The Level 5 Health Play Specialist, and the 3 providers delivering it.
Health play specialists provide therapeutic play interventions to support children from birth to young adulthood in healthcare settings.
About this apprenticeship
What this apprenticeship covers
Apprentices learn to plan and deliver therapeutic play interventions for children and young people from birth to young adulthood across healthcare settings. The training covers developmental assessment, normalising techniques, procedural preparation, distraction methods, and post-procedural play. Apprentices also study safeguarding responsibilities, professional standards, and the legal and ethical frameworks that govern the role, including when to contribute professional reports for safeguarding processes or family court proceedings. Completing the programme leads to eligibility for registration with the Society of Health Play Specialists (SoHPS).
Day-to-day responsibilities
Week to week, an apprentice will work directly with children on hospital wards, in outpatient clinics, or community settings, using play to prepare them for medical procedures, manage anxiety, and process difficult health experiences. This involves assessing a child's developmental stage, selecting appropriate play techniques, and adjusting approaches as conditions or cognition change. Apprentices liaise regularly with consultants, nurses, social workers, and families, and contribute to multi-disciplinary team discussions. Written records, observation reports, and reflective practice logs are part of the routine.
Career outlook
Completing this apprenticeship leads directly to registration as a Health Play Specialist and opens roles such as registered hospital play specialist, registered community play specialist, or therapeutic co-ordinator. Employers include NHS trusts, children's hospices, outpatient and community health services, and voluntary sector organisations. With experience, practitioners can move into senior or lead play specialist positions, service management, or specialist roles supporting children with learning disabilities or long-term conditions. The registration requirement with SoHPS means the qualification carries recognised professional standing across the sector.
3 approved providers
Sorted by achievement rate.
At Southampton Solent University, our dedicated Apprenticeships Team is committed to delivering high...
Nescot (North East Surrey College of Technology) is a further and higher education college in Ewell,...
Career outcomes
Roles after completion
Completing this apprenticeship leads to registration with the Society of Health Play Specialists (SoHPS) and employment as a Registered Hospital Play Specialist or Registered Community Play Specialist. Other immediate titles include Play Specialist, Therapeutic Co-ordinator, and Play Leader. Some graduates move into specialist settings straight away, such as special care baby units, oncology wards, or learning disability health support, depending on the placement experience gained during training.
Progression paths
With several years of post-registration experience, practitioners typically progress to Senior Play Specialist or Lead Play Specialist, taking on caseload management, supervising junior staff, and contributing to departmental policy. A specialist track includes focusing on specific clinical areas such as palliative care, neurodevelopmental conditions, or complex safeguarding cases. A leadership track may lead to Head of Play Services or service manager responsibilities, covering workforce planning and cross-professional liaison. Some practitioners move into training, education, or SoHPS committee roles.
Where these roles sit
NHS trusts are the primary employer, particularly in children's hospitals, paediatric wards, and outpatient departments. Roles also exist in hospices, community health centres, and outpatient clinics run by private healthcare providers. The voluntary sector employs Health Play Specialists in therapeutic and family support services. Most posts are within or alongside NHS structures, so understanding of NHS governance, safeguarding frameworks, and multi-disciplinary team working is central to the role across all settings.
How it's assessed
How the apprenticeship is assessed
Throughout the programme, apprentices build knowledge, skills and behaviours relevant to therapeutic play practice in healthcare settings while working in their substantive role. Assessment is not confined to a single endpoint. Before moving to final assessment, the apprentice must pass through a readiness check, often called a gateway, which confirms they have met the required standards across the full range of occupational competencies. Final assessment then confirms that the apprentice can genuinely perform the role, not just recall theory. Assessment models across many standards are currently being updated following reforms to apprenticeship regulation, so readers should check the standard's gov.uk page for the current specification.
What learners need to prepare
Building a strong body of workplace evidence from early in the programme is the most practical thing an apprentice can do. That means keeping records of real practice, including therapeutic play interventions, safeguarding decisions, reflective accounts and professional development activity, as they happen rather than retrospectively. Close, regular contact with both the employer and training provider helps ensure the apprentice is progressing against every knowledge, skill and behaviour requirement well before the gateway, leaving time to address any gaps.
Choosing a provider
What good looks like
Look for providers with achievement rates above 65% on their FATP profile, and strong apprentice satisfaction scores. For this standard, clinical placement quality matters more than most. A good provider will have established relationships with NHS trusts, hospices and community health settings, and tutors or assessors with direct experience of health play or child health services. Providers should also be able to show how they prepare apprentices for SoHPS professional registration, including reflective practice requirements and the professional standards that underpin it. Positive learner reviews mentioning real casework exposure are a useful signal.
