About this role
Job summary
The Secretary of State for Health has a duty, under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, to ensure "the use in the health service of evidence obtained from research". NHS Library & Knowledge Services have a key role in enabling NHS staff to have access to and use appropriate knowledge to support their practice, their learning and development and their research.
This is an exciting post for a qualified, experienced, pro-active and creative librarian/information specialist who wants to make their mark working in an innovative service environment in one of the biggest NHS Trusts in England.
The post has cross-site responsibility and the post holder, while based at Southend Healthcare Library, will be required to work at any Mid and South Essex (MSE) Healthcare Library site in order to develop a collaborative and consistent high-quality service. There will also be the opportunity to work from home on an ad-hoc basis, dependent on service needs.
The library maintains service agreements with Provide CIC, a Community Interest Company. You may be required to travel to their locations to promote library resources and deliver customised information skills training that addresses their specific needs.
No Sponsorship is available for this role.
Main duties of the job
Clinical librarianship is a proactive approach to supporting evidence-based healthcare and clinical governance within the clinical setting at the point of need. You will primarily be based in the library but will spend much of your time linking with identified departments or teams and will play a vital role in providing patient centred, evidence-based information at the time and place of need thus contributing to patient care.
NHS Library and Knowledge Services (LKS) need to be visible and accessible to all staff members. You will be a key advocate for the library and its importance to evidence-based practice and patient care. An essential aspect of the role will be to build positive relationships at all levels of the organisation and with all users and staff who need access to high quality evidence-based resources.
You will work closely with the Southend Site Manager to develop and implement effective marketing and promotional initiatives that enhance the library's visibility across the site.
Working both independently and in collaboration with MSE or regional training librarians, you will enhance the library's existing training program by creating and delivering structured library skills sessions. These sessions may include presentations, one-to-one coaching, group workshops, or virtual training to build literature searching and critical appraisal skills among staff at all levels.
About us
Our ambition is to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and well being of our patients, and provide a vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers.
We aim to make the most of our skills and experiences so we can become the best we can be. As one organisation we will recruit the finest and retain more specialist staff due to more employment opportunities across our Trust.
Job description Job responsibilities
For more details on this varied and rewarding role, please see the attached job description.
We look forward to reading your application!
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Degree or post graduate qualification in Library & Information Studies OR Information Science.
Desirable
Chartered member or working towards chartered status of CILIP. Teaching or adult education qualification
Knowledge and Experience Essential
Experience of working in a Library or information services environment Knowledge of relevant legislation, e.g. Copyright Act and Data Protection Knowledge and experience in using a range of online information resources and healthcare databases e.g. Medline, CINAHL etc Ability to deliver a range of training courses including literature searching, critical appraisal and reflective writing
Desirable
Experience of working in an NHS Library or information services environment Experience of teaching/training in the virtual environment
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer details Employer name Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Address Southend
Prittlewell Chase
Westcliff-on-Sea
SS0 0RY
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.mse.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)