We Andrea, Sarah and Sharron. We are the Play Team based at St Luke’s Hospital. We offer a variety of services for children from Birth to 18 years. Between us we have a wealth of childcare experience spanning over 30 years.
Children’s Community Play Team
Sarah is the play assistant in our outpatients department. Sarah sets up the playroom with a variety of toys and activities each day. We have 2 iPads on the wall along with a very popular creative table with a selection of painting, drawing, playdough, stamping, collage and mindfulness activities.
We also have a VR machine which is a fantastic way to distract anxious children prior/during procedures. If your child finds the noise or the environment of the playroom a little much, please ask a member of staff if a quieter room is available (this might not always be possible).
There are a wide variety of clinics that run in our outpatients department. Sarah is often on hand with her distraction box to support children who find the situation a little overwhelming.
Sarah, Sharron and Andrea run our needle phobia clinics. The sessions run on a drop-in basis on Thursday afternoons from 3-5pm (leaflets with dates are available). The needle phobia clinics are a fantastic way to support children with a fear of needles. The room is set up with a selection of medical equipment, distraction toys and information. During the sessions we talk about medical procedures, look at the equipment used and discuss ways to remain calm. We have a VR headset for the children to try to see if that might be a good way to distract during their procedure.
Andrea and Sharron are our community play leaders, we offer our services at home, within the hospital and in school settings.
All our services are designed specifically for each child, depending on age, ability and understanding. We will arrange an initial visit with the child’s parents/carers to get a better understanding of their child’s need. We will look into the history of the fear/aversion/need and will then plan specific activities to support the individual child.
The services we offer
- Needle phobia Clinics to support children with a fear of injections/blood tests.
- Feeding clinics to bring a small group of children together where we explore food and all things feeding. The sessions are play based with lots of information for the children, parents/carers. We explore our senses with a variety of different activities.
- Feeding aversions, we offer sessions both at home and at school to ensure that we have a full picture of mealtimes.
- Support with toileting, we offer play, advice and support at home. The sessions are always fun and informative.
- Pre/post bereavement at home and at school to ensure that children are comfortable to talk about their feelings. Often children will hold their feelings in. Through play and social stories we talk about feelings and lots of craft and creative play
- Sibling support, we offer support to children who might have critically ill siblings. It is often hard for parents juggle complex needs. We offer sibling support visits to provide stimulation/distraction and also to give the children a chance to talk.
- Support with fear of medical procedures, we offer home and school visits to look into what might have caused their fear. All of our activities are play based and planned for each individual child. We talk about what they are worried about and offer ideas for them to try to see if it will help them stay calm.
- Joint visits with a nurse to offer distraction for procedures in the home. We will bring along our distraction box with lots of fidget toys and games.
- Advice for schools, if we are working with a child and their family we will go into schools if it is relevant to offer support and advice. It is also a fantastic way to get a complete picture of needs/behaviour.
- Dental aversion, we offer sessions to prepare children for upcoming procedures. This will all be play based using distraction through play while talking about the upcoming procedure.
- Support with outpatient clinics for children that we have supported in the home. We will often accompany children to clinics with their parent/carer to offer distraction if it is needed.
As a team we find that working in collaboration with the family, school and any other medical professionals ensures that we get the best outcomes for the children that we work with.
Useful links
- The NHS website – Your complete guide to conditions, symptoms and treatments, including what to do and when to get help.
- AWARE – A parent-run group supporting families with children and young adults on the autistic spectrum (formal diagnosis not required).
- ERIC – The national charity dedicated to improving children’s bowel and bladder health. ERIC’s mission is to reduce the impact of continence problems on children and their families.
- Down’s Syndrome Association – A national organisation committed to improving the quality of life for people who have Down’s syndrome, promoting their right to be included on a full and equal basis with others.
- ARFID Awareness – The UK’s only registered charity dedicated to raising awareness and furthering information about avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder.
- Mind – Bereavement – Help with the range of emotions we go through when we experience a loss.
- Child Bereavement UK – Support groups for individuals and families when a child grieves or when a child dies.
- Mind – Anxiety and panic attacks – Tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.
- Early Help – The support provided for children, young people and their families to respond when difficulties emerge or to stop problems developing in the future. This support can be provided at any point in a child’s life to stop small problems getting bigger.
- Families SEND Support Team – Portage and a range of bespoke programmes and workshops designed to guide, support, and empower families who have children with special educational needs and disabilities.
- Bradford Local Offer – One Minute Guides – Quick, simple and accessible information about education, health and care plans, special educational needs and disabilities and preparing for adulthood.
- SNOOP – Services for children and young people with disabilities and complex health needs aged 2-25 +years.