Red flags to watch for
Be cautious of providers who can't explain how they support apprentices through SoHPS registration or ongoing CPD requirements, both of which are built into this occupation. Vague answers about placement supervision, particularly around safeguarding, family court preparation or end-of-life care scenarios, suggest limited specialist depth. A high volume of health apprentices combined with a declining or below-average achievement rate warrants scrutiny. Providers unable to point to alumni working in registered play specialist roles, or who treat this as a generic health and science standard, are unlikely to deliver the occupational specificity this role demands.
Questions to ask before you commit
- How do you prepare apprentices for SoHPS professional registration, and what is your track record of apprentices achieving it on completion?
- Which clinical settings do your apprentices train in, and how do you ensure placements cover the range of this role, including palliative care, safeguarding and procedural support?
- How are assessors and tutors qualified, and do any hold current or recent experience as registered health play specialists?
- What support is available to apprentices who encounter complex safeguarding situations or family court involvement during their training?
- What is your current achievement rate for this standard, and how has it changed over the past two years?
- How do you structure reflective practice and CPD throughout the programme, given these are registration requirements?
- Can you connect us with employers or former apprentices who have completed this standard with you?
Common questions
Who is eligible to apply for the Health Play Specialist apprenticeship?
Applicants must be employed in a relevant healthcare or play setting for the duration of the apprenticeship. Employers typically look for candidates with experience working with children, though specific entry requirements vary by provider. Apprentices must have, or be working towards, the English and maths requirements set by the apprenticeship standard. Check with individual training providers about any prior qualifications or experience they require before applying.
How long does the apprenticeship take and how is the learning structured?
The typical duration is 24 months. Throughout that time, the apprentice remains employed and applies their learning directly in the workplace. Some learning takes place off the job, through taught sessions, study, or provider-led activity. The current off-the-job requirements are subject to revision under ongoing Skills England reforms, so check the latest specification on gov.uk for the most accurate figure before planning a programme.
How is the apprenticeship assessed and what is the gateway?
Before the end-point assessment, the apprentice must pass through a gateway, a check that they have met the required knowledge, skills, and behaviours and that their employer and training provider confirm they are ready. Assessment models for many standards are currently being reviewed, so the precise end-point assessment format may change. The current assessment details are published on the apprenticeship standard page on gov.uk. The apprentice must demonstrate occupational competence across therapeutic play practice, safeguarding, and professional conduct.
How does an employer pay for the apprenticeship, and what does it cost?
The funding band for this standard is £15,000, which is the maximum government contribution towards training costs. Larger employers paying the apprenticeship levy use their levy funds directly. SMEs that do not pay the levy typically contribute 5% of the training cost, with government funding covering the rest. Employers taking on an apprentice aged 16 to 18 may pay nothing, depending on the size of the organisation. Funding rules are set by the Education and Skills Funding Agency and can change, so confirm current arrangements with your training provider.
What does a Health Play Specialist apprentice actually do at work?
Day to day, the apprentice uses therapeutic and normalising play techniques to prepare children and young people for medical procedures, reduce fear and anxiety, and support them through treatment and recovery. They assess developmental needs, use distraction techniques, and deliver post-procedural play. They work alongside consultants, nurses, social workers, and families. They also contribute to safeguarding processes, write professional reports, and may provide evidence in family court proceedings, all while maintaining professional registration with the Society of Health Play Specialists.
What can a Health Play Specialist apprentice progress to after completing the programme?
Graduates typically work as registered hospital or community play specialists, and annual re-registration with the Society of Health Play Specialists is required to continue practising. From there, progression routes include senior or lead play specialist roles, specialisms such as learning disability health support, or coordination roles across paediatric services. Some practitioners go on to pursue further qualifications at degree or postgraduate level in areas such as child health, therapeutic practice, or healthcare management.
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Curated by Alex Lockey, FATP founder and editor. Last reviewed: .
Sources include the apprenticeship's official specification on apprenticeships.gov.uk, Skills England guidance, IfATE archive records, DWP funding bands, and provider data sourced directly from the public Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR). Standard reference: 505.
Some sections on this page were drafted with AI assistance from published source data and reviewed by a human editor before publication. See our editorial methodology for how we maintain this content. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.