The hospital’s Play Team — a team of specialists who provide therapeutic play that helps children understand, cope with and explore their feelings about their illness and treatment— have seen a number of creative new initiatives find success.
This year they implemented a new play-passport system for children with special educational needs. This allows staff to gain a better understanding of their likes and dislikes whilst in hospital. It is hoped the ‘neuro-diverse passport’ will help them get to know children better, which in turn will make their treatment work more effective for other hospital departments, such as in the Day Unit and the MRI department. By calming them down beforehand, far fewer children need to be put under anaesthetic before having an MRI scan.
Staff recently hosted a packed programme of activities to celebrate ‘Play in Hospital Week’ The highlights were when Children were treated to a visit from their favourite on-screen icons and when a local artist visited the hospital for colour therapy during a day titled ‘Calm, Body and Mind’.
Leanne Haycock, Play Specialist Team Leader, said: “Play certainly aids recovery and in developing the new play-passport we will be able to make reasonable adjustments to make sure every child is cared for in a way that is suitable to their needs. We need to remember; that every child is different, and they all have different fears or phobias. It’s a great positive step for the team which keeps expanding to keep up with demand.”
The team already create thousands of pounds of savings for the hospital’s MRI department by calming children down before having an MRI so that children are only put under anaesthetic when absolutely necessary. The Play Team continue to free up hospital resources whilst simultaneously making the children on the ward feel safer and more comfortable.
You can support York SCBU by donating here. Pick up a copy of the December YLL Magazine to read our full six page feature on the unit.
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