well as this we are an accredited cancer centre and provide cancer services to a wider population of Northamptonshire and parts of Buckinghamshire.
We are proud to be the first hospital in the UK to have obtained Pathway to Excellence® designated accreditation from the American nurses credentialing centre (ANCC).
We celebrate staff achievements and value the importance of working as one big team. That's why we talk about Team NGH. It's all about working together to provide the best possible care for our patients and supporting each other to grow and develop our skills. We are driven to helping you to be the best you can be.
We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help to unleash everyone's full potential. As an organisation, we value how we communicate and promote our vacancies to all communities. The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups, especially those from BAME, Disabled and LGBTQ+ backgrounds as these are underrepresented in our hospitals. We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative. We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds. This ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.
Apply today and join the largest family in Northamptonshire.