Play and Recreational Facilitator

JOB TITLE: NHS: Play and Recreational Facilitator

EMPLOYMENT STATUS: 1-year fixed contract until end of April 2027

RESPONSIBLE TO: CYP Service Manager / CYP Operations Manager

SALARY: £15.16 per hour

HOURS: 28 hours per week Monday to Friday (with occasional weekends)

WHERE: Birmingham Children’s Hospital

Knowledge and Experience

Essential:

• Working collaboratively as part of a team.
• Planning and delivering creative activity programmes to meet individual levels of ability and need, in line with themed topics and sensory based activities.
• Ability to motivate and encourage children and young people with complex needs to participate in activities.
• Understanding alternative methods of communication that could be used with non-verbal children and young people.
• Experience working with children and young people with complex and severe SEND needs and life limiting conditions.
• Completing and conducting assessments and risk assessments.
• Training relating to the role i.e., team teach, safeguarding, disability and SEND awareness.
• Show an understanding of alternative methods of communication that will enhance the support with non-verbal children and young people.
• Teamwork and working alone using own initiative

Skills

Essential

• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work with a wide range of people.
• Demonstrate an ability to motivate and encourage children and young people with complex needs to participate in activities or offering alternatives to meet individual needs.
• Demonstrate leadership skills.
• Willing to undertake further training.
• Proactive and focused.
• To already hold or be willing to undertake an enhanced DBS check/ sign up to the DBS update service.
• Ability to use person centred approaches to plan & deliver social, leisure and recreational opportunities for children and young people with learning disabilities and complex needs.
• Ability to communicate effectively with children and young people, BCH staff, parents, carers and other professionals
• Good written and verbal communication skills
• Practical arts, crafts, music, drama, sports, or games skills
• Have held a position of responsibility.

Desirable

• Full driving license and access to a car and willingness to commute across the designated geographical area (desirable)
• Relevant qualifications such as Pediatric First Aid, Mental Health First Aid. Level 2/3 Childcare or Level 2/3 Health and Social Care.

Who We Look for?

Are you a warm, personable, and highly motivated individual who can working effectively in within a steam but equally individually, to empower and support children and young people with complex need and disabilities, who have been admitted to hospital?

Do you have passion for what you do, are a strong communicator, team player and have good problem-solving skills?

The Play and Recreational Facilitator will work alongside ward staff and such professionals within Birmingham Women’s Children’s Hospital as well as the CYP team at Midland Mencap.
We place a high value upon integrity, ethical standards, and a commitment to excellence.

If you have experience in, planning activities and working with children and young people with complex disabilities, as well as their families and multi -professionals, we welcome you to apply. Midland Mencap strongly value transferable skills from other sectors and provide comprehensive training to all our staff in order to provide them with the nest skill set for their roles.

What does a Play and Recreational Facilitator do?

To meet the general and normalising play/recreation/leisure needs of children & young people through the facilitation of activities within the designated areas within the Trust; the Play & Admissions Centre, Pre-Assessment, wards and out-patient clinic areas across the Trust.

Midland Mencap is looking to appoint a Play and Recreational Facilitator to represent the organisation within Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital. The Play and Recreational Facilitator will maintain a safe working environment at all times, welcoming patients and their families into the department. They will have the ability to facilitate and support play strategically across the Trust, as well as normalising play to provide basic distraction from the hospital environment.

They will be able to support children and young people with challenging behaviours who also benefit from accessing play and recreational activities. Our Play and Recreational Facilitator will support the implementation of reasonable adjustments required for children and young people. They will also support the admission and pre-assessment process through hospital play sessions and provide basic distraction during this process. They will lead on the implementation and planning of the Programme of Activity Trust wide. They will have the skills to share their experiences with those around them to strengthen practice and the delivery of such activities.

Safeguarding our children and young people will be at the forefront of the role and the Play and Recreation Facilitator will have the confidence in reporting, recording and initially managing any arising concerns in a timely manner in line with Midland Mencap’s Safeguarding policies and procedures. They will ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and young people by proactively managing safeguarding principles and practices.

The Play and Recreational Facilitator will have a willingness to undertake specific training enquired for the role, as well as taking responsibility when leading session for aspects such as administering feed tubing or emergency medication.

Key Tasks, Duties and Responsibilities:

Under the direction of Birmingham Women’s and Children’s, ward staff and such professional, as well as Midland Mencap’s CYP Service Manager and CYP Operations Manager:

To facilitate play, recreation and leisure activities for individuals and groups of children/young people in hospital according to their individual needs, as part of an overall plan.

To facilitate and support play strategically across the Trust.

To assess, plan, implement, record and evaluate a programme of daily play, recreation and leisure activities which can be delivered flexibly depending on where the child/young person is i.e. Play & Admissions Centre, Wards, Departments, Den’s (playroom), bedside, etc.

To facilitate and create a caring and safe play, recreation and leisure environment for children/young people and families, helping to reduce anxiety and fear.

Organise, plan and implement activities which encourage independence and provide the opportunity for children/young people and families to spend time independently of each other. To educate parents/carers on the importance and value of play.

To teach the multi-disciplinary team on the benefits of play.

To advise wards and departments on a receptive environment.

To communicate appropriately with children/young people, families and all members of the Multi-Disciplinary Team.

To ensure that activity data is maintained in accordance with the Trust standards.

To uphold the BWCH Values of Ambitious, Brave and Compassion at all times.

To maintain the required standard in respect of all Trust documentation.

