An exciting opportunity has arisen to lead a play specialist service at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, the regional paediatric teaching hospital in the West Midlands.

The Trust has recently completed a careful and detailed review of play provision in the hospital. The findings pointed to the need for providing play integrated at ward level, backed up by specialist play staff. The Head of service will have a key role in taking forward the resulting restructuring. Individual wards/departmental areas will be responsible for the provision of normalising and developmental play in their areas and the Play Service will be working with them to develop this. The play service will become a specialist play service, continuing to provide emotional support and therapeutic play activity to children and their families. The play centre will continue to be open every afternoon for normalising plays sessions.

We currently have a team of 3 Senior Play Specialists, 9 Hospital Play Specialists, an adolescent service that includes an Adolescent Hospital Play Specialist and a Youth Worker all working within a specialist paediatric hospital. We are a separate service that work as part of the ward teams offering children aged 0-19 years emotional support, therapeutic play and preparatory and post procedural play. As part of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service we work closely with the Clinical Psychology Department and all members of the multi disciplinary team.

We need a skilled and experienced Play Specialist, with experience of staff management, to lead the implementation of the Play Strategy and to take forward the development of Play Specialist input to the hospital.

If you would like any further information please contact Dr Judith M Houghton, Programme Director Psychological Services on 0121 333 8048.

An application pack can be downloaded from our website, www.bch.org.uk or obtained from the HR Department, Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Trust, Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham, B4 6NH, tel 0121 333 8352 (24 hrs). Please quote job reference.

Closing date for applications: 30 June 2004

Interviews will be held on 15 July 2004