I am a third of the way through the HEE Knowledge for Healthcare Leadership Development Programme and I can say its been harder than I thought it would be. The lack of posts on my blog can attest to this. I find it a fulfilling programme though. I am fortunate to be on a project with an understanding team. We plough through the work and step in for each other when there are challenges or conflicting priorities. I have had an opportunity to network with other participants and manage the project for my team. Team members are spread across England so we have found teleconferencing a useful way of keeping in touch. With an action learning set next week and the CILIP Conference tomorrow (I will feedback on this), I have been pretty busy. The greatest challenge for me has probably been balancing the requirements of my job with the requirements of the programme. My colleagues do their best to support me for which I am grateful and keeping things on my calendar at all times ensures I am where I need to be when I have to be.
The Library on our Newham site has undergone a thorough refurbishment. It is now fresh and open plan with new furniture, equipment and Barts Health colours. After lots of moving, weeding and planning, it has really come together. I was based on-site during the refurbishment and this meant I was tasked with doing a lot of the normal day to day stuff. It was a very useful exercise as I got to know a lot more users, I got to brush up on some of the skills I hadn't used in a while, and it gave me a greater appreciation for the amount of work the frontline staff do in so little time. I salute them.
Literature searches requests seem to be on the rise because it feels like there are no breaks in between. I have also had my share of information skills training, inductions and exhibition stands. I appear to be adapting a switch on/switch off mode when moving from one task to a completely different one. I must confess that it is keeping me sane. I have also been liaising with my colleagues from Partnerships in Health Information (Phi) on developing the blog. Do follow us for interesting updates to and from Africa.
I find the new proposed CILIP membership model a welcome development. I also await CILIP's Royal Charter of Registered Practitioners and wonder what sort of impact this combination will have on registration figures and the profession as a whole. It would be great if job descriptions and remuneration could also be policed to demonstrate the value of trained professionals. I guess we'll see.
Monday, 11 July 2016
Friday, 11 March 2016
Knowledge for Healthcare Leadership Development Programme
The launch of the Knowledge for Healthcare Leadership Development Programme #kfhleadership was held today at Stewart House in London and I consider myself lucky to have been able to attend as one of the 24 participants for the 2016-17 cohort. The programme is a pilot initiative based on the model of the CILIP Leadership Model with the Knowledge for Healthcare Framework in mind. It is aimed at librarians, information specialists and knowledge specialists in the healthcare sector who wish to develop their leadership skills. The one year programme has been funded by Health Education England and participants will take part in a project and are required to attend four workshops and three action learning sets. We are also encouraged to attend the CILIP and Health Libraries Group conferences (This is not a compulsory component of the programme).
I was glad to see participants from different aspects of healthcare (not just the NHS), different parts of the country and different job roles (not solely managers). Jo Alcock did a good job of mixing everyone up so that we were forced to engage with one another not just people we already knew. We were joined by the Director of National Programmes for the HEE, Patrick Mitchell, and he noted how the launch itself is a testament to how far the Knowledge for Healthcare framework has come. Jo gave an overview of the programme and stressed how candidates are likely to gain as much from it as they are willing to give of themselves. Everyone had the opportunity to introduce themselves and share a bit about their current roles and what they aspired to gain from the programme. We also shared individual hopes and fears with common themes including the desire to build confidence, establish new relationships, learn about leadership skills, tips and tools whilst the most common fear was time constraint.
The next activity involved participants highlighting what they consider as the traits of a good/effective leader and high on the list was being passionate, impartial and inspiring. This led on to participants matching themselves to one of eight leadership quotes provided and then matching the quotes to those who had said it. The exercise made me realize that knowing who said each quote changed what some of the quotes meant to me. Jo also highlighted some of the things we should have noticed during the exercise and what they could mean such as who led the task, was quick to make suggestions or held back. We were introduced to leadership styles/approaches which was quite a bit to process. Some of them I was familiar with, others not so much. Senior Advisor, Knowledge for Healthcare, Sue Lacey Bryant pointed out that the transformational approach forms the basis for the Knowledge for Healthcare Framework due to the need to make a significant change.
