Peripatetic Library Assistant (pay award pending)

Help shape the future of Bracknell Forest libraries as we continue to develop them into vibrant community hubs that provide greater opportunities and support for local residents.

About You… We are seeking an enthusiastic and customer-focused individual who can quickly build positive relationships, demonstrate patience and understanding and make a valuable contribution to our team. You will be confident, motivated and resilient, with a genuine passion for delivering excellent customer service. You will have strong ICT skills and the ability to support the council’s digital transformation ambitions, helping customers access services and information in an increasingly digital environment. Flexibility is essential, as you will be required to work across any of the Bracknell Forest libraries. Lone working is a regular requirement of the post and may occur frequently, in line with operational needs. You will work an average of 37 hours per week across all libraries in the borough, working two Saturdays out of three, with Thursdays as the corresponding day off during the weeks when Saturdays are worked. As the purpose of the role is to provide cover when and wherever required, the hours and locations of work will vary each week and the hours are not fixed. You must therefore be able to work flexibly and travel between branches.

As a rough guide, the hours of work will be approximately as follows:

• Week 1 - Mon: 7 hours; Tue: 9 hours; Wed: 8 hours; Thur: 0 hours; Fri: 7 hours; Sat: 6 hours; Sun: 0 hours.
• Week 2 - Mon: 7 hours; Tue: 9 hours; Wed: 8 hours; Thur: 6 hours; Fri: 7 hours; Sat: 0 hours; Sun: 0 hours.
• Week 3 - Mon: 7 hours; Tue: 9 hours; Wed: 8 hours; Thur: 0 hours; Fri: 7 hours; Sat: 6 hours; Sun: 0 hours.

About The Team… This is an exciting opportunity to join Bracknell Forest libraries at a time of growth and development as we continue to transform our libraries into welcoming community hubs that support and connect local residents. You will become part of a dedicated team delivering our core library services alongside a diverse and engaging programme of events and activities, ensuring an excellent experience for all customers.

Key responsibilities…

• Provide a high quality service to the public through answering information enquiries in person, by telephone and via email.
• Assist customers to issue, return and renew items of stock using the self-service kiosks.
• Assist in the organisation and promotion of events and activities and to lead these, as required, for a cross section of age groups.
• Create and update monthly stock displays, while maintaining collections by identifying and removing low-demand stock using monthly reports.
• Support volunteers allocated to branches, assisting with their training and helping them to feel part of the team.

Our benefits…

• 25 days annual leave increasing to 28 days after 3 years’ continuous service, with the opportunity to buy up to 10 and sell up to 5 days.
• Hybrid working opportunities to support your wellbeing and work-life balance.
• Paid employee volunteering scheme.
• Local government pension scheme, with life insurance cover.
• Recognition of continuous service attained within the NHS and UKHSA when calculating some benefits. (Terms and Conditions apply)
• Career development through internal and external training opportunities.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and fostering leave.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support your health and wellbeing.
• Inclusive and social working environment with a variety of staff networks and a sports and social club.

Our values… At Bracknell Forest Council our values define who we are and what is important to us. Our core values are inclusive, ambitious, and always learning. These values influence the way we work with each other and the way we serve our residents and engage with our communities. We make our values real by demonstrating them in how we behave every day. If you are excited about joining a diverse team that celebrates learning and strives for excellence, we would love to hear from you.

Reasonable adjustments... We are committed to ensuring an inclusive recruitment process for all applicants. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application or interview, please let us know by contacting recruitment@bracknell-forest.gov.uk. We will work with you to support you throughout the process.

Disability confident and inclusive recruitment... Bracknell Forest Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader and an inclusive employer. This means that if you tell us on your application form that you have a disability, are an armed forces veteran or are a care leaver, you will be guaranteed an interview if you meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification.

Interview date Interviews will be held on Thursday 3rd September. Interview format Interviews will be conducted in person, providing candidates with the chance to personally meet the team and experience our work environment. We will be reviewing applications regularly and reserve the right to close the advert early if suitable candidates are identified. To avoid disappointment, you are advised to submit your application as soon as possible.

Contact For an informal discussion or to ask any questions about this role, please contact: Sharon Sandford - Library Services Operations Manager – Tel: 07825208163 or Caroline Rashbrook - Library Services Operations Manager – Tel: 07468709398.

Bracknell Forest Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect everyone employed with us to share this commitment. All successful candidates for this role will be subject to a DBS (Disclosure).