Annual Salary
£27,000 to £36,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Beauty & makeup or Hair or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Beauty & makeup or Hair or go back to all job sectors
Health play specialists use therapeutic play activities to help children and young people cope with illness, treatment and recovery.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: weekends;
There will be
4% more Health play specialist jobs in 2027.
As a health play specialist, you would:
You may need to wear a uniform.
You could work in an NHS or private hospital, at a health centre or at a hospice.
Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.
You can get into this job through:
You can do a healthcare play specialism foundation degree, which you'll need to register with the Society of Health Play Specialists.
To get onto the course, you usually need:
This is a 2-year, day-release course. It combines academic study with work placements.
If you're not already working in a healthcare setting, you'll need to arrange a placement during the course. You will need to complete at least 200 hours of work placements for each year.
You'll usually need:
You may be able to apply for the Health Play Specialist Level 5 Higher Apprenticeship, if you have at least 2 years' experience of working with children. You should also be employed in a healthcare setting, for example a hospital or clinic.
You can find vacancies through NHS Jobs.
You'll usually need:
You can get work experience by volunteering in a healthcare setting, which is useful when applying for courses and jobs.
You can also find volunteering opportunities through The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and Do IT.
You'll need to:
When applying for jobs, you'll be expected to have an understanding of how NHS values would apply in your work.
You can find out more about becoming a health play specialist from the Society of Health Play Specialists and Health Careers.
You could use your experience to work outside of a hospital setting, for example in a hospice or within a community paediatric team.
You could also become a:senior play specialist; team leader; play department manager
You might apply to train as a healthcare professional, like a children's nurse, child psychotherapist or counsellor.
You'll need: