1. Health Play Specialist Royal Hospital for Sick Children,
Approaches and challenges in addressing children and young people’s health and emotional wellbeing
Margaret McEwan
Health Play Specialist
Royal Hospital for Sick Children,
Edinburgh

2. My General Role includes:
Preparation and Distraction therapies
Providing play and recreation
Bringing play into rehabilitation programmes
Working closely with Edinburgh Cancer Centre
Devising Coping Strategies
Providing support and information

3. Today I am going to talk about the rights and challenges of children and young people who have already been treated for a brain tumour which has been “stable” for a few years but has now started “changing” Often these children have already been through surgery, rehabilitation, radiotherapy and chemotherapy and need to start the whole process again.

4. The United Nations Convention
on the Rights of the Child
Article 12 (respect for the views of the child)
“Every child has the right to express their views, feelings and wishes in all matters affecting them, and to have their views
considered and taken seriously.”

5. My role in working with these families would be to:
Discuss what they have been told.
Chat about feelings.
Chat about previous treatment
Chat privately to the child or young person.
Discuss my involvement
Advise about any charities
Speak to other members of the multi-disciplinary
Discuss preparation and distraction methods
Be the Advocate for the child

6. Here are just some of the activities
that we do on the ward:
Painting & Gluing
Jigsaws & Games
We have Games Consoles and games
Dancing
Hide & Seek
Movies
Sensory Sessions
Messy Play (using shaving foam, pasta, decorating biscuits)
Imaginative Play (role play, making up stories etc
Outside Play (leaf collecting etc)

8. Ta da!!!

9. The United Nations Convention
on the Rights of the Child
Article 31 (leisure, play and culture).
“Every child has the right to relax, play and take part in a wide range of cultural and artistic activities.”

11. References
(accessed 19/10/17)