Irene O’Donnell
Irene is the Play Services Manager at University College London Hospitals leading one of the largest play specialist teams in the UK. She has worked as a qualified play specialist for over fourteen years in several London teaching hospitals.
Irene has been involved in the teaching of trainee play specialists since 2004 and regularly lectures on the Play Specialist Foundation Degree course.
She is Chair of The National Association of Health Play Specialists (NAHPS) National Executive Committee representing the profession throughout the UK and is also a Trustee on the board of the Healthcare Play Staff Examination Trust (HPSET) where she sits on the re-registration panel which re-registers Health Play Specialists. In her role as Chair of NAHPS Irene works in collaboration with other organizations such as NHS England the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and Royal College of paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) at strategic level in order to represent the voice of children and young people thus ensuring children’s/young people’s emotional and developmental needs are prioritized alongside their physical needs during their healthcare experience(s).
Irene has worked in a variety of clinical roles including oncology, PICU, paediatric A&E, haematology and bone marrow transplantation. Her area of clinical expertise lies within haematology and bone marrow transplantation supporting children and young people through treatment.
She supports the work of the Diamond Black Fan Anaemia UK charity running workshops at their annual conference for children and siblings affected by the condition.
Irene strives to keep play in healthcare high on the agenda and an integral part of the child and young person’s hospital experience.
Penelope Hart-Spencer
Penelope graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2006 with a 2:1 classification in BA (Hons) Health and Social care, with a special interest in therapeutic play for children. Following graduation, Penelope coordinated a therapeutic play project in the Primary Education sector and was funded by the Children’s Workforce Development Council to write a paper relating to the impact of therapeutic play and present her findings at national conference.
In 2008, Penelope joined the team at The Young Oncology Unit at The Christie NHS Trust as the Play Specialist and Paediatric Support Coordinator. She is the lead Key Worker for paediatric oncology patients who require radiotherapy and support. During her career, Penelope has also been an Associate Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University on the Social Change Degree programme.
Penelope is qualified in Therapeutic and Specialised Play for Sick Children and Young People and also possesses a Master of Science Degree in Comtemporary Health Care (Cancer care for Teenagers and Young Adults), Post Graduate Certificate and Post Graduate Diploma in Cancer Care for Teenagers and Young Adults; all gained at Coventry University. Penelope sits on the National Executive Committee (NEC) for the National Association of Health Play Specialists (NAHPS) and is also involved in the Northern Play Health Networking Branch, coordinating and facilitating regional meetings for Play Specialists working within North-West hospitals.
She is a key player in the field of radiotherapy preparation and is regularly contacted by play specialists within the UK and overseas for advice and support. She has presented at national and international conferences about her work as a Play Specialist and is keen to promote best practice within the profession.
Norma Jun-Tai
Norma has had a long and fulfilling career working with children, having first trained as a nursery nurse then as a nurse for children and adults with learning disabilities. Norma qualified as a Hospital Play Specialist in 1984 and during this time became a lecturer practitioner teaching on various early childhood studies programmes and the hospital play specialist course at Nescot College. Combining teaching with the practitioner role of play co-ordinator in a large paediatric unit has given her the privilege of training many play specialists whilst providing therapeutic play for sick children and young people.
Although no longer a practising HPS, she has maintained her registration as a member of the National Association Health Play Specialists (NAHPS) National Executive Committee (NEC) and is honoured to have served as chair during her time on the executive team. Norma endeavours to support the profession through board membership of the Healthcare Play Specialist Examination Trust (HPSET) and Action for Sick Children.
Joanne Cross
Jo qualified as a Hospital Play Specialist in 2001, from Bristol College. She joined the National Association Health Play Specialists (NAHPS) National Executive Committee (NEC) in 2005, working on the website and publications committee. In 2010 she became chair of NAHPS a position she occupied until 2013.
Jo works as a Play Specialist at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth and specialises in work with children with additional needs and bereavement.
Jo also works as a bereavement counsellor for Jeremiahs Journey, a charity in her locality, dedicated to helping children cope with loss.
Ishbel Proctor
Ishbel is Play Services Co-ordinator at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children (RHSC) in Edinburgh. She qualified as a Play Specialist in 2000 from Stevensons College Edinburgh. She is the Scottish representative on the National Association of Health Play Specialist (NAHPS) National Executive Committee (NEC), and is also on the Future Events subcommittee. Since joining NAHPS, she has organised an annual Spring Study Day for play staff from around the UK covering diverse topics. She has many years experience of working with children, young people and their families, mostly in the RHSC.
