Outreach Play Specialist

Job Description

For questions about this job, contact:

Name: Lisa Beaumont or Tracy West

Position: Play Manager / Outreach Play Specialist

Email: /

Shortlisting Date: 01/10/2026

Interview Date: 10/10/2026

This is a 2 year fixed term contract

Job Summary

We are seeking an enthusiastic, compassionate and motivated registered Health Play Specialist to join the Outreach Play Service at Leeds Children's Hospital, working within the Children and Young People diagnosed with Cancer, and their families, to assess the need for therapeutic play interventions and to develop appropriate, individualised support plans. The post holder will liaise with local play therapy services where required and deliver play-based interventions within the child's home and school environments. A key aspect of the role is supporting children to understand their diagnosis and treatment in an age-appropriate way, as well as helping to reduce procedure-related anxiety through therapeutic play. The post holder will play an important role in promoting positive mental health and emotional wellbeing for children and young people throughout their cancer journey. A significant aspect of this role includes supporting children receiving palliative care, as well as their siblings and families. You will provide engaging, tailored play sessions based on each child's interests, delivered within the comfort of their home. The role also involves sensitive work within palliative and end-of-life care contexts, including memory-making activities and pre and post bereavement support for siblings. The post holder will work autonomously on a daily basis, with support from a team leader and the wider multidisciplinary team (MDT). You will be required to demonstrate experience of working sensitively with families who may be experiencing significant stress and emotional pressure. The role involves a significant amount of travel and driving due to the geographical area covered and the need to visit children and families in community settings, including homes and schools. The post holder will also be required to undertake after-school visits; therefore a flexible approach to working hours is essential to meet the needs of children and families. The successful candidate will be responsible for maintaining and ordering play equipment and resources for us in home setting settings, ensuring materials are appropriate, safe and responsive to individual needs. You will also need to demonstrate emotional resilience and have effective strategies in place to support your own wellbeing, given the nature of the work. Applicants must hold a Health Play Specialist Foundation Degree and have knowledge and understanding of bereavement in children and young people. Due to the nature of the role, experience of working within a healthcare setting with children and young people is desirable. A full driving licence and access to a vehicle are essential requirements for this role.

Why you should join our Team

Leeds Children's Hospital is one of the largest Children's Hospitals in the UK and is part of the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Based in one of the fastest growing and most vibrant cities in the UK, we provide secondary and tertiary care to children, young people and their families from Leeds, Yorkshire and the North of England. Our Play Service Vision is "to be a play service that will provide therapeutic, specialised and developmental work, with areas of outstanding preparation and distraction play for all children and young people at Leeds Children's Hospital. Taking into consideration their culture, gender and all-round individual needs".

What You Will Bring To The Role

To lead play that meets the emotional needs of children and young people (0-18) with cancer. The post holder will work autonomously to plan and provide therapeutic/specialised programmes of play within the child’s own home to prepare children for hospital admission and for medical and nursing treatments, and to alleviate the effects of repeated or long term hospitalisation. The post holder will work as part of the multidisciplinary children’s cancer team at the Leeds Children’s Hospital, and with children’s community teams, to assess and meet the child’s individual emotional needs and promote psychological well-being. The post holder will provide additional support and play interventions to the siblings of children with cancer. The post holder will develop and lead play interventions for children requiring palliative care and their families. The post holder will supervise and mentor other play staff and students as required This Outreach Play Leader role is fully funded by Candlelighters, a Yorkshire based children's cancer charity that has supported families for 50 years. Their commitment to enhancing the emotional wellbeing of children, young people, and their families affected by childhood cancer enables us to expand our play service beyond the hospital setting and into the community. As part of this charity funded role, you will work closely with the Candlelighters team to help demonstrate the impact of the service and uphold the Candlelighters values within your work.

About Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust

Our Trust values

The Leeds Way is working together to support each other and deliver the best possible care to patients.

We are….

• Responsible
• Open and Honest
• One Team
• Kind

Our Trust priorities

Our purpose:

Excellent, safe and sustainable care for every patient every time

Our Priorities

• People
• Improvement and Innovation
• Partnerships
• Outcomes
• Sponsorship Eligibility

To comply with UK Government regulations on Skilled Worker sponsorship, Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust is unable to provide sponsorship to applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria or the salary threshold concessions set out under the Skilled Worker visa route. Please take this into consideration before submitting your application. Full guidance on these concessions, including details of who may qualify, can be found here.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we receive a high number of suitable applications.

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