Apprenticeship training course

Health play specialist (level 5)

Providing therapeutic play interventions for sick infants, children and young people, service users, carers and families of all ages, throughout their healthcare journey.

• Qualification level: 5 ; Equivalent to higher national diploma (HND).
• Typical duration: 24 months
• Apprenticeship category: Health and science
• Maximum funding: £13,000 ; Maximum amount government will fund ; for apprenticeship training.
• Also known as:
  • Activity co-ordinator
  • Healthcare play specialists
  • Learning disability health support specialist
  • Nursery nurse (special care baby unit)
  • Play leader
  • Play specialist
  • Registered community play specialist
  • Registered hospital play specialist
  • Therapeutic co-ordinator
  • Youth support co-ordinator
• Skills:
  Skills an apprentice will learn

  • Act in accordance with the Code: Professional standards of practice and behaviour for registered health play specialist (HPSET, 2019), and fulfil all registration requirements
  • Keep complete, clear, accurate and timely records
  • Recognise and report any factors that may adversely impact safe and effective play provision
  • Take responsibility for continuous self-reflection, seeking and responding to support and feedback to develop professional knowledge and skills
  • Safely demonstrate evidence-based practice in all skills and procedures required for entry to the register: (HPSET, 2019)
  • Act as an ambassador for their profession and promote public confidence in health play services
  • Knows a range of communication skills and strategies and how and when to apply the method most suitable to the situation
  • Recognise signs of vulnerability in self or colleagues and the action required to minimise risks to health
  • Develop, manage and maintain appropriate relationships with people, their families, carers and colleagues
  • Provide, promote, and where appropriate advocate for, non-discriminatory, person-centred and sensitive play at all times, reflecting on people’s values and beliefs, diverse backgrounds, cultural characteristics, language requirements, needs and preferences, taking account of any need for adjustments
  • Report any situations, behaviours or errors that could result in poor outcomes
  • Challenge or report discriminatory behaviour
  • Promote behaviours and provide information to support children, young people and their families to make informed choices to improve their mental, physical, behavioural health and wellbeing through play strategies
  • Apply knowledge, communication and relationship management skills required to provide children, young people, families and carers with accurate information that meets their needs before, during and after a range of play interventions
  • Recognise when capacity has changed and how a person’s capacity affects their ability to make decisions about their own care and to give or withhold consent
  • Recognise people at risk of abuse, self-harm and/or suicidal ideation and the situations that may put them and others at risk
  • Monitor the effectiveness of play in partnership with children young people, families and carers, documenting progress and reporting outcomes
  • Take personal responsibility to ensure that relevant information is shared according to local policy and appropriate immediate action is taken to provide adequate safeguarding and that concerns are escalated
  • Work in partnership with other professionals, to encourage shared decision making, in order to support individuals
  • Meet children and young people’s needs for safety, dignity, privacy, comfort and play
  • Support people with commonly encountered symptoms including anxiety, confusion, discomfort and pain
  • Work collaboratively and in partnership with professionals from different agencies in interdisciplinary teams
  • Maintain safe work and play environments
  • Act in line with local and national organisational frameworks, legislation and regulations to report risks, and implement actions as instructed, following up and escalating as required
  • Accurately undertake risk assessments, using contemporary assessment tools as per organisation policy and procedures
  • Respond to and escalate potential hazards that may affect the safety of Child, young people and adults
  • Participate in data collection to support audit activity, and contribute to the implementation of quality improvement strategies
  • Prioritise and manage own workload, and recognise where elements of care can safely be delegated to other colleagues, carers and family members
  • Support, supervise and act as a role model to health play specialist students and members of other professional teams and those new to care roles, review the quality of the play they provide, promoting reflection and providing constructive feedback
  • Contribute to team reflection activities to promote improvements in practice and services
  • Access, input, and apply information and data using a range of methods including digital technologies, and share appropriately within interdisciplinary team

Full information on Health play specialist (level 5) is available from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.

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Regulated occupation

Health play specialist (level 5) needs a training provider who is approved by Health Play Specialist Education Trust (HPSET).

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