Talk to the SLG Day Conference and AGM on Health Literacy for School Libraries

1. Supporting public health literacy
through school libraries
Louise Goswami
@NHS_HealthEdEng @KFH_PPI

3. Demographics

4. Why do the public need health
information?
• There are powerful legal, moral, ethical and financial incentives
for providing quality information to enable people to better
manage their health and wellbeing and make fully informed
decisions about their treatment and care. (PiF Making the Case)
• Patients are being encouraged to self-manage, share decision-
making and be partners in their own care
• Low literacy levels: 42% of working-age adults (aged 16-65) are
unable to understand or make use of everyday health
information
• NHS libraries are uniquely positioned to help throughout the
patient journey

5. Health Education England
HEE’s purpose is to improve the health and wellbeing of
the people of England by developing a workforce with
the right skills and values to always deliver outstanding
healthcare:
– We deliver workforce reform
– We support workforce transformation
– We commission new staff
– We develop existing workforce through reskilling
and upskilling

6. Knowledge for Healthcare
Full framework and a short
briefing are available at:
http://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-
work/research-learning-
innovation/library-knowledge-
services
Knowledge for Healthcare
website
http://kfh.libraryservices.nhs.uk/

7. An ambitious vision
There is often a large gap between evidence-based treatment
guidelines and current practice (Nolte and McKee, 2008).

8. Partnerships are central
Health Education England is
committed to :
• learning from and partnering
with other organisations
across different sectors
• to strengthening working
relationships across the
library community
HEE
CILIP
PHE
HEIs
SCL
NIHR
NICE
The
Reading
Agency
NHS
England

9. What health librarians do:
Working in health libraries is varied,
stimulating and rewarding.
• Run complex literature searches and
horizon scan to support patient care,
research, and improvements in health
services.
• Develop and deliver training to help
health professionals assess and make
the best use of evidence.
• Many roles are embedded with health
and management teams

10. Guidance and ideas bank
• Specifically for all NHS Library and
Knowledge Service staff
• Rationale for NHS libraries getting
involved with the Patient and Public
agenda
• Ideas for Library and Knowledge
Services staff
• Links to further information, case
studies, support and signposts to
patient information
http://kfh.libraryservices.nhs.uk/patient-and-public-information/

11. Information for the public, patients &
carers
Ensuring the public, patients and carers use high quality information to
inform decision making and choice by:
– Agreeing a concordat between relevant health information providers
to foster partnership working
– Advise NHS provider organisations of the relevant information
standards
– Building the skills and confidence of the LKS workforce to support
the healthcare workforce to signpost, evaluate and use health and
wellbeing information
– Developing local networks of health information providers with a
focus on sharing guidance, experience and resources
– Developing guidance and resources to support those healthcare
LKS staff that directly provide services to patients and the public
http://kfh.libraryservices.nhs.uk/patient-and-public-information/

12. Schools and health information
• Need for the next generation to understand their
responsibility for their health and well being
• Children & Young people repeatedly feedback that no-
one educates them about the NHS until they are
unwell, yet when they are given information and
education about health & health care they can & do
make informed decisions about their health needs.
• School librarians ideally placed to contribute to this

13. NHS Choices for teenagers
• NHS Choices (www.nhs.uk) is the
official website of the National
Health Service in England
• NHS Choices provides a health
information service with thousands
of articles, videos and tools, helping
individuals to make the best choices
about their health and lifestyle
• Information on the site is freely
available to everyone
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/TeenGirls/Pages/teengirlshome.aspx
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/teenboys/Pages/teenboyshome.aspx

14. Change4Life
• Change4Life aims to help Key
Stage 1 and 2 pupils understand the
benefits of eating healthily and living
a more active lifestyle
• Many ways for schools to promote
healthy eating and physical activity:
– Change4Life assemblies
– Posters around the school and
in the reception area
– Using library books and reading
materials
https://www.nhs.uk/change4life/Documents/PDF/400558-
020_C4L_Teacher_Booklet_Sept13_A4_DIGITAL_FINAL.pdf

15. Society of Chief Librarians
• 'Public Library Health Offer' articulates the role that libraries can
play in promoting the health & wellbeing of local communities
• Public libraries are clear about their role in signposting the public
to quality resources whilst not providing medical advice or
guidance.
• Public library staff have customer service and enquiry skills to
help the public find information but would value more specialised
health training from NHS Librarians
• NHS librarians would value customer service skills used by
public library staff
• Opportunities for joint working and sharing of expertise and
resources
http://goscl.com/universal-offers/health-offer/

16. Reading Agency
Reading Well for young people is part of the hugely successful
Reading Well Books on Prescription scheme and will provide 13-18
year-olds with high-quality information, support and advice on a
wide-range of mental health issues
https://readingagency.org.uk/young-people/

17. Making Every Contact Count
Making Every Contact Count is
an approach to behaviour
change that utilises the millions
of day to day interactions that
organisations and individuals
have with other people to
support them in making positive
changes to their physical and
mental health and wellbeing.
http://www.makingeverycontactcount.co.uk/training/healthy-lifestyle-information/

18. Patient Information Forum (PIF)
• PiF is the UK network for
professionals working to produce
and deliver health information for
patients and the public
• Guide to producing health
information for children & young
people from PiF
• If you are involved in creating health
information for children and young
people, then this guide is for you
http://www.pifonline.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/PiF-Guide-Producing-Health-
Information-Children-and-Young-People-2014.pdf

19. Healthy Schools Manchester
• Improve children and young people’s
emotional health and wellbeing and to
reduce the incidence of bullying
• Promote and develop healthy
behaviours in order to prevent and
reduce the numbers of overweight and
obese children and young people
• Promote safer choices and reduce the
number of young people misusing
alcohol and drugs
• Improve young people’s sexual health
and reduce the incidence of sexual
transmitted infections and number of
teenage conceptions
http://www.manchesterhealthyschools.nhs.uk/default.aspx

20. Makewaves
• Social learning
environment that provides
social media for education
• Enables schools to create
and safely share videos,
podcasts and blogs
• NHS Digital badges a fun
way to find out about the
NHS and share your ideas
about how it can be
improved
https://www.makewav.es/nhs

21. What can NHS librarians offer?
• Training on health information for both staff and
student
• Advice on quality standards for health information
• Advice on health website appraisal
• Links to other information professionals who provide
health information

22. Health Information Week
3-9 July 2017
Help available centrally
sarah.greening@wm.hee.nhs.uk
Why get involved?
• Improving access to health information for the public
• Improving partnership working
• Improving health literacy
• Getting to know your local fellow information providers
• Sharing resources and knowledge

23. Questions?
Louise Goswami
louise.goswami@nhs.net
Blog: http://kfh.libraryservices.nhs.uk/
@NHS_HealthEdEng @KfH_PPI