Play Assistant | Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust

The post holder will work alongside qualified Health Play Specialist to provide age and stage appropriate

play opportunities and give support to the hospitalised Children, Young People (CYP) and their families.

Throughout this job description we refer to Children, Young People age 0-18 years as CYP, this covers

CYP with wide range of developmental abilities and sometimes complexities.

Clinical / Therapeutic

Develop and participate in planning of play programmes to incorporate normality and routine.

Observe and evaluate the play programmes to meet the needs of CYP and family.

Provide support for CYP and family.

Create a safe and welcoming environment for all CYP to experience play whilst in hospital.

Support effective patients flow by identifying and accompanying appropriate CYP to theatre to

reduce delay. This CYP must have been prepared and ready by the nursing staff.

To have an awareness of hospital communication passports and ensure that all CYP and families have the relevant access to ensure passports in place as required.

Assisting with theatre admission flow team with any actions co-signed safely by registered nurse in the admission team.

Communication and Documentation

Participate as a member of the multi-disciplinary team within the Hospital.

Be an advocate for CYP and family.

Provide and document play based observations and actions to influence and support the overall

assessment of CYP.

Ensure that up to date electronic records and activity data are maintained in accordance with professional and Trust standards.

Participate in patient feedback and work with ward management team to obtain real time CYP and families’ views. Support ward management with CYP and families experience projects such as parent group meet.

At the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH), we are committed to achieving the best staff experience in the NHS. In the 2023 NHS Staff Survey, we proudly:

• Scored above the national average for the

People Promises

"We are recognised and rewarded," "We are always learning," "We work flexibly," "We are a team," and for staff engagement.

• Ranked #1 among all Trusts in North and Central London for all People Promises and themes.
• Ranked #1 among all Acute Specialist Trusts for "We work flexibly."

At RNOH, we’re committed to being actively anti-discriminatory and actively inclusive. We recognise our brilliant people do brilliant work, and we offer rewarding careers, no matter what their background. We continue to strive to break down barriers to be the Trust where people come together because what they do matters, makes a difference and where they can thrive. ​

Joining our organisation means enjoying a wide range of staff benefits, including

• 24/7 access to wellbeing support through our Employee Assistance Programme.
• A Rewards & Recognition platform, offering opportunities to thank colleagues, send gifts, and access exclusive discounts.
• A dedicated Staff Wellbeing Hub, providing a space to relax and recharge away from the work environment.
• Salary sacrifice schemes for transport (season ticket loans, car and bike), electrical goods, and childcare

At RNOH, we are more than a workplace—we are committed to patients, to excellence and the wellbeing of our staff.

Professional Ethics and Clinical Governance

Respect the individual, values, cultural and religious diversity of patients and their families, and

contribute to the provision of services sensitive to these needs.

To be aware and respect the Rights of the child as laid down by Children Act 2004 and UNICEF

Only undertake activities and procedures where relevant training and competency have been

obtained and the post holder has been deemed safe to undertake.

Personal and Professional Development

Gain experience within the play team and further your knowledge of the care of hospitalised CYP.

Review and reflect on your own practice through effective use of supervision and appraisal.

Develop and keep an up to date portfolio.

Attend courses and update training to reflect current trends.

Staff and students

Within the play team support and work alongside new staff and students.

Responsibilities and Resources

Monitor play resources and inform senior member of the team when equipment needed.

To be responsible for maintaining play equipment in accordance with Trust, Health and Safety

standards.

This advert closes on Tuesday 26 May 2026

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

Disability Confident

About Disability Confident

A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.