Health Play Services Manager

Starlight is the national charity transforming children’s health through play. We work 
to ensure that every child can benefit from the incredible power of play, supporting 
their mental and physical health during treatment and recovery from illness.
Play is not just a ‘nice to have’, without play, children can experience short, and 
long-term problems. In fact, it’s so important, that being able to engage in play is 
one of the human rights listed in the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Without play, problems faced can range from anxiety around having blood tests 
which could mean appointments being abandoned and rescheduled, to developing 
PTSD and a fear around visiting hospitals and healthcare settings. It’s not 
uncommon for health play specialists to have to meet children in the car park as 
they are too scared to even set foot inside the hospital.
Each year, there are nearly 1.8 million child hospital admissions in the UK and 
nearly three-quarters (71%) of NHS trusts and health boards do not have any 
budget for play.

This is simply not good enough; we think that play in healthcare is non-negotiable.
Driven by our research and insights into what works best for them, we provide direct 
services and resources for children and their families; and to the health 
professionals working with them. We also advocate for more and better health play 
services in public policy; and promote the full recognition of health play practitioners 
as an integral component of the children’s health workforce.
Our Health Play Services Delivery team provide physical and digital materials and 
resources which support the delivery of health play to practitioners and families. 
These are informed by insight, evidence and evaluation from our Insight and Impact 
Team.
Central to these materials and resources is our range of Boxes which contain toys 
and activities specifically selected to help children relax, distract, and engage to 
ensure their treatment can be carried out as quickly and effectively as possible with 
minimal stress. 
The current Health Play Services Delivery Manager is about to be seconded to a 
new Commercial Development role, initially for 6-months, as we shape the 
development of a new source of income for Starlight through paid for services. 
There may be the possibility of an extension to this contract depending upon the 
outcome of the secondment.
The Health Play Services Delivery Manager, reporting to our Head of Play leads the 
end-to-end process of our services. You’ll need experience in the operational 
management of service delivery and experience of working with the NHS and in 
children’s services would be an advantage. You’ll work across all areas from 
procurement through stock control to the logistics of delivery and you’ll build 
relationships internally and externally to ensure efficient, effective, high quality 
service delivery and excellent customer relationship management. Reporting 
directly to the Head of Play, you’ll manage the Service Delivery Co-ordinator and
the Service Data Officer within the Hospital Services Team.