We broke for lunch and some networking after which we had a learning from leaders session which involved hearing the leadership stories of others. Patrick Mitchell shared how in a bid to gain power, control and responsibility he realized it can only be gotten by giving it up. He also encouraged us to sell or stories and not to take no for an answer (within the right scenarios of course), stressing that there is always an honest way to achieve your goal. He pointed out that it is difficult to get others enthused about a plan of action when you don't believe in it yourself and stressed the importance of chance meetings and serendipity which was a common theme from all the speakers. National Programme Manager for Library and Knowledge Services at the HEE, Louise Goswami, emphasized the need to be confident in applying skills and lessons learnt in different sectors as well as pursuing opportunities when they arise. Director of Health Libraries North, David Stewart, raised the need to create opportunities, seize opportunities and know one's limitations.
We were then split into our group projects and I am working with my team of the training needs on NHS Library staff. We were able to plan some of the activities needed and identify preferred methods of communication for the project. To conclude the day, Jo told about what the next steps of the programme would be and what the tasks we are expected to do before then one of which is completing the leadership element of the CILIP PKSB. The PKSB was introduced after I obtained Chartership status and to be perfectly honest, I have shied away from it. This programme has forced me to face the gaps in my skill set and consider them by order of priority. I also consider it a useful tool as I complete my Revalidation for this year.
It was a packed workshop and many thanks to Jo for facilitating it. I look forward to communicating with participants especially as my group moves forward with our project. It will be interesting to learn from the experiences and perspectives of others and I look forward to doing just that.
I was glad to see participants from different aspects of healthcare (not just the NHS), different parts of the country and different job roles (not solely managers). Jo Alcock did a good job of mixing everyone up so that we were forced to engage with one another not just people we already knew. We were joined by the Director of National Programmes for the HEE, Patrick Mitchell, and he noted how the launch itself is a testament to how far the Knowledge for Healthcare framework has come. Jo gave an overview of the programme and stressed how candidates are likely to gain as much from it as they are willing to give of themselves. Everyone had the opportunity to introduce themselves and share a bit about their current roles and what they aspired to gain from the programme. We also shared individual hopes and fears with common themes including the desire to build confidence, establish new relationships, learn about leadership skills, tips and tools whilst the most common fear was time constraint.
The next activity involved participants highlighting what they consider as the traits of a good/effective leader and high on the list was being passionate, impartial and inspiring. This led on to participants matching themselves to one of eight leadership quotes provided and then matching the quotes to those who had said it. The exercise made me realize that knowing who said each quote changed what some of the quotes meant to me. Jo also highlighted some of the things we should have noticed during the exercise and what they could mean such as who led the task, was quick to make suggestions or held back. We were introduced to leadership styles/approaches which was quite a bit to process. Some of them I was familiar with, others not so much. Senior Advisor, Knowledge for Healthcare, Sue Lacey Bryant pointed out that the transformational approach forms the basis for the Knowledge for Healthcare Framework due to the need to make a significant change.
We broke for lunch and some networking after which we had a learning from leaders session which involved hearing the leadership stories of others. Patrick Mitchell shared how in a bid to gain power, control and responsibility he realized it can only be gotten by giving it up. He also encouraged us to sell or stories and not to take no for an answer (within the right scenarios of course), stressing that there is always an honest way to achieve your goal. He pointed out that it is difficult to get others enthused about a plan of action when you don't believe in it yourself and stressed the importance of chance meetings and serendipity which was a common theme from all the speakers. National Programme Manager for Library and Knowledge Services at the HEE, Louise Goswami, emphasized the need to be confident in applying skills and lessons learnt in different sectors as well as pursuing opportunities when they arise. Director of Health Libraries North, David Stewart, raised the need to create opportunities, seize opportunities and know one's limitations.
