Job summary
As a member of the Surrey & Sussex Healthcare Library and Knowledge Services team, the post-holder will support and facilitate evidence-based practice, life-long learning and clinical governance in acute and primary care, community and mental health settings; enabling the highest possible standards of clinical care, management, education, training, research & development, and direct patient care. The post holder will be required on occasions to work on their own. Depending on which site the library assistant is based at, the post holder will be expected to work at the other library on a regular basis, and additionally when there are staff shortages or similar circumstances.
Main duties of the job
The library service operates across the whole of the local health economy (West Sussex (north) and Surrey (east & mid), with libraries at East Surrey (main) and Crawley (branch) Hospitals. It aims to provide comprehensive multi-professional library and knowledge services to staff and students of the following healthcare organisations:
Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
Sussex Partnership Foundation NHS Trust
Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
GPs & their staff working in North West Sussex and East Surrey
Medical schools including St George's, Imperial, London South Bank and Brighton & Sussex
Sussex Community Foundation NHS Trust
First Community Health & Care, and other Surrey community healthcare providers
Universities of Surrey, Brighton
Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care System
NHS Sussex Integrated Care System
Health Innovation Network Kent, Surrey and Sussex
For further information, please see the attached trust job description and person specification for a full list of duties and responsibilities.
About us
We provide emergency and non-emergency services to the residents of East Surrey, North-East West Sussex, and South Croydon, including the major towns of Crawley, Horsham, Reigate and Redhill; a community of over 535,000 people. We provide acute and complex services and a range of outpatient, diagnostic services whilst Crawley Hospital and Horsham in West Sussex and Caterham Dene Hospital and Oxted Health Centre in Surrey provide less complex planned services. In 2019 the Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated our services as 'Outstanding' and we are one of the best performing Trusts in England:o Winners of Health Service Journal Acute Trust of the year award 2021.o National Patient Safety Awards winner and strive to be a beacon for safety in all that we do.o We are rated the sixth highest trust in the South East and in the top 25% nationally for staff recommending the Trust as a place to work or receive treatment.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Once you understand the requirements outlined in the advert, please ensure your application clearly reflects where you match them including any examples you would like to highlight.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Once you understand the requirements outlined in the advert, please ensure your application clearly reflects where you match them including any examples you would like to highlight.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to GCSE or equivalent in English
- Educated to GCSE or equivalent in Maths
Desirable
- Library and Information City & Guilds/ NVQ Level 3, or knowledge of computer software to ECDL/Microsoft Academy level / RSA qualification in IT/ word processing. Or equivalent library, information or computing experience
Experience
Essential
- Experience working in an office environment
- Strong administrative and organisational skills
- Experience of using IT in the workplace
- Experience of working in a customer care environment
Desirable
- Preferably at least 1 years work experience in a library
- Knowledge of relevant legislation, e.g. Copyright Act and Data Protection
- Experience of searching a range of library resources
- Experience of handling money in a working environment
Knowledge, Skills and Competencies
Essential
- Receive and convey complex and sensitive information to and from a wide range of personnel from : different cultures, organisations, clinical, clinical support and support
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, communication will be in person, email, and phone
- Good team worker
- Prioritise and manage own workload
- Work independently with minimum supervision and to work alone and unsupervised on a regular basis
- Demonstrate initiative during daily work and to contribute to the improvement of the overall library service
- Flexible approach to work and changing priorities to meet needs of users and library team
- Willingness to learn and develop new skills
- Provide information that is timely, accurate and in a suitable manner
- Ability to handle alphabetical and numerical data accurately
- Ability to trouble shoot basic computer, photocopier and printer problems and be able to judge when situations require specialist IM&T staff
- Good general understanding of computers, including word processing and basic keyboard skills
- Competent & confident in the use of Microsoft Word and Excel
- Competent and confident keyboard skills and use of information technology, including email, Internet and word processing software
