Developing the Health and Wellbeing Offer with Public Libraries in Wales

CILIPInformation Services Group

21 October 2015

Developing the Health and Wellbeing Offer

This presentation will look at:

• Why this offer is being developed.• The context in which it is being done.• What we have done so far.• How we are measuring the impact of this work.• Future plans.

The rationale

• The contribution public libraries make to health and wellbeing was not being recognised by partners in the health and third sector.

• Libraries were not seen as a partner of choice – a Public Health Wales immunisation campaign in 2012 aimed at children did not automatically consider distribution of posters to public libraries as a setting.

• Time for a change!

Wales

•Population of 3 million•Health is a devolved function •There are 7 Health Boards and 3 NHS Trusts

NHS Wales values

• ‘Good healthcare available to all regardless of wealth’• Patients and citizens are at the centre of care• Citizens and health professionals share power in

equal partnerships as part of ‘co-production’• Prudent Healthcare relies on citizens having access to

information to become prudent patients.

Public Health Wales

• The all-Wales Trust for Public Health• Our strategic plan 2015-2016 is to ‘Create a healthier,

happier and fairer Wales for everyone.’• The plan will be achieved by working with partners

and communities and providing information and advice.

Health Promotion Library

• Set up in 1989 and still going strong!• Since then we have been part of a special health

authority, in the Chief Medical Officer’s Department in Welsh Government.

• In 2011 we became part of the Health Improvement Division in Public Health Wales.

Gateway to wellbeing information

The Health Promotion Library working in partnership with local libraries, the NHS and the voluntary sector makes health and wellbeing information accessible to all.

What we do

• The Health Promotion Library provides information on all aspects of health and wellbeing.

• Customers contact us to track down specific information, to order health leaflets, borrow resources, check the health events calendar, sign up to e-books or the e-bulletin, invite us to attend conferences and events with an information stand.

• All services and information are free to anyone in Wales.

Some of the range of books in the Health Promotion Library

Our challenge. Population of Wales = 3 millionHealth Promotion Library staff = 3. HELP!

The solution

• Work with the Society of Chief Librarians Wales to develop the health and wellbeing offer.

• Market the work that public libraries do so that health and third sector organisations see public libraries as a partner of choice.

• Develop ways to measure the impact of this work.

What have we done?

The First Incomplete Field Guide to Wellbeing in Libraries

• A unique guide with case studies show casing the health and wellbeing work of public libraries.

• At the launch the ‘invaluable work of public libraries in supporting the health and wellbeing of communities across Wales’ was recognised by the Chairman of Public Health Wales and the Assembly Minister with responsibility for libraries.

The First Incomplete Guide to Wellbeing in Libraries

Launched by Professor Sir Mansel Aylward CB Chair Public Health Wales and Huw Lewis Welsh Government Minister for Housing, Regeneration and Heritage January 2013. ‘Libraries a great way to access reliable, trustworthy information, and empower people to make informed decisions about their lifestyles, wellbeing and health.’

A strategic approach needed

• To build on the extensive evidence provided in the First Incomplete guide a more strategic approach was agreed by the Society of Chief Librarians Wales.

• A Joint Information Strategy Group was set up with the Health Promotion Library in 2013.

Terms of Reference

• The overarching aim ‘to deliver health and wellbeing benefits to the people of Wales through the public library network and associated partners.’

• To develop a viable health and wellbeing offer. • To develop the relationship between SCL(W) and

Public Health Wales.• To recognise and share examples of good practice

and other lessons learnt – positives and negatives.

Terms of Reference • To apply for funding applications on an All Wales

basis.• To evaluate outcomes and activities.• To identify target groups in relation to marketing and

advocacy.• To seek credibility from other influential partners and

stakeholders. • To investigate training and development

opportunities for library staff in this area.

Get Reading, Get Better, Get Libraries

• Welsh Government all-Wales library marketing festival. Health and wellbeing themes for 2012 and 2013.

• Displays and activities to promote this work. • Health partners involved at events in libraries.• Health Promotion Library developed ‘HealthInfo4Life’ signposting

booklets to promote the information work of libraries.

Making it easy for the public and professionals to find local and national health and wellbeing information. This new brand won a Welsh Government Marketing Innovation Award in 2014.

Add to Your Life free health and wellbeing assessment for the over 50’s launches in Cwmbran Library 2014. Public libraries have a key delivery role working with Communities First and Age Cymru partners.

‘Winnie the Witch’ at story time.

Libraries working in partnership with RNIB Cymru on National Eye Health Week held annually in September.

Raising awareness at health events and conferences

Repeat business at Mental Health Today, Alzheimer’s Society and other annual events.

Pictures to Share book display a great success at the annual Alzheimer’s Society Wales Annual Conference. Health professionals amazed at range of dementia books on offer. A REMPOD will be set up at the conference venue in 2016.

Sarah Davies Senior Library Assistant wins national marketing award for developing health and wellbeing training course for front-line public library staff in 2015

What have we achieved?

The situation in 2012

• Public Libraries work on health and wellbeing not widely known about or given recognition.

• Lack of a strategic approach to this work. • Libraries not seen as a partner of choice by health or

third sector organisations. • Little evidence to demonstrate effectiveness.

The situation since 2012

• Case studies and evidence captured in reports from Society of Chief Librarians Wales.

• High profile launch of First Incomplete Guide in 2013• Libraries seen as partner of choice for key

Government initiatives for health and wellbeing.• Libraries lead on the annual collection of data for the

Book Prescription Wales Service, and present recommendations for its future development.

The situation since 2012

• Library Services Partner with Macmillan to offer cancer information services.

• Training offered to library staff to make libraries dementia friendly, and staff more knowledgeable about mental health, eye health and how to signpost people to quality health and wellbeing information and respond to health enquiries.

Better with Books (Wales) for children and young people to help them deal with emotional issues.

Librarians are key members of the group which developed this scheme.

Future plans

• Further raise awareness of the health and wellbeing offer.

• Successfully deliver Better with Books (Wales) and explore how this could be further developed.

• Make training tools available online.• Explore ways of capturing people’s stories to

effectively demonstrate impact.

Future plans

• Use new service delivery models to further develop the health and wellbeing offer working with communities.

• Successfully bid for additional funding from appropriate agencies to support the health and wellbeing offer.

Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Cardiff

Venue for the European Association for Health and Information Libraries (EAHIL) conference 9-13 July 2018 ‘Inspiring, Involving, Informing: Improving the health and wellbeing of the citizens of Europe.’