Skip to main content
Please wait, loading

Job summary

Main area
Practice Facilitator- Play Team
Grade
Band 6
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
271-NPE-7432222
Employer
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust
Town
London
Salary
£46,419 - £55,046 per annum inclusive
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
23/10/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust logo

Practice Facilitator for Play

Band 6

Job overview

An exciting opportunity had arisen to join our large Play and Youth Department as a Practice Facilitator.

We are seeking a dynamic and motivated individual to help train, develop and elevate our team through education and strong leadership.  This person must be a qualified and registered Health Play Specialist or Certified Child Life Specialist with substantive post qualifying experience and a special interest in research, data and quality improvement.

Main duties of the job

  • To support and develop qualified and registered Health Play Specialists, Play Workers, Youth Workers and Youth Support Workers working within GOSH
  • Promote high standards of care through role modelling the demonstration of clinical expertise, leadership and professionalism
  •  To work along-side the Head of Play and the Practice Educator of the work stream, assisting in the delivery of effective programmes and courses to ensure that compliance is monitored and evidenced.
  • Assist in the design, delivery and evaluation of courses and programme
  •  Facilitate a positive learning environment in the classroom, simulation and clinical areas where staff development is encouraged and supported and talent is fostered and enhance
  • Work within the Nursing and Non- Medical Education to deliver the learning and development requirements of the Play Team to be responsive to on-going issues arising in relation to patient safety, clinical effectiveness and patient experience
  • Work trust-wide supporting the Practice Educators in practice development service improvement and organisational transformation to deliver the Trusts vision and objectives

 

Working for our organisation

We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as the communities we serve, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including people with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic heritage, people with a disability, and people from LGBTQ+ communities. By growing an ever more diverse workforce, we’ll have a greater range of perspectives and knowledge, meaning that we can provide the children and young people at our hospital with even better care 

Our hospital is committed to creating an environment that is open and inclusive. Our staff are encouraged to engage with colleagues through the following networks: REACH (Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage) ENABLED (Enhancing Abilities & Leveraging Disabilities Network), PRIDE and Women’s networks; all of which are sponsored by a member of our Executive Management Team. 

We want to ensure that all of our people, regardless of their background, are seen and heard. We want to attract applicants that share our commitment to inclusion and that understand diversity is a strength that is embraced and valued.  

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents please view the attachment/s below.

Person specification

GOSH Culture and Values

Essential criteria
  • Our Always values.
  • Understanding of Diversity and Inclusion challenges in the workplace.

Academic/Professional qualification/Training

Essential criteria
  • FdA Healthcare Play Specialism or Certified Child Life Specialist
  • Basic Secondary Education up to 5 GCSEs at grades A-C/ 9-4 or beyond, including English and Maths
  • NNEB or NVQ Level 3in Childcare or equivalent understanding of the principles of play work
  • Evidence of ongoing dynamic and continuing development, registered with SOHPS
Desirable criteria
  • Recruiting and Interviewing Skills
  • Line Management Skills
  • Relevant teaching and assessing qualification e.g. practice assessor, mentor

Experience/Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Experience of working with a variety of staff
  • Substantial post qualifying experience of working as a Health Play Specialist or CCLS
  • In-depth theoretical knowledge of child development, the principles of play in hospital and the range of interventions offered by Health Play Specialists to minimise hospital trauma, through normalising play sessions and access to play experiences etc.
  • In depth knowledge of research-based practice
  • Detailed knowledge of best practice Professional code of conduct and its application in practice
  • Knowledge of health legislation - guidelines and standards and its application in practice.
  • Experience in creating opportunities for Health Play Specialists, working alongside education leads within the trust and external education colleges and universities
  • Training and mentoring, sharing skills and teaching peers and healthcare colleagues, mentoring and assessing students.
  • Knowledge and understanding of diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
  • Research and data collection – evidencing practice and auditing.
  • Experience of co-creation of services with patients and working with outside agencies and partners.
  • Knowledge of the principles of clinical governance, health and safety, safeguarding, risk assessment and infection control.
  • Awareness of diversity, cultural and religious pathways and policies.
Desirable criteria
  • Team management and leadership experience, supporting and developing the role of the Health Play Specialist trust wide.

Skills/Abilities

Essential criteria
  • Experience of undertaking therapeutic assessments of children and young people- supporting play workers with planning and MDT involvement
  • Ability to work autonomously to discuss, plan, develop and implement training, and service development, whilst looking at service needs.
  • Excellent verbal, communication and organisation skills. Excellent IT and presentation skills
  • Excellent interpersonal skills
  • Ability to formulate and share sensitive information with the team and work together to address issues and challenges.
  • Teaching in clinical and non-clinical settings
  • Effective time management skills and ability to prioritise workload.
  • Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance
  • To co-create the service with input from the children and young people and to change and diversify when required to suit the needs of the patients
  • Ability to collate data, and present findings
Desirable criteria
  • Ability to identify pertinent ethical issues and provide guidance.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoImproving working livesCare quality commission - GoodDisability confident employerStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.Menopause Workplace PledgeDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - Gold

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Application numbers

The closing date given is a guide only. There may be some occasions where we have to close a vacancy once sufficient applications have been received. It is therefore advisable that you submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Sallyanne Pitt
Job title
Head of Play
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
0207 405 9200
Apply online nowAlert me to similar vacancies