Child Life Therapist

The Hospital:

The Royal Children’s Hospital’s (RCH) Vision is “A world where all kids thrive”.

RCH is a cornerstone member of the Melbourne Children’s Campus, partnering with Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, The University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics and The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation.

RCH has cared for the children and young people of Victoria for more than 150 years since it was founded in 1870. A full range of paediatrics and adolescent health services are provided plus tertiary and quaternary care for the most critically ill and medically complex patients in Victoria, Tasmania, southern NSW and other states around Australia and overseas. The Hospital has more than 6,000 staff, a budget of $850M, 12 wards and 350 beds. Annually, the RCH has 300,000+ Specialist Clinic appointments, 90,000+ Emergency Department presentations and 20,000 elective surgeries.

The RCH is committed to the Child Safe Standards.

RCH enjoys high employee engagement and is committed to staff safety and a positive culture through enactment of our Compact.

For further Information on RCH is available here.

About the Role:

We have an exciting opportunity for a full time Child Life Therapist (Grade 1 or Grade 2) to join the Comfort First Program within the Children's Cancer Centre at The Royal Children's Hospital.

As part of the Comfort First team, you will provide specialised Child Life Therapy services to children, adolescents and families receiving treatment within the Children's Cancer Centre. Working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team, you will support patients across the cancer treatment journey, helping them to understand and cope with diagnosis, procedures, treatments, hospitalisation and ongoing healthcare experiences through evidence-based, developmentally appropriate interventions.

The role has a strong focus on procedural preparation and support, coping and resilience-building, therapeutic play, family support, and promoting positive healthcare experiences. You will work closely with medical, nursing and allied health colleagues to deliver child and family-centred care, advocating for the psychosocial needs of patients and families and supporting informed participation in care and treatment.

You will contribute to the delivery of the Comfort First model of care, supporting strategies that minimise distress, enhance coping, and optimise the patient and family experience across a range of outpatient and inpatient oncology and haematology settings.

Classification for this position is in accordance with Award 01 - Allied Health.

This will range from PT63 (Grade 1, Year 3) to PT70 (Grade 2, Year 4), FTE base salary $78,712.40-$103,724.40 per annum, pro rata for part-time, plus superannuation.

What you'll achieve:

• Provide Child Life Therapy services across a range of inpatient and ambulatory clinical areas, including the Emergency Department
• Support children, young people and families during acute presentations, procedures and healthcare experiences through evidence-based preparation, play and coping interventions
• Prioritise and coordinate service delivery to maximise Child Life Therapy service availability
• Support children through medical interventions and assist their ability to cope with illness and hospitalisation using evidence-based play and developmentally appropriate strategies
• Develop individualised procedural support plans in partnership with children, families and treating teams to enhance coping and procedural compliance
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with patients, families and multidisciplinary team members

Your skills and experience:

• Recognised tertiary qualification in Education, Occupational Therapy, Psychology, Social Work and/or other relevant Allied Health discipline
• Current VIT, AHPRA and/or relevant professional association registration
• Eligibility for membership with the appropriate professional body in Victoria
• Minimum three years continuous and relevant professional experience in a relevant discipline
• Thorough understanding of child and adolescent development from birth to 18 years

If this sounds like you, of if you require more information, please refer to the below for the position descriptions:

• Grade 1
• Grade 2

About the Department:

Child Life Therapy engages children, young people and their families to support understanding and coping throughout healthcare experiences. Using evidence-based, developmentally appropriate interventions such as procedural preparation, distraction, medical play and therapeutic play, Child Life Therapists empower children and young people to gain mastery over their hospital experience and enhance wellbeing during times of illness and hospitalisation.

To learn more about the profession, please visit:

• *****************
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Prospective applicants are also welcome to attend an online information session about Child Life Therapy. Please email **************************** to receive a Microsoft Teams meeting link.

What we offer:

• Salary packaging option with our partner, SmartSalary – Increase your take home pay by up to $11,500 per annum (and other additional salary-enhancing options!)
• Workplace culture of continuous improvement, growth, support and training
• Clinical Education Hub on-site to support continued training and professional development
• Staff immunisation drives
• Discounted Private Health Insurance
• Support for working parents including two on-site Early Learning Centres, flexible working arrangements, breast feeding and pumping facilities
• Help when you need it most! Staff counselling, financial coaching, legal support, nutritional support and specialist helpline services, and more through our EAP partner, Converge
• Unlimited access to select fitness facilities in your local area via Fitness Passport

Other requirements:

• Current National Criminal Record Check, or willing to obtain
• Valid Working with Children Check
• Compliance with RCH “Staff Immunisation - Prevention of Vaccine Preventable Diseases” procedure

Application process:

To apply, you will need a resume and a tailored cover letter outlining your skills, experience, and suitability for the position in line with the requirements of the position description. Shortlisting for this position will commence immediately, we encourage you to apply promptly!

For enquiries or more information about this position, please contact Beth Dun, Manager Child Life Therapy via email: *******************

Why work at the RCH?

RCH enjoys high employee engagement and is committed to staff safety and a positive culture through enactment of our Compact. We offer the opportunity to work in world-class facilities, surrounded by Royal Park and only a short tram trip from the heart of Melbourne city.

We also offer staff benefits such as discounted staff parking, salary packaging, and an award-winning health and wellbeing program.

The RCH is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from culturally and/or linguistically diverse background, all members of the LGBTQI community and people with disability.

It is a requirement of your employment that you be vaccinated against Influenza annually for Category A and B roles, in compliance with any public health orders in place at the relevant time, unless you have a medical exception in line with those public health orders, which has been accepted by The Royal Children’s Hospital. Applicants will be required to provide their Australian Government Immunisation History Statement, it is a requirement of the RCH to collect, record and hold vaccination information.

It is also a requirement of your employment that you comply with any direction given by The Royal Children’s Hospital that you be vaccinated against, or prove immunity to, any other disease, unless you have a relevant exemption, and offers of employment are conditional on successful completion of background checks including reference checks.

Are you ready to join our team?

Apply online by clicking on the “Apply” button

Applications close 28 September 2026