The recommendations in these hand outs and resources are designed for parents and carers to support their child. In order to build trust, it is recommended parents prepare their child for their hospital visit in an age and stage appropriate way. Parents should choose strategies most appropriate for their child and may need to try different approaches to see what works best for them. Useful links to other websites, including videos are also included.

Coming to hospital

• A social story - Widgit Health

Blood test

• A social story

Hospital communication resources

• Hospital communication cards
• Hospital passport

Having an operation

• "A little deep sleep" – Link to a children's hospital preparation video

The recommendations in these hand-outs and resources are designed for parents and carers to support their child. In order to build trust, it is recommended that parents prepare their child for their hospital visit in an age and stage appropriate way. Parents should choose strategies most appropriate for their child and may need to try different approaches to see what works best for them. Useful links to other websites, including videos are also included.

Blood test

• Ted has a blood test – A children's hospital preparation story
• Parent advice hand out

Having an operation

• Monty has an operation – A children's hospital preparation story
• "A little deep sleep" – Link to a children's hospital preparation video

Taking medication

• Parent advice hand out

MRI

• "MRI scanning for kids!" – Link to a children's hospital preparation video
• "WHat is an MRI?" - Link to a children's hospital preparation video

How can Health Play Specialists help your child?

The Health Play Specialists work on the Children's Unit, around the hospital and in the Child Development Centre. They use play as a therapeutic tool to support children and young people of all abilities who are either inpatients or outpatients aged 0 - 19 years.

The main roles of a health play specialist are to:

• Prepare children and young people for medical procedures
• Help children cope with pain
• Use play to help distract and calm children during procedures
• Help children regain skills lost through illness or hospitalisation
• Support families through a family-centred approach to care
• Contribute to clinical assessments through documentation and observations
• Advise parents/carers/staff on play for sick and injured children (NAHPS.org.uk)

What is special about Play Specialists?

Their sessions are designed with each child and young person's interests, developmental ability and hospital experiences in mind. Play specialists work closely with the multi-disciplinary team to support positive experiences of hospital procedures.

How to refer your child to a Play Specialist

Play specialist support can help if your child is anxious about medical related procedures or investigations, like blood tests or having a scan.

Referrals can be made for play specialist input through your child’s consultant, nurse, or other health professionals i.e. speech and language therapist, physiotherapist.