Oxford University Hospitals has a team to provide play across our Children's Services.
Locations
- Oxford Children's Hospital Monday to Friday 7.30am to 3.30pm
- Kamran's Ward
- Bellhouse Drayson Ward
- Tom's Ward
- Robin's Ward
- Children's Day Care Ward
- Melanie's Ward and Clinical Decision Unit
- Children's Emergency Department
Six days per week - High Dependency Unit and Critical Care
- Radiology
Monday to Friday 8.00am to 5.00pm - Children’s Outpatients
Monday to Friday 8.00am to 5.00pm - Community Paediatrics
Monday to Friday 7.30am to 3.30pm
What we do
Therapeutic Play
We help to prepare patients for life-saving treatment and procedures through role play and 'social stories'.
This purposeful play is designed to help children feel supported and enables us to explain the procedure at a level they can understand. This makes complex or potentially scary experiences easier to process and reduces anxiety.
Normalising Play
We provide a wide variety of fun activities in the playroom or at the bedside to help relieve boredom and aid recovery. This creates an opportunity for the child to have freedom and choice and is often an opportunity for the child to express their feelings and emotions. It also an opportunity to enjoy some moments of fun!
Support
We build close relationships with our families supporting them through some of the most challenging times. We are often the consistent member of the team, and offer much needed breaks and respite for the families.
Our team
Play Team Manager
Oversees the strategic and operational delivery of Play Services. Manages staff and student placements and consults with internal and external partners. Ensures compliance with Trust policies.
Qualified Play Specialists
Deliver therapeutic play interventions tailored to individual patient needs. Support the emotional wellbeing of patients and their families. Collaborate with clinical teams and supervise students and volunteers.
Play Assistants
Organise and facilitate play sessions for patients across wards. Prepares and maintains play materials. Supports Play Specialists in delivering activities and ensures a safe and inclusive play environment.
Students and volunteers
Assist with play activities under supervision and contribute to the positive experience of children and young people during their hospital stay.
Charity support
Oxford Hospitals Charity
All the play equipment and resources are funded by Oxford Hospitals Charity.
Oxford Hospitals Charity helps make our hospitals the bright and happy places our young patients deserve.
They fund craft activities and projects such as artwork in the departments to make them more inviting and welcoming.
They purchase innovative equipment such as the Kitten Scanner for children undergoing an MRI scan while awake.
Kitten Scanner helping reduce anxiety for children
You can make a donation here:
Donate to Oxford Children's Hospital - Oxford Hospitals Charity
You can request that your donation goes to the Play Team.
Other charities
Rosie's Rainbow Fund
Rosie's Rainbow Fund runs music therapy sessions and funds therapeutic aromatherapy massage for parents and carers of long-stay children.
Thinking of Oscar
Dedicated to the memory of Oscar Cole, who died suddenly in June 2014, aged just 16 months.
Thinking of Oscar's mission is to 'Bring the Future of Healthcare to Children', through the support and funding of innovative projects, such as digital health technologies, that focus on improving the experiences of sick children.
They fund the Virtual Reality Headsets that we use to support our patients through invasive procedures.
Smileyscope | VR Pain & Anxiety Relief for Clinicians
Play2Give
Local award-winning charity founded by brain injury survivor Andrew Baker, who was once a patient with us. They provide us with many toys and donations throughout the year to help make our patients' time in hospital that little bit more special, including an annual Christmas toy and gift appeal, Sleigh2Give.
Award-winning Didcot Charity | Play2Give
Starlight Children's Foundation
Starlight's vision is for a time when no child experiences trauma from their healthcare.
Starlight Children's Foundation
YiPpEe
The Young People's Executive (YiPpEe) is a group of young people aged 11 to 19 years old, who voice opinions and make suggestions on a range of topics and issues at Oxford University Hospitals
YiPpEe - Young People's Executive
Student placements / apprenticeships
We encourage the development of future Play Specialists and we have trained mentors to support students through their training, including students with a secure place on the Foundation Degree (FdA) in Healthcare Play Specialism and those undertaking a Level 3 qualification in Childcare.
We also offer Health Play Specialist apprenticeships to staff members employed with us as Play Assistants.
If you are interested in a student placement, please email us at the address below.
Further information
Contact us
To refer your child to the service for additional support or preparation before coming into hospital, please contact us.
Email: OxfordPlayServices@ouh.nhs.uk
Tel: 01865 231249
If your child has specific needs, you may like to fill out a healthcare passport to let us know in advance.
Children's healthcare passport
