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University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
About
Contact
- Address
- Trust Headquarters
- 250 Euston Road
- London
- NW1 2PG
- Contact Number
- 0845 1555 000
Find out more
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Senior Youth Support Coordinator (SYSC)
Accepting applications until: 11-Feb-2026 23:59
Vacancy status: Open
Accepting applications until: 11-Feb-2026 23:59
Key details
Location
- Site
- National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery, UCLH
- Address
- Queen Square
- Town
- London
- Postcode
- WC1N 3BG
- Major / Minor Region
- London
Contract type & working pattern
- Contract
- Fixed term: 12 months (Limited Funding)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Salary
- Salary
- £46,419 - £55,046 Per Annum Inclusive of HCAS
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Grade
- (NHS AfC: Band 6)
Specialty
- Main area
- Paediatrics
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Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen at UCLH for a qualified health play specialist or youth worker to support young people and young adults receiving treatment at Queens Square.
We are looking for someone who is highly motivated, proactive and with extensive post qualifying experience to join our highly respected team at The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery.
The post holder will work with young people who are admitted on the wards and within the outpatient services on a referral basis. We have approximately 1700 young people aged 16-25, who are admitted each year to our adult hospital. Many of whom have long term neurological and neuromuscular conditions.
This role straddles working on the wards, offering youth support to young people during their admission and ensuring appropriate onward referrals are made to local services when discharged. The post holder will also accept outreach referrals, for young people who are seen in outpatient services.
Young people who are seen in our outpatient services can be referred by their clinical team for time bound outreach support. You will need to be able to triage these referrals and prioritise your workload.
Within the NHNN we have transition clinics that happen in some services. These are often young people's first contact with adult healthcare services. There is scope for the youth support worker to sit within these clinics on a regular basis to support young people's transition into adult healthcare.
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You will need to be able to thrive a demanding environment and effectively prioritise patients and your workload. Additionally, you will need to engage easily with children and young people and be able to work effectively with your MDT colleagues to enhance the children and young person’s hospital experience.
You will work as part of a supportive team where play and recreation are valued and respected as an integrated part of children young people’s treatment and your contribution to the patient’s pathway will be highly respected.
You will need to be able to track and record your work activities and interventions to demonstrate your activity and impact. You will be expected to work with medical and nursing colleagues to evidence the impact of the youth support worker in the acute setting. This may include asking patients for feedback or to complete surveys and auditing your work.
The post holder will need to be able to work flexible hours to meet the needs of the service as and when required. The Play and Youth Services Team includes registered Health Play Specialists, youth workers, Youth Support Co-ordinators and play and youth workers. The team and service are led by the Trust lead for therapeutic play and youth services with 2 deputy managers who will actively support your professional development and learning.
The FdA in Healthcare Play Specialism, the previous HPSC/HPSEB, or international equivalent or youth worker qualification/ equivalent is required for this post
Working for our organisation
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically led acute and specialist services, to people from the local area, from throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. Our vision is to deliver top-quality patient care, excellent education, and world-class research.
We provide first-class acute and specialist services across eight sites:
· University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing)
· National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
· Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals
· University College Hospital Grafton Way Building
· Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine
· University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre
· The Hospital for Tropical Diseases
· University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street
We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. UCLH specialises in women’s health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological, gastrointestinal and oral disease. It has world class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclear medicine and pathology.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.
Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff*
* UCLH top trust to work at in England - In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England – for the third year in a row.
UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff – To find out more, visit: Flexible working.
To discover more about what makes UCLH a great place to work, visit: Why Choose UCLH?
At UCLH, we have a real ‘One Team’ ethos, and our values – safety, kindness, teamwork and improving, are central to the way we work. This is supported by our staff, who voted us as the #1 NHS Acute Trust to work for in the whole of England.
At UCLH we take equality of opportunity seriously and are committed to being a diverse and inclusive employer, with a culture that creates a real sense of belonging and trust. It is our fundamental aim, to recruit, retain and promote a diverse mix of people who are representative of our local communities. Applications are encouraged from candidates of all backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives to support our world class research, innovation and creativity.
UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff and has a dedicated policy which allows staff to apply for flexible working right from the beginning of employment. For more information please go to: https://www.uclh.nhs.uk/work-with-us/why-choose-uclh/flexible-working.
We offer our permanent staff an interest free season ticket loan for travel, all our staff have access to free independent and confidential support, large retail discounts, a staff discount platform, cycle to work scheme and on-site accommodation to name a few.
Additionally, UCLH Arts and Heritage’s staff wellbeing programme, Creative Comfort, offers a variety of ways to engage with the arts as a member of UCLH staff. You can try out the weekly choir, weekly art club and join the Culture Club for exclusive access to free and discounted tickets for opera, exhibitions, theatre and more.
We recognise, reward and thank colleagues by nominating them for our annual Celebrating Excellence Awards, which are funded by UCLH Charity.
We are also members of www.mytrustbenefits.co.uk/ which offers discounts on high street retail stores, offers on travel deals, and also to take advantage of cash back schemes.
This vacancy may close before the current listed closing date. You are advised not to delay submitting your completed application.
Please note that all correspondence regarding your application will be via email. The emails will be sent to you via TRAC.jobs and not via NHS Jobs, we encourage you to check your inbox regularly.
Please note that if you have not heard from us within 3 weeks of the closing date of the advert to assume that you have not been shortlisted on this occasion.
The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.
For further support on submitting an application please refer to the NLPSS Applicant Toolkit: https://royalfree.pagetiger.com/cuuomnr/1
Applicant requirements
Person specification
Knowledge & Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Registered & qualified Health Play Specialist holding the Foundation Degree in Health Care Play Specialism or previous HPSC/HPSEB, Edexcel PDC/HND in Hospital Play Specialism or oversees equivalent OR qualified youth worker
- Further training in safeguarding CYP.
- Management/ leadership training modules.
- Documented evidence of Continuing Professional Development For example; Counselling Skills certificate, Supervisory Skills Training, Presentation skills., Published articles, Conference Presentations
- Detailed knowledge of the principles and application of clinical governance.
Desirable criteria
- Bachelor’s Degree (or overseas equivalent) in a subject relevant to work with children and/or young people.
- Training in Guided Imagery, Adolescent Development, Teaching adults advanced practice
Experience
Essential criteria
- Extensive post qualifying, comprehensive experience of working with children and/or young people in a health care setting, in a variety of clinical areas and/or vast experience in specialised field, including individual and group work.
- Participation in recruitment and selection procedures.
- Experience of regularly supporting, teaching, training, assessing and supervising students and/or volunteers.
Desirable criteria
- Management of junior staff, undertaking annual appraisals and PDP.
Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
- Able to communicate complex, information sensitively and effectively with patients, families and staff, in written, verbal and non-verbal forms.
- Supervision and training skills.
- Word processing, Excel and internet search skills.
- Ability to organise and respond efficiently to complex information and comprehend difficult technical and medical information
- Training and presentation skills.
Desirable criteria
- Counselling skills.
Personal Qualities
Essential criteria
- Ability to work autonomously and set own priorities
Other Requirements
Essential criteria
- Able to work flexible hours and weekends according to needs of clinical area.
- Up to date registration with HPSET or Youth work .
- Documented evidence of Continuing Professional Development
Desirable criteria
- Membership of NAHPS / or Professional Body
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Irene O’Donnell
- Job title
- UCLH Trust Lead forTherapeutic Play Youth Services
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
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