Community Play Specialist
Hours: Part Time, 28 hours per week, over 4- or 5-days, Monday – Friday
Salary: £25,600k (£32k Full Time equivalent)
Location: Hybrid working Home/Office with regular travel across England when required.
Week schedule example = 1 x office admin planning day, 1 / 2 days x visiting hospitals, 1 x video calls with families/phone meetings with hospitals
Hotels and travel expenses covered.
Laptop & mobile phone provided.
About The Give A Duck Foundation
Chemo Duck is a soft, cuddly, yellow duck but more importantly is fitted with a Hickman Line or Portacath to mirror a child. Sadly 30 children every week are diagnosed with cancer in the UK.
Working with all the Principal Treatment Centres in England, we ensure every child diagnosed with cancer receives a Chemo Duck. Introduced to them by the Play team, Chemo Duck provides understanding of how a child’s chemotherapy is administered, how bloods and blood pressure is taken, relieving stress and anxiety and allowing the child’s treatment to be undertaken smoothly and more efficiently.
Job Description
We have an exciting opportunity for an experience Play Specialist to join our team. You will provide therapeutic play with Chemo Duck
We are looking for an enthusiastic, dynamic, motivated, adaptable experienced Healthcare professional to work alongside Play Specialists and Medical Professionals within the 15 NHS Principal Treatment Centres in England where we provide the Chemo Duck Program.
The post holder will have in-knowledge of play services operations and can help to ensure the Chemo Duck Program is delivered to an excellent standard.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
Make appointments by telephone/email to visit each of the 20 children’s cancer hospitals in England once/twice per calendar year.
Visit all shared care hospitals in England once per year and a zoom call every 3 months to ensure communication channels are maintained.
Check hospital stock levels, fulfil duck stock orders and manage any concerns the team have regarding the Chemo Duck Program.
Engage with families whilst meeting with them on the ward/in clinic. Provide understanding of how Chemo Duck can support their child and how to register their Chemo Duck with The Give A Duck Foundation to receive sibling support, a Huggable Hope duck pack.
Support families newly diagnosed by via video or in person meetings, to demonstrate the many uses of Chemo Duck in play therapy to help prepare for hospital appointments.
Manage referrals from the hospital play teams to arrange video calls with families who have received a Chemo Duck.
Manage the closed group Give A Duck for Families Facebook page to engage with them and offer understanding and advice on further charities that may be able to offer further support.
Ensure effective communication to healthcare professionals.
Follow up hospital play teams with phone call/MS Teams calls as and when required.
Ensure the Chemo Duck Program is delivered as per our specification.
Provide regular training to play specialists and medical professionals to ensure in depth knowledge and best practice when using Chemo Duck is maintained.
Engage with play specialists and medical staff to provide them with a high-level understanding of how Chemo Duck can assist children.
For this role, we’re looking for someone who has:
- HPSET registration as a specialist & / or a minimum of 5 years’ experience as a Healthcare Professional
• experience of working with babies and children
What benefits are on offer?
- Free onsite parking at Give A Duck office in Wakefield, WF2 0XW.
- xx days holiday, plus bank holidays & day off on your birthday
- Contributory pension scheme
This is a three year post funded by the National Lottery. Case studies and reporting are required by the National Lottery every 6 months and admin support will be available to assist the post holder in this role.
This is a new role, and the right candidate can adapt and make it their own. As a small charity, teamwork is essential, and you may be required to help with other tasks occasionally.
This role is 28 hours per week and either over 4 days or 5 days.
The role will involve overnight stays which costs and travel expenses will be covered.
If you are interested in this role please apply below.
If you would like to discuss this role further, please contact Elaine Dunning, Fundraising Manager on elaine@giveaduck.org.uk who will be happy to arrange a telephone call.