We were then split into our group projects and I am working with my team of the training needs on NHS Library staff. We were able to plan some of the activities needed and identify preferred methods of communication for the project. To conclude the day, Jo told about what the next steps of the programme would be and what the tasks we are expected to do before then one of which is completing the leadership element of the CILIP PKSB. The PKSB was introduced after I obtained Chartership status and to be perfectly honest, I have shied away from it. This programme has forced me to face the gaps in my skill set and consider them by order of priority. I also consider it a useful tool as I complete my Revalidation for this year.
It was a packed workshop and many thanks to Jo for facilitating it. I look forward to communicating with participants especially as my group moves forward with our project. It will be interesting to learn from the experiences and perspectives of others and I look forward to doing just that.
Tuesday, 26 January 2016
Support for Public Libraries
When I was growing up, I had no access to libraries. I remember hearing about a new library being established when I was about to sit for my O Levels and I rushed there all excited. It was little more than a study space (bear in mind this was almost 20 years ago). The room had tables and chairs, was right next to a really busy market and guess what, it did not faze me because I was just so happy to have somewhere I could go. Please don't let us take for granted the wonderful facilities we have. Let us show our support to ensure it keeps on going.
Well I've been busy at work with training and literature searching. I must say that our use of Knowledgeshare has really improved my searching skills and shortened the time I spend. It's been interesting to discover new techniques from browsing the searches of others and also finding searches similar to those that have been requested of me. I still consider myself in the honeymoon phase but it gets a thumbs up from me.
It's official. I have a fear of public speaking. Or is it a fear of speaking to a room full of librarians. I presented at the last CILIP ILIG Event and although I got good feedback, the experience was a bit scary. My solution is to press on. I remember feeling the same way when I started doing training sessions and it doesn't bother me anymore. I met Shane Godbolt at the event which was quite opportuned as only the day before I had been nosing around the Partnerships in Health Information website trying to figure out how I could get involved. We had a nice chat and I hope we'll be doing more together in future.
Before the Christmas break, I applied for the "Knowledge for Healthcare Leadership Development Programme" and I just had news that I was successful. I'm really looking forward to the launch which is to take place in London (fortunately for me) in March. The programme is for a year so a lot of my blogging over the next 13 months may focus on this (do bear with me). It will be nice to meet with other participants, my project sponsor and my project team members. I would be happy to hear from anyone who might be on this or similar programmes.
Friday, 20 November 2015
London & the South East NHS/HE Libraries Conference 2015
I was lucky enough to attend the London & the South East NHS/HE Libraries Conference 2015 which took place on the 19th of November at Stewart House in London. It was a very good day for networking, putting faces to names and reconnecting with colleagues. I was able to tweet and get an impression of others thoughts thanks to the free WIFI offered. After a gracious welcome from the London Strategic Lead for Library Services & eLearning HENCEL, Richard Osborn, Health Education England's National Programme Manager for Library and Knowledge Services, Louise Goswami gave us an update on the Knowledge for Healthcare Framework. She referred to the use of the NHS Library Services website in the absence of a Knowledge Hub as a place to put updates for the programme and the KfH blog for regular alerts. She also referred to the use of social media for updates e.g. #HEELKS @K4H_PPI on twitter and publications being produced in professional press.
Next up was Ben Skinner, Head of Knowledge and Library Services at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust. It was interesting to hear the progress being made on KnowledgeShare as the Knowledge and Library Services at Barts Health NHS Trust started using it in August. He gave a general overview of the web based resource and a live demonstration. What was in the works, how far they had come, the obstacles faced and the struggles ahead. I am particularly interested in seeing whether giving users direct access to it will create difficulties for LKS staff. Like everything else, they will need to be trained but how much of it is retained. The idea does have merit though as it would allow users to book sessions, download certificates and give feedback without having to contact the Library. From a Librarian's perspective, I have found it useful to view search strategies of colleagues who have done searches on topics similar to that which I am attempting. It really does save me the time of racking my brains. I can also see others across the region whose roles are similar to mine one of whom I met at the conference.
