On Thursday, The Society of Health Play Specialists celebrated the launch of the new Play Well Toolkit. A collaboration we have worked with with NHS England and Starlight UK over the past 3 years. This was a momentous day for all health play professionals and a great step towards improving healthcare services for Babies, Children and Young People (BCYP). We know how important having access to therapeutic play is for BCYP and the difference it can make to their experience. Play is also a significant contributor to improving efficiency in health care services, reducing the need for GA for MRI scans, reducing waiting lists, increasing cooperation and reducing trauma.
Thank you to everyone who has supported this important work. Sophies Legacy, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal College of Anaesthetists and to UCLH for hosting the launch event. Thanks also to all of the SoHPS Board members who gave their time, energy and expertise to shaping this work. Special thanks go to two of the Board Members, Catherine Gardner who wrote the first draft of the standards and Irene O’Donnell who was the special adviser to the taskforce on play in healthcare leading this project for the profession. SoHPS Chair, Tina Clegg gave an inspirational speech reminding us how far the small but mighty professional of health play practice has come over the past 50 years. The biggest thanks goes to McKenzie O’Reilly, our brilliant young person Board Rep for the taskforce who gave a brilliant speech, reminding us how important play is and that we need 7 days a week services.
Please click on the link below which takes you to the toolkit as well as play well standards guidance and a quality checklist.
NHS England » Play well – resources for health play services for England