On being commissioned
Chris Goddard, Plymouth Libraries
Why libraries?
“Have just had my most rewarding session ever.
Both complete beginners. The lady had just lost
her husband to Alzheimer's and the gentleman had
just lost his dog.
Both very lonely and were scared to death.
Didn't get past the mouse stage but am going back
to do another session in three weeks and they've
promised to practice at Estover over the next
couple of weeks.”
Overview
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Infrastructure
Buildings
Staffing
Services
Transformation
The New Vision
New infrastructure
Buildings infrastructure
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Seventeen libraries
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Eleven rebuilt or refurbished since 1998
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Eight have meeting rooms
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Two in community colleges
Where are they?
 Central – city centre, university, deprivation
 Plympton, Plymstock – urban affluence
 Devonport – deprivation
 West of city (dockyard) – deprivation
On the Map
Staffing infrastructure
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141 staff
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90.3 fulltime equivalent posts
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Central plus three groups
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HQ teams: Resources, Finance and Support, ICT,
Community Resources, Learning and Information,
Services infrastructure
 Learning and Information Team
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cyberLibrary – Health pages
Book Prescription Scheme – national pilot
Informal learning sessions – basic IT
National ‘Enquire’ service – online chat
Europe Direct – €25,000 a year – ‘Year of Active Aging’ 2012
Intellectual property – patents, trademarks, copyright, design
GetSet50 with JobCentrePlus – worklessness
Patient Choice
Plymouth Online Directory
Services infrastructure
 History Team
Local history – public health
 Family history – adoption and genetics
 Naval history – productive use of retirement
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 Music Team
Supporting concerts across the UK
 Sheet music and advice
 Music therapy
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Services infrastructure
 Community Resources Team
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Books on Wheels – WRVS
Residential homes – deposit collections
Social inclusion – refugees, asylumseekers, BME, LGBT
Readers Groups
Friendship Groups
 Resources Team
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Books on health and wellbeing – BPS
Bibliotherapy
Large Print
Audiobooks
Close-captioned DVDs
Services infrastructure
 Children and Young People’s Team
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Long history of work with children
Important partnerships with Youth Service – Headspace
Rhymetime
Bookstart
Children’s Centres
How did we get involved?
 Council structure
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Part of Community Services Directorate
(moved to Corporate Services Directorate)
Adult Social Care, Cultural Services
Carole Burgoyne, Director, very supportive – idea of
“community hubs”
Link with Commissioning Team
Spend the money in-house!
 Libraries Transformation
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Many false starts
Self-service
Budget savings
New libraries, new opportunities
Need for a new vision
The new vision
 The best of the old, plus…
 Neutral, exciting and inclusive spaces for
customers
 “Community hubs” with access to library services
and other council and community services
 Plymstock’s Café Library - popular
income-generating facility draws in new customers
 Access to PCC transactional services and, more
local services to customers through the library
network
The new vision
 Council’s vision for information and advice,
building on existing resources and developing a
universally accessible and strategically-aligned
information network across the City
 Major players in the literacy agenda, supporting
and encouraging greater levels of achievement, and
leading to greater opportunities (and health)
 Provide the IT and staff support for people to seek
and apply for jobs (and improve health)
The new vision
 Promote independent living and the selfmanagement of long-term conditions by the
provision of a wide range of health and social care
information and support
 Access to post-diagnosis support, information and
advice on health issues, building on the support
already offered to carers
New infrastructure
 New vision requires a new infrastructure to
deliver it
 Bid included funding for new resources, meeting
rooms, wifi, staff training, project management,
staff expertise
 Establishing standards for large and small libraries
 Opportunities for library and other council staff
with drive and enthusiasm
 Frontline staff and managers will need a broader
skillset and flexibility
 Six month retraining programme
It’s still early days, but…
Chris Goddard, Acting City Librarian
E: chris.goddard@plymouth.gov.uk
T: (01752) 305900
Plymouth City Council
Commissioning
Strategic Fit
 The development of libraries into community
‘hubs’ is a Council strategic priority
 Health outcomes:
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Improving self-directed support
reducing health inequalities
improvement programme for long-term conditions
Carers and dementia priorities
financials savings
 Libraries able to deliver improved services
 More efficient use of council buildings and staff
 Adult Social Care priorities
Joint Commissioning
 Adult Social Care Commissioning Team commissioning jointly
with health, housing, and community safety
 Future of health commissioning unclear – Sentinel GP CIC may
be Plymouth or wider Devon
 Last year health transferred £1million to Adult Social Care in
Plymouth for the following priorities:
 Information advice and advocacy
 Practical support at home
 Use technology to support people
 Intensive rapid response crisis support and reablement
 The library project fits into the first priority
Adult Social Care priorities
 The Market Position Statement sets out
how we are going to develop care and
support services in Plymouth to build a
vibrant market that promotes
independence, choice and control
Ensure a comprehensive range of universal advice and support
services for people regardless of whether they fund their own
care
 Maximise Social Capital by empowering both people and
communities to deliver care and support in partnership
 Ensure a much greater focus on Early Intervention and
prevention, so that people retain and regain independence
 Users and Carers are able to exercise Choice and Control
with personal budgets preferably as direct payments provided
to all eligible people
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Other services we commission
 A wide range of services including:
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Information and advice
Advocacy
Befriending
Time Banks
‘Sheltered housing’ for older people
Supported living for other groups
Carers Support
Dementia and Stroke Support
Domiciliary (or Home based) care
Domestic Abuse Services
Day opportunities (including day centres)
Deposit Guarantee scheme
Residential Care
Why libraries?
 Neutral and inclusive spaces for individuals,
whatever their personal, health, emotional, social
or learning needs.
 Free internet access bridges the digital divide and
gives access to the new Plymouth Online
Directory
 A wide range of supportive information sources
 The Home Library Service provides access for
those unable to get to the buildings
 Well positioned in the neighbourhoods of
Plymouth
 Self-service has led to more staff time to
proactively engage with customers
Key elements of the proposal
 Social Care and Health information hubs
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Clearly branded and promoted
Improved information resources – featuring relevant public and patient
facing material
Improved meeting spaces in 8 main libraries
Meeting rooms used for advice sessions, Memory Cafes, Carers
support, Friendship groups etc
Home Library Service to offer internet access
Direct referral mechanism into Adult Social Care
Health locality teams and primary care professionals engaged
 Information prescriptions
Health professionals to ‘prescribe’ appropriate information
 Libraries to support access to information, signpost to groups, use of
web based tools, access to services via POD – encouraging individuals
independence
 Use of Home Library Service
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Further key elements
 Health promotion ‘events’ in libraries
Service providers to attend events
 Build on success of Family History Days, Older Peoples Day
and Carers Days
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 Focus on dementia
Use of libraries to deliver memory cafes
 Development of information resources on dementia
 Increase in number of reminiscence groups in care home and
other settings
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 Support for carers
Carer Support service to run groups in libraries
 Carer information points already in 2 libraries
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