Next was a speed dating session with the exhibitors which included Wiley, Dynamed, ClinicalKey, ProQuest, Sage and more. In true Librarian fashion, I was happy to fleece pens and bags. My weakness. This was followed by lunch and my rumbling tummy was aghast to find we had no cutlery but in true superhero style, Fatima Almeda swooped in and saved the day and my rumbling tummy. I also took this opportunity to peruse the posters on display.
Imrana Ghumra, Professional Advisor, Library & Knowledge Services, Health Education East of England shared about the Knowledge for Healthcare advocacy toolkit for NHS LKS staff. The toolkit is meant to be a reference tool for NHS LKS staff which will enable them have an awareness of the bigger picture. Case studies which can be anonymized on request will be added as a way of sharing best practice. It will constitute a range of resources comprised of how people have done things and what they have learnt. The toolkit will be launched in December and is currently in wiki format but is that fit for purpose? She raised the need to engage with stakeholders and have an elevator pitch at your fingertips which shows how you are impacting patient care. It is important to know how to advocate the LKS to people who don't live in a library bubble as well as develop a one page strategy which is easy to peruse.
Louise returned to talk about the Knowledge for Healthcare Leadership Development Programme which is to be delivered in partnership with CILIP in March 2016. Where the CILIP Leadership Programme had 20 places and participants needed to pay a £250 fee, this pilot will have 24 places, focus on healthcare, has been sponsored by Health Education England and is thus free to participants. Yes, you heard me. I did say FREE. So get in there because it is bound to be competitive. The programme is seeking aspiring LEADERS so be sure you know what you're signing up for to avoid disappointment. Getting the approval of Line Managers should not be a problem since the only cost to employers is giving the participants time to attend the seven MANDATORY meetings spread over the one year course. I look forward to seeing how this progresses.
This brought us to the end of the conference. All posters received a prize but the winning poster was for the Pop Up Library Service at Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust presented by Lynsey Hawker.
In other news, I was notified last week that my revalidation has been accepted. Hurray!!! It wasn't as nerve-racking as I had originally thought (says the lady who checked her emails for news every two minutes after submitting). It really is about logging what you've been doing within the profession whether in your workplace or in the wider professional network. A nice variety is always a good way to go i.e. attending or presenting at workshops and conferences, visiting other libraries, contributions in your workplace, training given and received, professional reading, participation in groups on social media, mailing lists and such. I also found joining the Revalidation Group on the CILIP VLE very useful as I was able to view real examples of what others are adding to their portfolios.
@GoswamiLouise speaking at #NHSHE2015 about @K4H_PPI Knowledge for Healthcare pic.twitter.com/HRAYBXobtF
— CNWL Libraries (@CNWLlibraries) November 19, 2015
She talked about the need to make noise about the value of the Knowledge and Library Service in order to effect change and the vital need for partnerships such as Public Health England, Pulic Libraries, Sconul and CILIP. Issues relating to the different task and finish groups were also touched upon e.g. Metrics, current awareness, streamlining, authentication, open access, repositories, collaborative procurement, resource discovery and more. A name to describe the Knowledge Hub when it is established was raised.Next up was Ben Skinner, Head of Knowledge and Library Services at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust. It was interesting to hear the progress being made on KnowledgeShare as the Knowledge and Library Services at Barts Health NHS Trust started using it in August. He gave a general overview of the web based resource and a live demonstration. What was in the works, how far they had come, the obstacles faced and the struggles ahead. I am particularly interested in seeing whether giving users direct access to it will create difficulties for LKS staff. Like everything else, they will need to be trained but how much of it is retained. The idea does have merit though as it would allow users to book sessions, download certificates and give feedback without having to contact the Library. From a Librarian's perspective, I have found it useful to view search strategies of colleagues who have done searches on topics similar to that which I am attempting. It really does save me the time of racking my brains. I can also see others across the region whose roles are similar to mine one of whom I met at the conference.