In her role of Play Services Co-ordinator Ishbel manages a team of 17 Play Specialists and Play Assistants. She maintains her clinical practice expertise by working in the Oncology/Haematology Ward one day per week as well as regularly covering all other areas in the hospital and also dealing with referrals from members of the MDT.
Angela White
Angela qualified as a Nursery Nurse in 1969, then in 1978 as a Special Care Baby Nurse before training as a Hospital Play Specialist in 1994.
Angela was employed at Addenbrooke’s NHS Foundation Trust in Cambridge for 22 years firstly in the Child Development Centre and in the last twelve years of her time at Addenbrooke’s managed the Outpatient Play Service. She was responsible for providing play for all children who were patients, siblings or dependants of patients; she also provided therapeutic play for children who were patients in areas that fell outside the paediatric umbrella including Day Surgery.
Angela joined the National Associalistion of Health Play Specialists (NAHPS) National Executive Committee (NEC) in the late nineties and was part of the subcommittee for Future Events. Since being made redundant from the NHS 3 years ago she has taken on the role of administrator within NAHPS.
Emma Eardley
Emma, having completed her nursery nurse training in 1993 spent nearly 2 years in a private day nursery caring for well children under the age of 5 years. In 1994 she joined the staff at New Cross Hospital Wolverhampton as Play Leader within the paediatric unit. In 1997 whilst still at New Cross she completed the Hospital Play Specialism course. After gaining experience as a Play Specialist she went on to complete City and Guilds 7307 (teaching) stages 1 and 2 in 2001. Emma left New Cross Hospital in October 2004 to join the Specialist Play team at Birmingham Children’s Hospital as a Senior Play Specialist and where she continues to work.
It was during her time at New Cross that she was co-opted onto the National Health Play Specialist (NAHPS) National Executive Committee (NEC) prior to becoming a full member; her role on the NEC was in publications until 2013 when she was voted Vice Chair of NAHPS.
At Birmingham Children’s Hospital Emma has overall responsibility for the teaching programme and student placements within the Specialist Play Services Department. She has gained wide experience in Birmingham including Oncology, Stem Cell Transplantation, Haematology, Retinoblastoma, Neurosurgery, Rehabilitation, Craniofacial Surgery, General Medicine and Surgery and was recently involved in the introduction of CAMHS@BCH Single Point of Access (SPA) within the Trust.
Emma is also involved in Health Professional Forum Meetings, Palliative/End of Life care Meetings, Patient Participation and Involvement Meetings.
In June 2010 Emma completed Human Tissue Authority (HTA) training and has been actively involved in HTA assessment work. In March 2011 she completed The National Cancer Peer Review Reviewer Training Programme and as a result of that training has peer reviewed along with other professional’s paediatric cancer services within England.
In 2010 Emma joined the Healthcare Play Specialist Examination Trust (HPSET) board of trustees where she represents National Association Health Play Specialist (NAHPS), and participates in the re-registration process of Healthcare Play Specialists.
More recently Emma has joined the Birmingham Children’s Hospital Ethics Forum and over time hopes to widen her knowledge and experience in this complex area.
Dan Notley
Dan initially spent 22 years in the RAF as an Engineer before completely changing career and becoming an Activity Worker at Ty Hafan Children's Hospice in Wales.
It was here that, whilst on a Personal Development day at Withybush Hospital, he came across the Health Play Specialist role - and decided that this was the type of job that he would really like to do.
He qualified in 2009 whilst still at Ty Hafan, his initial position being more community based and involving engaging children and young people with life limiting/life threatening conditions in order to help them to cope and attend for hospital procedures.
In 2012, Dan moved to the Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital in Brighton, where he worked within a small HPS team in the newly established Play Specialists role in the Children's Emergency Department, as well as on the Day Case Ward.
In 2013, he relocated to the North East of England, where he now works on the Childrens Ward at North Tyneside General Hospital as well as the newly established Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital (NSECH) at Cramlington - his role encompasses a mixture of both ward and community work. He is also employed as Play Co-ordinator and Patient Involvement Lead for Child Health, and facilitates the well established Child Health Action Team, a fantastic group of young people who provide feedback and advise on involvement on all aspects of health within North Tyneside General, as well their satellite sites.
He also works alongside other staff members with United Progression (UP) -another extremely motivated group or young people which form part of a 5 year research study into transition to adult services for young people.
He is also currently studying Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
Dan has been a full member of the NAHPS Executive Committee (NEC) for 3 years, where his primary role involves administrating the NAHPS website.
