Play England envisions England as a child-friendly country where all children and young people have the freedom to play at home, at school, in parks, and in public spaces. Their work promotes the importance of ensuring that all children have the time, space, permission, and opportunity to play regularly, both indoors and outdoors, while supporting greater understanding of the vital role play has in children’s health, wellbeing, and development.
NHS England – Play Well Programme provides guidance and resources to support the commissioning, design, and delivery of high-quality health play services for children and young people across healthcare settings. The programme highlights the importance of therapeutic play in improving patient experience, reducing anxiety, supporting communication, and promoting positive health outcomes.
Play well: guidelines for commissioning and designing health play services
Play well: interactive quality checklist for health play services – adapted from the Play Well quality checklist to provide an interactive dashboard format for services to review and benchmark their provision.
Starlight Children’s Foundation is the national charity for children’s play in healthcare, working to ensure children can experience the power of play during illness and treatment. Their work supports children’s wellbeing, resilience, and emotional health through play, while also advocating for play professionals and supporting families across healthcare settings.
NHS Play Well Toolkit – a practical resource developed to support healthcare organisations in embedding high-quality play services and improving children’s experiences within healthcare environments.
Society of Health Play Specialists (SoHPS) is the official education and registration body for Health Play Specialists working across the UK and internationally. The organisation supports professional standards, education, training, and registration for Health Play Specialists, while promoting the value and impact of therapeutic play within healthcare settings.
Sophie’s Legacy was created in memory of Sophie Fairall and the lasting change she wanted to see for children and families within healthcare services. The charity campaigns to improve the experiences of children in hospital and advocates for greater support for families and better awareness of childhood cancer.
Sophie’s Legacy focuses on several key areas of change, including:
Access to play specialists seven days a week in hospitals
Improvements to food for children in hospital
Support for parents staying with their child in hospital, including access to meals
Increased training for GPs, nurses, and healthcare professionals in childhood cancer
Increased funding and awareness for childhood cancer research
Spread a Smile brings joy, laughter, and emotional support to seriously ill and hospitalised children and their families during long hospital stays and treatment. Through visits, entertainment, creative activities, and virtual sessions, the charity aims to improve wellbeing and help children feel more positive during difficult healthcare experiences.