Although the first staff employed to play with child patients began working nearly 50 years ago, it was not until the 1970s that the National Association of Hospital Play Staff (NAHPS) was established and a training course was launched.
'Even today there are only about 1,000 registered and qualified hospital play specialists working in the UK,' says Elaine Bates, administrator of the Hospital Play Staff Education Trust (HPSET), the registration body for hospital play specialists. 'And some of them are working part-time.'
Things are set to change with the introduction of a newly-accredited qualification and the Government's Agenda for Change programme.
Ten centres, approved by Edexcel, are offering the qualification which was updated last year. Its name was changed because it will be used by practitioners working with sick children in hospices, clinics and the community as well as hospitals (see below).
Sue Parr, development manager at Edexcel, says the new qualification links into the NHS National Service Framework for children, which aims to stimulate long-term and sustained improvement in children's health by setting standards for health and social services.
She says, 'We are hoping that NHS Trusts will take on board from the terms of the framework that it is good practice to employ someone who has specific training and a qualification in this area. So far, they have been dragging their feet a bit.
'We have proof that children can benefit, but I think we need to get a higher profile and status for the profession. We are trying to highlight this qualification to trusts.'
The NHS Agenda for Change, the exercise to create a single pay scale across the service, is raising the profile of the profession, with practitioners now having to write their job descriptions explaining their role and what they do.
At the same time NAHPS and HPSET are in talks about joining the Health Professionals Council. Elaine Bates says, 'The council, which will act as a regulatory body, was set up as a Government initiative, and the Government will decide which professions will be in it.'
She says the majority of hospital play specialists come from a childcare background. Once they are qualified, a condition of the five-yearly re-registration process is to undertake five study days relevant to their practice as well as the mandatory NHS training within hospitals on issues such as child protection.
More information about the BTec Level 4 Professional Diploma in Specialised Play for Sick Children and Young People is available on the websites www.edexcel.org.uk and www.nahps.org.uk. NW
