About Us
Do you want to make a difference to people’s lives and help communities to grow?
Do you enjoy working with people of all ages and backgrounds?
Do you want to develop your customer service skills working as part of a dynamic team?
Do you want the opportunity to build a career?
If so, working in a library could be just the role for you!
The Library Service promotes the benefits of reading for pleasure, learning, health, and wellbeing, through events and activities. We provide a welcoming environment for all, encouraging families to join in our regular activities, supporting people accessing digital services, offering regular activities for adults to help combat loneliness and isolation and helping people in need find their way to other local services that can help them.
We offer a smart training package so you can be part of our work from the very first day. And we’re invested in our staff, with opportunities for the right people to progress to supervisory and management roles, or to join one of our specialist librarian teams, organising events and outreach work.
For more information about West Sussex Libraries, watch this short video West Sussex Libraries: Animation - YouTube and why not explore our West Sussex Libraries website.
About The Job
We have two fix term library assistant posts available. Both roles are 35.5 hours per week based at Worthing library, working one in two Saturdays. Please see the attachment for the working patterns.
Anyone interested in finding out more about working in a library, please follow the link to our recruitment video https://youtu.be/pPVDom-1pjY
Salary: £20,812-£21,189 per annum pro rata
Working Pattern: Full Time - 35.5 hours per week, Post A, FTC until 31st March 2023. Post B FTC until 31st July 2023 Also working 7.5 hours 1 in 2 Saturdays
Location: Worthing Library
Interview date: 13 March 2023
We’re looking for friendly, enthusiastic, and resourceful people, with excellent digital skills, to join our team as the key initial contact delivering a customer-facing library service, helping to deliver a high-quality enquiry service, providing information accurately, and signposting to other services.
It’s an active role; carrying books, pushing trolleys, lifting boxes and being on your feet for long periods of time.
You will be a keen team player, able to work alongside partners and volunteers providing excellent customer service to the whole range of visitors to the library.
(For Grade 4 - You will be required to lone-work regularly)
Flexibility is key as one moment you may be helping a customer log-on to the library Wi-Fi and download an eBook, the next leading a Baby Rhyme Time session for parents and babies. The variety of our work means that no two days are the same. We get huge job satisfaction from helping everyone who comes through our doors, and you could too!
Experience and Skills
- Good communication and customer service skills to interact effectively with the general public and experience of providing a service giving basic advice and guidance.
- Experience of team working and the ability to work as part of a team completing shared tasks, including working alongside volunteers and demonstrating an appreciation of their role.
- Good interpersonal skills with the ability to confidently work with children, families, and customers of all ages e.g. leading Baby Rhyme Time and reading to groups of young children during story time sessions
- Ability to quickly respond to changes in ways of working and to promote new library initiatives, e.g. helping customers access digital services.
- Ability to demonstrate initiative and judgement whilst working within library practices and procedures e.g. resolve.
- 4 GCSEs with A-C passes including Maths and English or equivalent qualification/experience.
- Digital expertise and experience, particularly with basic Office applications.
Rewards and Benefits
As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do.
In addition to working within a great team and a competitive salary you will have access to:
- 24 (FTE) days annual leave + bank holidays.
- A generous pension scheme.
- Training and development opportunities, including coaching and mentoring.
- A strong supportive management team.
- A range of discounts giving our staff access to hundreds of offers with the opportunity to save over £1,000 (Including: Argos, Samsung, Asos, B&Q and many more).
- Free access to employee assistance programmes.
- Discounted membership at selected local sports and fitness centres.
- Car benefit scheme.
- A range of commuting and business travel discounts and initiatives
For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.
Further Information
The reference number for this role is CPP00690.
For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role please contact [email protected] or contact [email protected].
To apply, upload your CV and complete the application explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to satisfactory references and health check.
West Sussex County Council is an equal opportunities employer committed to promoting an environment that is inclusive and free from all forms of unlawful or unfair discrimination and values the diversity of its people. We actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and take every possible step to ensure that no individual will be disadvantaged.
For information regarding your eligibility to apply for this role under our Disability or Veteran’s Guaranteed Interview Scheme, this can be found on our application help page.
Note for Recruitment Agencies: We prefer to hire people directly, but we do have a supplier list for when we need a helping hand. We'll be in touch directly if we need you!
Job Reference: CPP00690