- Willingness to continue to improve their knowledge of computers
- Enhancing new technologies
- On a daily basis the ability to concentrate on tasks whilst being frequently interrupted by users - involving changing from one activity to a completely different one
- Work to deadlines set by line manager, other members of the library team and external deadlines (e.g. patient care)
- Must be self-motivated
- Able to deal with occasional confrontations with users who are upset or aggressive
- Ability to cope with indirect exposure to distressing information, including graphic images, through print and electronic resources
- Frequent lifting and carrying of books, journal boxes and other bulky items from low and high shelves
- Frequent use on a daily basis of VDU and keyboard equipment often for sustained periods of time
- Flexible approach to hours worked
- Able to work as sole member of team present
Desirable
- Good communication skills with staff from other organisations
- Ability to judge the most appropriate source of information in response to library users diverse range of enquiries
- Ability to judge when to refer enquiries onto a relevant member of library team
- Experience in the use of a Library Management System
Behaviours and values
Essential
- Flexibility in shift/working patterns to meet the needs of the service
- Is able to participate as a team member
- Is of good health and good character as per NMC requirements
- Willing to accept additional responsibilities as delegated by senior staff
- Displays SASH Values: Dignity and Respect, One Team, Compassion , Safety and Quality
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to GCSE or equivalent in English
- Educated to GCSE or equivalent in Maths
Desirable
- Library and Information City & Guilds/ NVQ Level 3, or knowledge of computer software to ECDL/Microsoft Academy level / RSA qualification in IT/ word processing. Or equivalent library, information or computing experience
Experience
Essential
- Experience working in an office environment
- Strong administrative and organisational skills
- Experience of using IT in the workplace
- Experience of working in a customer care environment
Desirable
- Preferably at least 1 years work experience in a library
- Knowledge of relevant legislation, e.g. Copyright Act and Data Protection
- Experience of searching a range of library resources
- Experience of handling money in a working environment
Knowledge, Skills and Competencies
Essential
- Receive and convey complex and sensitive information to and from a wide range of personnel from : different cultures, organisations, clinical, clinical support and support
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, communication will be in person, email, and phone
- Good team worker
- Prioritise and manage own workload
- Work independently with minimum supervision and to work alone and unsupervised on a regular basis
- Demonstrate initiative during daily work and to contribute to the improvement of the overall library service
- Flexible approach to work and changing priorities to meet needs of users and library team
- Willingness to learn and develop new skills
- Provide information that is timely, accurate and in a suitable manner
- Ability to handle alphabetical and numerical data accurately
- Ability to trouble shoot basic computer, photocopier and printer problems and be able to judge when situations require specialist IM&T staff
- Good general understanding of computers, including word processing and basic keyboard skills
- Competent & confident in the use of Microsoft Word and Excel
- Competent and confident keyboard skills and use of information technology, including email, Internet and word processing software
- Willingness to continue to improve their knowledge of computers
- Enhancing new technologies
- On a daily basis the ability to concentrate on tasks whilst being frequently interrupted by users - involving changing from one activity to a completely different one
- Work to deadlines set by line manager, other members of the library team and external deadlines (e.g. patient care)
- Must be self-motivated
- Able to deal with occasional confrontations with users who are upset or aggressive
- Ability to cope with indirect exposure to distressing information, including graphic images, through print and electronic resources
- Frequent lifting and carrying of books, journal boxes and other bulky items from low and high shelves
- Frequent use on a daily basis of VDU and keyboard equipment often for sustained periods of time
- Flexible approach to hours worked
- Able to work as sole member of team present
Desirable
- Good communication skills with staff from other organisations
- Ability to judge the most appropriate source of information in response to library users diverse range of enquiries
- Ability to judge when to refer enquiries onto a relevant member of library team
- Experience in the use of a Library Management System
Behaviours and values
Essential
- Flexibility in shift/working patterns to meet the needs of the service
- Is able to participate as a team member
- Is of good health and good character as per NMC requirements
- Willing to accept additional responsibilities as delegated by senior staff
- Displays SASH Values: Dignity and Respect, One Team, Compassion , Safety and Quality
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.
