Planning in Practice: One Librarian’s experience of developing library strategy

1. Planning in Practice: One Librarian’s experience of developing library strategy Tricia Ellis South West SHA Joint HLG/IFMH Study Day –Cardiff, 8th May 2009

2. Presentation outline • Preparation for creating a strategy • Working across the South West region • Working within one NHS organisation • Examination of a Strategy

3. Begin with the premise… Library/knowledge services are designed and delivered to support the needs of all those who work to improve patient and population health, supporting clinical and non-clinical practice and staff development. Services and resources are high quality, timely, appropriate and safe, and provide value for money. Library/knowledge services contribute to the production, management and dissemination of corporate knowledge.

4. Preparation – Defining a strategy • The Strategy – Maps out the future, analyses actions, ensures day to day decisions are consistent with longer term planning, ensures all work together to meet common goals • The Implementation Plan – prioritises actions to meet strategic goals, detailed and measurable plans. May be called the Business Plan, Annual Plan or Operational Plan • The Annual Report – informing and engaging users and employers

5. Preparation -Rationale for strategy: Should clarify, create and refine • The strategic vision • The desired future service • Its relationship with the business environment • The desired outcomes for the organisation and customers • The strategic issues – the challenges • The strategic themes – business activity required to engage with challenges • Candidates for action – possible ways forward

6. Preparation - Desired outcomes To show how well the organisation which receives a library service is engaged in the management and direction of that service Shows how well the service communicates with its user community Identifies that the service is proactively managed, assessed and evaluated Supports the improvement of services and quality of provision. Ultimately improves patient care

7. Preparation - Reviewing evidence • Nationally - Darzi Review of the NHS, Leitch Review of World class Skills, Commissioning a Patient Led NHS. • Regionally – Workforce and Education Commissioning, the SHA-wide Learning and Development Agreement • Locally – NHS organisation Local Delivery Plan, Education and Learning Strategy, IM&T Strategy, Clinical Governance Strategy etc.

8. Key documents… Prof Peter Hill Review of NHS Libraries – 2008 www.library.nhs.uk/review National Library for Health - National Service Framework for Quality Assurance of NHS Funded Library Services in England - 2008 www.library.nhs.uk/forlibrarians/nsf

9. Preparation – existing strategies • Review NHS library strategies already in existence, e.g. http://www.londonlinks.ac.uk/resources/files/key-documents/guidance_for_producing_library_strategy.pdf http://www.surreyandsussex.nhs.uk/lis/documents/Library_strategy_2006_2009.pdf http://www.eastmidlandsdeanery.nhs.uk/page.php?id=606

10. Preparation – reviewing evidence • Regulatory requirements for Health Library Strategy – 2005 Helicon peer review inspection scheme included a criterion on strategy– • ‘The parent organisation has a formally approved library or knowledge strategy which is annually reviewed… Criteria 1.1

11. Preparation – reviewing evidence Regulatory requirements for NHS Health Library Strategy to be in place 2008 The National Service Framework standards includes the following criteria… 1.1a There is a designated board member accountable for the library/knowledge service.

12. Guidance for strategy evidence • documented in a job description • included in responsibility charts. • Where the library service is contracted out and not managed in-house • ensure effective ongoing communication at senior level. • This role has responsibility for quality control of library/knowledge services through local clinical governance arrangements. • Every clinical or management team in the NHS should identify someone in the team as “Team Knowledge Officer” (or equivalent). • The Team Knowledge Officer ensures the effective input of evidence to enable the team to function properly.

13. Standards criteria includes: • 1.1b There is a dated, documented strategy for the provision of NHS funded library/knowledge services, which is reviewed on an annual basis.

14. Guidance for this criteria… • The library/knowledge service is regarded as part of the core business of the NHS • All staff/students have access to an appropriate service and an appropriately skilled librarian. They will have access to the knowledge resources/services they require for evidence based practice and life-long learning (including e-learning) • The strategy should be developed with input from a multi-professional team. • Define how library/knowledge services are delivered to the point of need – in the ward, clinic, and department and in the community.

15. Standards criteria includes: • 1.1c The strategy is formally approved by the parent organisation. Relevant staff are aware of the strategy and there is evidence of implementation.

16. Guidance for this criteria… • The parent organisation may be a Trust, PCT, SHA or another NHS organisation as appropriate. • “Formally approved” normally means that the strategy would have Board approval. • Where the knowledge service is contracted out, rather than directly managed in-house, (e.g. in the case of University health science libraries based within NHS Trusts), there should be a process of formal engagement with the principal customer organisations at Board level.

17. Standards criteria includes: • 1.1d The strategy includes the mission statement for providing the library/knowledge service to meet the needs of all users.

18. Standards criteria includes: • 1.1e The strategy includes measurable aims and objectives of the library/knowledge service.

19. Guidance for this criteria… • The aims and objectives should be developed in accordance with national legislation and meet the requirements of local planning (e.g. the Local Delivery Plan). • They should also include committee structures and accountabilities and individual responsibilities at senior level to ensure effective leadership.

20. What are the key requirements? • designated board member • dated, documented strategy • formally approved by the parent organisation • mission statement • measurable aims and objectives

21. Preparing a strategy in the South West • 2007 - 2009 -Joint work through the Strategic Health Authority and the NHS Trust Library Managers. • Identification of national strategic drivers that impact upon the delivery of knowledge services and corporate knowledge • Working with local drivers that impact on library services, e.g. the SHA-wide Learning and Development Agreement. • Reviewing South West wide policies and guidelines to gain standardisation • Working with Library Managers to create their own organisational strategies….

22. One Health Library’s strategy -1 • Planned an Away Day for the Library Team – lots of nice food, cakes and treats.. • Reviewed all that has been achieved to date • Celebrated successes in the Library Service • Identified the business needs of the Library Service and the NHS organisation it serves • Drew up a draft business plan for 3 years • Consulted with key stakeholders

23. One Health Library’s strategy - 2 • Identification of responsibilities, timeframe, accountabilities, stakeholder. • Strategy refined, updated and implemented. • Publication of the Strategy and Business Plan • Regular review of objectives and tasks completed. • Ongoing evaluation of strategy and creation of annual report. • Strategy quality assured in peer review.

24. For the future • Nationally – review of the NSF with the SHA Library Leads • Regionally – review of the Learning and Development Agreement’s criteria for Library and Knowledge Services • Locally – regular review of Library Service strategy by key stakeholders

25. Any questions? Tricia Ellis Head of Knowledge Management and E-learning, South west Strategic Health Authority. Tricia.Ellis@southwest.nhs.uk