Helicon based evaluation of an outreach library service
HeLicon-based Evaluation of an Outreach Library Service for Primary Care and Mental Health NHS Staff
Isla Kuhn
Abstract
In May 2004, the University of Leicester’s Outreach Library Service for Primary Care and Mental Healthcare NHS staff in Leicestershire and Rutland underwent evaluation based on the HeLicon accreditation criteria. The evaluation was prompted by a desire to support a bid for funding from the Stakeholder Trusts. While based on the HeLicon system of accreditation, the process was unusual as it focused on a service rather than a library, and was carried out after only 1 months preparation. This paper provides an overview of the service, the preparation and the evaluation day itself.
Introduction
In May 2004, the Outreach Library Service for Primary Care and Mental Healthcare NHS Staff across Leicestershire and Rutland underwent evaluation according to the HeLicon accreditation criteria. The Outreach Service operates as part of the University of Leicester’s Clinical Sciences Library, which makes this application of the HeLicon criteria unusual since it was applied to the Service, as opposed to the Library. The evaluation was carried out to support a bid for future funding from the stakeholder trusts, and was initiated by the Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland Workforce Development Confederation.
Overview of the Outreach Service
The Outreach Library Service has been providing support to the employees of 6 Primary Care Trust, and 1 Mental Healthcare Trust in Leicestershire and Rutland since July 2001. It is an extension of the service provided from the University of Leicester’s Clinical Sciences Library which aims to make accessing information as easy as possible for the c.10,000 staff who work in Primary Care and Mental Healthcare.
The main services provided by the Outreach Library Service are:
• Enquiry Answering and Literature Searching;
• Postal document supply of books and journal articles;
• Information Skills Training
• Using the internet to find high quality health information (generally using NeLH as a base)
• Literature searching using DIALOG
• Critical Appraisal Skills
All training is provided at a time and place to suit the user, on a one-to-one basis or in small groups depending on facilities.
• Current Awareness
• tailored for the individual or team
• Info Injection – a monthly current awareness bulletin delivered to all registered members focusing on a different topic each edition.
The Service was funded in the first instance by the Information for Health Local Implementation Strategy Working Group, and by the Trent Regional Library Unit. The Service was started as a short-term project for 2 years, and is delivered by an Outreach Service Librarian, a Senior Information Assistant, and a part-time Library Assistant. The service takes full advantage of the systems already in place in the Clinical Sciences Library (eg for document supply), and has developed its own strategies to provide new services (eg postal book loans).
Statistics regarding service usage have been collected since its inception, and membership and use of the various services have increased significantly and the number of registrations currently stands at c.1700 (as of June 2004).
Funding and Proposal of Evaluation
Having fulfilled the aims and objectives in the initial 2 year period it was felt appropriate that further funding be sought from the Stakeholder Trusts. The Service is currently funded until March 2005, and the Chief Executive of LNR WDC proposed that the service be evaluated to better inform the Stakeholder Trusts, and so support the bid.
A 3 person Evaluation Team was recruited by the LNR WDC, and it was decided that the structure of the evaluation itself would follow the HeLicon accreditation format (Health Libraries & Information Confederation - details available at www.nelh.nhs.uk/librarian/accreditation.asp). After an initial meeting it was established that not all the criterion for HeLicon were applicable to a service as opposed to a physical library.
For example, while anyone registered with the Outreach Library Service is automatically a full member of the Clinical Sciences Library, and so is able to visit the library, the nature of the service is that users rarely come to the library, so Section 2.4 Accommodation & Equipment was considered less relevant.
It was also established that despite using HeLicon as a format for evaluation, it would not equate to formal HeLicon accreditation, although the evaluators did provide an informal rating.
Timescale
The evaluation was proposed in March 2004, and a date for the evaluation itself was set for May 11th 2004. However, owing to staff annual leave, the pre-evaluation meeting could not take place till early April.
This left 3 weeks for collation of the folder of evidence required by the HeLicon evaluation format, and one week for the evaluators to read it before the evaluation day itself. (NB. The usual timescale for HeLicon accreditation is at least 6 months preparation time.)
Preparation
Having established the aspects of the HeLicon workbook which would be most likely to apply to the service, several meetings of the Outreach Team were held regarding what material should be included to support each section.
The Outreach Service is in the lucky position of being thoroughly embedded in the Clinical Sciences Library, part of the University of Leicester Library. Therefore collating documents around Library Strategy, Health and Safety, Recruitment Strategy etc were very straightforward – there was never a question of us having to develop our own documents for these areas.
The format of HeLicon evaluation is such that service users and stakeholders are encouraged to attend an informal lunch at which the evaluators would canvass opinions about the service. We were more than a little apprehensive about this given that the nature of the service is that no user should have to come to the library, and the wide geographic area which we serve –would anyone come?
Having decided that any participation was good participation, we invited 3 forms of contributions:
• attendance at the lunch
• telephone interview with the evaluators
• written statement outlining experience and opinion of the service.
Existing champions of the service were targeted specifically, and we took advantage of a timely production of the monthly current awareness bulletin which is distributed to all registered members to invite broader participation.
The response was remarkable – both in its swiftness, and enthusiasm. We timetabled 6 telephone interviews (given time restrictions on the day, we had to turn some people down!), confirmed 14 to attend the lunch, and we limited ourselves to include 10 statements of support in the final folder of evidence (a folder of the remaining approx. 30 statements were kept in a folder as backup).
Other preparation included
• Ensuring everyone who attending had maps, directions etc
• Preparing 3 copies of the folders and sending it out to the evaluators
• Keeping library staff informed of events for the day, and potential disruption
• Timetabling the day, booking rooms and lunch
All this preparation was done while delivering service as normal to users.
Evaluation Day
The Evaluation Day ran remarkably smoothly according to the Timetable outlined in Figure 2.
The main learning points of the experience were:
• The Phone Interviews were very successful – they allowed stakeholders to contribute more that a written statement of support, and accommodated the limiting factors of time and geography. Owing to a lack of conference phone facilities, the Evaluators carried out the interviews in relay. This had the added advantage of allowing the 2 remaining evaluators a break;
• Always over order lunch – several of the stakeholders who came to the lunch brought colleagues with them, which was an unexpected bonus, but brought on an attack of “catering anxiety”;
• Providing name badges for those attending the lunch (including for the Outreach Team and Evaluators) was very helpful. The nature of the service means that some of our most regular users never meet the Outreach Team face to face, so introductions between Users and Evaluators were made much easier.
The final report was tremendously positive - both in terms of the reaction to the current service, and recommendations for its development, and an informal rating of 2 stars was given. The evaluators were particularly impressed at the enthusiasm of everyone who uses the service. Go to the Outreach Service Website to read the report in full:
http://www.le.ac.uk/li/clinical/outreach/evaluation.htm,
The day of the evaluation was, predictably, one of the most stressful of my life, but also one of the most rewarding given the outcome.
Taking things forward
The results of the evaluation have been received enthusiastically by the LNR WDC, who initiated the process, and have been agreed in principle by the Stakeholder Trusts. However, an audit of all library services in the region and associated funding streams is currently underway before any decisions are made regarding future funding of the Outreach Service.
Definitely a case of winning the battle, but the war continuing.
Isla Kuhn
Outreach Librarian for Primary Care and Mental Healthcare NHS Staff
University of Leicester Clinical Sciences Library
Robert Kilpatrick Clinical Sciences Building
Leicester Royal Infirmary
Leicester LE2 7LX
Telephone: 0116 252 3279
Email: ilk1@le.ac.uk