Next was a speed dating session with the exhibitors which included Wiley, Dynamed, ClinicalKey, ProQuest, Sage and more. In true Librarian fashion, I was happy to fleece pens and bags. My weakness. This was followed by lunch and my rumbling tummy was aghast to find we had no cutlery but in true superhero style, Fatima Almeda swooped in and saved the day and my rumbling tummy. I also took this opportunity to peruse the posters on display.
Mmmmmh lunch. #nhshe2015 pic.twitter.com/qFcrY3ArVd
— Lisa Burscheidt (@lisaburscheidt) November 19, 2015
After lunch was the innovation session with nine entries. There was a varied mix of content and styles. Presentation, Video, Audience engagement. I liked the Good thinking Batman innovation by Rachel Cooke. I believe it is important to show people the work they do has value and is appreciated. I also had the opportunity to share some of the innovative practices I came across whilst on my study tour of medical libraries in the United States. The winning innovation was presented by Holly Case . She talked about the #ukmedlibs twitter chat which takes place at 8pm on the third Tuesday of every month. As someone who has participated in few of these discussions, I can say that an hour does go by quickly and the sessions are very interesting. It was a well deserved reward.Imrana Ghumra, Professional Advisor, Library & Knowledge Services, Health Education East of England shared about the Knowledge for Healthcare advocacy toolkit for NHS LKS staff. The toolkit is meant to be a reference tool for NHS LKS staff which will enable them have an awareness of the bigger picture. Case studies which can be anonymized on request will be added as a way of sharing best practice. It will constitute a range of resources comprised of how people have done things and what they have learnt. The toolkit will be launched in December and is currently in wiki format but is that fit for purpose? She raised the need to engage with stakeholders and have an elevator pitch at your fingertips which shows how you are impacting patient care. It is important to know how to advocate the LKS to people who don't live in a library bubble as well as develop a one page strategy which is easy to peruse.
Louise returned to talk about the Knowledge for Healthcare Leadership Development Programme which is to be delivered in partnership with CILIP in March 2016. Where the CILIP Leadership Programme had 20 places and participants needed to pay a £250 fee, this pilot will have 24 places, focus on healthcare, has been sponsored by Health Education England and is thus free to participants. Yes, you heard me. I did say FREE. So get in there because it is bound to be competitive. The programme is seeking aspiring LEADERS so be sure you know what you're signing up for to avoid disappointment. Getting the approval of Line Managers should not be a problem since the only cost to employers is giving the participants time to attend the seven MANDATORY meetings spread over the one year course. I look forward to seeing how this progresses.
This brought us to the end of the conference. All posters received a prize but the winning poster was for the Pop Up Library Service at Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust presented by Lynsey Hawker.
@abombolo of course and many thanks for the mention! pic.twitter.com/A0uSc6doJi
— BEH Library (@behlibrary) November 23, 2015
Presentations for the conference can be found on LondonLinks.In other news, I was notified last week that my revalidation has been accepted. Hurray!!! It wasn't as nerve-racking as I had originally thought (says the lady who checked her emails for news every two minutes after submitting). It really is about logging what you've been doing within the profession whether in your workplace or in the wider professional network. A nice variety is always a good way to go i.e. attending or presenting at workshops and conferences, visiting other libraries, contributions in your workplace, training given and received, professional reading, participation in groups on social media, mailing lists and such. I also found joining the Revalidation Group on the CILIP VLE very useful as I was able to view real examples of what others are adding to their portfolios.
Friday, 16 October 2015
Catching up
The study tour went really well and I am proud to say I have established relationships with librarian colleagues in the States. However the trip really wiped me out. I have spent the last couple of weeks drafting my report which I have now submitted. I have also submitted an article to Focus on Library and Information Work as well as another piece to 23 Librarians England. I am really looking forward to seeing them published. In the spirit of professional development, I have submitted my revalidation portfolio. No point postponing the inevitable.