To report any and all concerns of a Safeguarding nature in line with the Trust’s and Midland Mencap’s’ Safeguarding Policy and procedures.

To use initiative and prioritise own workload in collaboration with the Play & Admissions Centre, Pre-Admissions team, ward and departments.

To facilitate ‘hospital’ play sessions to support pre-assessment services.

Guidance: The Play and Recreational Facilitator will be required to:

Welcome patients and families to the department.

Maintain a safe working environment.

Maintain toys and equipment – ensuring Trust Infection Control and cleaning policies are adhered to.

Ensure that all children and young people have appropriate access to general/normalising play, recreation activities and leisure time during their time at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital – Steelhouse Lane site.

Ensuring children and young people have access to normalising and general play and recreation to help reduce anxiety/fear of a familiar/unfamiliar environment.

To facilitate and support play strategically across the Trust.

Use normalising play to provide basic distraction from the hospital environment.

Work flexibly and support Trust wide Play Workers/Play and Recreation Facilitators.

Use knowledge, skills and experience of child development through to adulthood when selecting play, recreation and leisure activities.

Actively promote Health and Wellbeing with children, young people and families.

Proactively engage and participate in the patient experience agenda, actively seeking feedback through a variety of methods, acting appropriately upon feedback and liaising with the management team.

To have an understanding of reasonable adjustments required for children/young people with learning disabilities and additional needs – including sourcing safe, appropriate play and resource activities.

Able to support children and young people with challenging behaviours whom want to be able to access play and recreation.

Support the implementation of reasonable adjustments required for children and young people

Support the admission and pre-assessment process through hospital play sessions and provide basic distraction through normalising/general play.

Support and participate in the development and implementation of youth sessions

Sharing best practice with colleagues.

To work alongside Play Workers, Play and Recreation Facilitators, Play Specialists and Youth Workers.

Participate and support the training programme/assessment for Play Volunteers

To support and assess students requiring childcare placement

To support and assess childcare students and level 2 and 3 apprenticeships

Duties and responsibilities:

To facilitate play, recreation and leisure activities for individuals and groups of children/young people in hospital according to their individual needs, as part of an overall plan.

To facilitate and support play strategically across the Trust.

To assess, plan, implement, record and evaluate a programme of daily play, recreation and leisure activities which can be delivered flexibly depending on where the child/young person is i.e. Play & Admissions Centre, Wards, Departments, Den’s (play room), bedside, etc.

To facilitate and create a caring and safe play, recreation and leisure environment for children/young people and families, helping to reduce anxiety and fear.

Organise, plan and implement activities which encourage independence and provide the opportunity for children/young people and families to spend time independently of each other.

To educate parents/carers on the importance and value of play.

To teach the multi-disciplinary team on the benefits of play.

To advise wards and departments on a receptive environment

Implement and complete cleaning rotas in line with the Trust’s Infection Control

To communicate appropriately with children/young people, families and all members of the Multi-Disciplinary Team.

To ensure that activity data is maintained in accordance with the Trust standards.

To ensure that Children/Young People who are anxious or have misunderstood their treatments/procedures will be referred to Specialist Play and Youth Service/ Health in Mind in a timely manner.

To uphold the BWCH Values of Ambitious, Brave and Compassion at all times.

To maintain the required standard in respect of all Trust documentation.

To report any and all concerns of a Safeguarding nature in line with the Trust’s Safeguarding Policy and procedures.

To facilitate ‘hospital’ play sessions to support pre-assessment services within the Play & Admissions Centre, Pre-Assessment Clinic areas or ward based.

Personal Development

Participate in continuing development to develop the knowledge and skills required for the post.

The post holder will make use of supervision and/or mentoring opportunities as agreed.

The post holder has a responsibility to keep up to date with Trust policies and professional practice.

Attend and participate in departmental meetings.

Undertake mandatory training as directed by the Trust.

The post holder will comply with all Trust policies as required.

Physical Effort

There is a frequent requirement to exert moderate physical effort for several long periods during a shift

• Working at a child’s level – kneeling, bending, siting, static postures…
• Moving equipment and furniture to meet the needs of children and young people enabling them to part take in play sessions and events.
• Have the ability to manoeuvre wheelchairs and pushchairs and other such required equipment.

Mental Effort

There is a frequent requirement for concentration where the work pattern is unpredictable

• Being aware what activities, you can do to meet the needs of the children and young people
• Diverse age range of children and young people
• Following all Trust Policies and guidelines

Emotional Effort

Frequent exposure to distressing or emotional circumstances

• Working with and supporting patients that have undergone traumatic experiences
• Working with and supporting families
• Safeguarding
• Exposure to end of life, palliative care and bereavement
• The Play and Recreational Facilitator will have access to Midland Mencap’s internal Employee Assistance Programme from Health Assured, which is the organisations Wellbeing service which staff have access to 24/7.

Working Conditions

Occasional exposure to unpleasant working conditions

• Working and supporting sick children and young people
• Bodily fluids – occasional usage of spill packs
• Working in an emotive area for patients and families

Full Job Description and Person Specification.

When applying for this job role, please complete and attach the following to your application:

• The Application Form

• The Equal Opportunities Form

Word Document Format:
Application Form – Word
Equal Opportunities Monitoring – Word

PDF Format:
Applications Form PDF
Equal Opportunities Monitoring PDF

Closing Date: Tuesday 17th March

This is a rolling recruitment process. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may take place at any time. The post will close once a successful candidate has been appointed, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.