All-Island Play Specialist Research

CHT and Children in Hospital Ireland were jointly awarded funding by the Community Foundation’s All-Island Fund to support progression towards a fairer, more equitable society on the island of Ireland.

• The funding was used to research the provision of health play specialists on the island and to hold a seminar for those working in both jurisdictions.
• Health Play Specialists help children mitigate the fear, anxiety, trauma and isolation often associated with medical procedures and hospital stays. They achieve this through the medium of play.
• 26 Health Play Specialists work in NI, 21 are based in the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.
• There are currently zero policy documents in NI for Health Play specialists or hospital play.
• In the 1990s and early 2000s, hospital play was prominent in policy documents.
• The remainder of the fund is being used to enable play specialists to come together to share best practices and drive change at both a healthcare setting level and at a policy level across the island of Ireland.