The aim of SoHPS Workforce Development workstream is to support the development of the profession by:

  • Engaging with external organisations
  • Attending key meetings with national health and play strategic bodies
  • Raising awareness of the profession and registration requirements by presenting at conferences and training days
  • And directly supporting play specialist managers and leads (including those without play based leadership) by co-producing play service dedicated resources.

SoHPS members of the Workforce Development Team are Irene Odonnell (Chair), Steph Fairbain, Claire Hardy and Sallyanne Pitt.

The national Workforce Development group is multi-agency workforce development group, the purpose of which is to drive forward the broad aims of the workforce development strategy.

The group membership includes key stakeholders and influencers within the health play workforce arena, including education training providers and practitioners’, senior leaders of health play services, NHS colleagues such as Operational Delivery Network (ODN) leads, Children and Young People National Health Service England (CYP NHSE) leadership and charity advocacy partners such as Starlight.

The group engages with national institutions such as the Professional Standards Authority, NHS England, NHS Careers and NHS Employers.

The group meets quarterly, chaired by Irene O’Donnell (SOHPS/UCLH).

For Workforce Development enquiries, please contact Margaret McEwan, SoHPS Administrator at admin@sohps.org.uk

Workforce Development