Play and development service

The Play and Development Service is made up of qualified health play specialists and nursery nurses who provide play and recreation for children and young people on wards, clinics, day surgery and in the community.

We provide normal and everyday play as well as specialist and therapeutic play for children and young people in our care. This includes:

  • play preparation
  • distraction
  • post procedural play
  • normal and developmental play

 

Our role

Our job is to:

  • create a positive environment
  • provide play and recreation as well as entertainment for children and young people in all departments
  • support children, young people and their families through the hospital experience (sometimes including home visits)
  • prepare and support children and young people for procedures and treatment and distract them where appropriate
  • help children and young people to develop coping strategies (for medicine taking and procedures, etc)
  • help children and young people to communicate their anxieties, fears and worries
  • assess children and develop play programmes to help them regain skills lost through long term hospitalisation.

Learn more about what we do on our Twitter.