Child Life Specialist

Our client, a leading government hospital, is currently looking for a Child Life Specialist, to be based in Dubai. In this role, you will be expected to provide optimal and ethical patient-centred care in a hospital setting. Further, you are expected to provide play intervention for children and adolescents individual and in groups, while contributing to community-based initiatives with an emphasis on mental health awareness and prevention.

Other responsibilities will include but not limited to:

• Participate and assist multidisciplinary team in providing mental health assessments of children and adolescents, and their families.
• To ensure the daily operations and tasks of the Child Life Department are met.
• Provide emotional support to children and their families within the hospital, before, during and after procedures.
• Provide distraction techniques/therapy for children attending appointments in the Out-Patients, Emergency Department, Dialysis and In-patients when needed.
• Provide medical play opportunities, where children can play with medical equipment, pictures and teaching dolls to prepare the children for surgery.
• To teach patients techniques to help reduce anxiety and stress.
• To educate the family on ways to help their child and provide family support, when needed.
• To provide opportunities for planned and free play activities in the playrooms within the wards.
• To provide special activities and events for hospital inpatients.
• To provide training for medical staff and volunteers.
• To attend the Mental Health Department and business meetings when necessary.
• To maintain patient records, including clinical observations, clinical notes, tests and other relevant patient data according to the facility s Mental Health Centre of Excellence policy and procedures.
• To provide patient and family-centred services in line with the ethical standards for the provision of mental health services.

Requirements

To be considered for this role, you need to meet the following criteria:

• Required to hold a Bachelors degree in child life studies/or have a foundation degree in healthcare play specialism.
• Preferred bachelor s in Psychology
• Registration with the Healthcare Play Specialist Education (HPSET)
• Language competence in oral and written English is required.
• Experience of work with children and young people.
• Minimum of 3 years experience of working with children and families. .
• Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team.

To be considered for this role, you need to meet the following criteria: Required to hold a Bachelor's degree in child life studies/or have a foundation degree in healthcare play specialism. Preferred bachelor s in Psychology Registration with the Healthcare Play Specialist Education (HPSET) Language competence in oral and written English is required. Experience of work with children and young people. Minimum of 3 years experience of working with children and families. . Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team.