Life at work has brought about some change. I am doing a lot more presentating at inductions, training, clinical support and the literature search requests seem to have a steady flow. I am thoroughly enjoying interacting with users in the clinical setting. The phrase "library lady" is now considered a term of endearment (by me anyway).
I've also been invited to speak at the next CILIP International Library and Information Group Informal Event themed around Travelling Librarians. It's a free early evening event so save the date, 13th January 2016.
Life at work has brought about some change. I am doing a lot more presentating at inductions, training, clinical support and the literature search requests seem to have a steady flow. I am thoroughly enjoying interacting with users in the clinical setting. The phrase "library lady" is now considered a term of endearment (by me anyway).
I've also been invited to speak at the next CILIP International Library and Information Group Informal Event themed around Travelling Librarians. It's a free early evening event so save the date, 13th January 2016.
Thursday, 6 August 2015
Off I go on a study tour
So I've been lucky enough to be sponsored by The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) and The English-Speaking Union (ESU) to conduct a study tour on the Knowledge for Healthcare framework for NHS Library and Knowledge Services in England published by Health Education England. I will be gathering intelligence from health libraries in the Greater Midwest Region of the USA on how service provision is cascaded from national to
regional and local levels. I leave next week and my visits, flights and accommodation have been sorted. I will be blogging about my adventures so do follow me. I am so grateful for this opportunity.
In the meantime, I have been busy conducting training and literature searches. I have also been visiting wards to offer support in a clinical setting. I spent the last few days familiarizing myself with our new current awareness system KnowledgeShare. It will allow us to provide users with personalised bulletins on the latest evidence and will be a base for all literature searches. It is web-based which is a relief as it makes working from home easier and it is NHS OpenAthens password protected.
I'll be focusing on my study tour and revalidation so it may be a bit quiet for a while.
In the meantime, I have been busy conducting training and literature searches. I have also been visiting wards to offer support in a clinical setting. I spent the last few days familiarizing myself with our new current awareness system KnowledgeShare. It will allow us to provide users with personalised bulletins on the latest evidence and will be a base for all literature searches. It is web-based which is a relief as it makes working from home easier and it is NHS OpenAthens password protected.
I'll be focusing on my study tour and revalidation so it may be a bit quiet for a while.
Monday, 29 June 2015
Local strategic plans
I have had the Knowledge for Healthcare framework on the brain since the first time I read it in March. I just can't seem to shake it off and I'm unsure if it is the root of my current headache, strategic plans within local NHS Libraries to meet the vision of the framework. It is with great relief that I attended the London Health Libraries Strategy Workshop facilitated by Sue Lacey Bryant and Richard Osborn who kindly shed some clarity to the information stored in my scrambled brain. One of the most useful things I gained was the need to align organizational aims and objectives as well as CQC recommendations with the strategic plans of the library based on the primary drivers of the framework.
Some more highlights included:
Since my last post, I have been able to attend a Grand Round. It was great to see staff from different clinical departments discussing patient care. I was able to introduce myself to some people and assist with Athens registrations. I have been literature searching, training and representing the service at inductions. I went around the wards to introduce myself and promote the service. It turned out to be a useful exercise which I intend to continue. I am slowly plodding along with my revalidation which I hope to submit before the year runs out.
Some more highlights included:
- Rewording the themes of the framework to reflect local principles.
- Collaborating actively on national programmes that may be implemented locally.
- Using the language of the organization's strategy (the purse strings) to talk futuristically.
- Finding ways to contribute to the restructure and financial stability of the organization.
- Finding ways to inform on decision-making in healthcare.
Since my last post, I have been able to attend a Grand Round. It was great to see staff from different clinical departments discussing patient care. I was able to introduce myself to some people and assist with Athens registrations. I have been literature searching, training and representing the service at inductions. I went around the wards to introduce myself and promote the service. It turned out to be a useful exercise which I intend to continue. I am slowly plodding along with my revalidation which I hope to submit before the year runs out.
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