Senior Library Assistant

GLL is currently recruiting a Senior Library Assistant to join the team at HMP Lincoln. As a Senior Library Assistant you will be working in a variety of 2 on site busy prisoner libraries, giving access to a wide variety of collections and resources including books, computers and reference

HMP Lincoln is a Category B men's prison, located in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service. A category B prison which allocates convicted prisoners within its catchment area.  The prison houses 650 prisoners.

Prisoners use our libraries for a number of reasons. We have a vast selection of legal books and papers that our prisoners use to help them understand their sentences as well as the standard books that you’d find in a public library. We have a heavy focus on education as many of the prisoners have literacy problems or just want to learn something new such as a second language, but whatever the reason, the books are a welcome diversion from prison life. As Senior Library Assistant, you will have to do the usual tasks associated with the role, such as providing an information service to our users, ordering books and arranging engaging events and activities, but due to the unique location of the library, there is far more to this role than expected. As we place an emphasis on education, we’re inspected and regulated by Ofsted, so there will be a lot of administration involved to help us to review and maintain our standards.

Although challenging, this is a highly-rewarding role where you’ll get to see the prisoners change and grow from the services and support that you’d provide alongside other departments such as Education and Resettlement. This isn’t a role for the timid, as you’ll need to maintain control and gravitas at all times as well as being vigilant. A can-do attitude is a must, as is common sense, as you’ll do everything from assessing the suitability of the books that the prisoners request, to ensuring that all doors are locked behind you whenever you move about the building as well as some heavy lifting.

In this role, you’ll adapt to, and acknowledge, the diversity of our customers and their requirements. You will be visiting prisoners of all ages and backgrounds on their housing units.   The job involves a lot of lone working or working alongside security cleared prisoners to deliver library services.

What you’ll do:

* Work as part of the team to ensure the smooth operation of the libraries

• Provide welcoming and genuine goodbye to all prisoners, providing guidance and support on how to get the optimum results from their visit by truly engaging with prisoners to understand the reason behind their visit

• Devise and Create imaginative events and activities

• Follow all Normal & Emergency Operating Procedures as well as adhering to relevant polices and manuals

• Interact with prisoners through conversations and supporting their needs

• Support prisoners with all queries available at the library

• Fully participate in and engage in the any training provided.

What you need:

• Excellent Customer service skills

• Evidence of making a difference to customers 

• Confident IT skills and knowledge 

• Excellent numeracy, literacy and communication skills

• Evidence of being organised and efficient 

• Administrative skills

• A passion for libraries and community engagement

• The ability to work alone

• Be a great team player 

As a charitable social enterprise owned by its staff GLL has a great range of benefits for its employees:

• This is a part time position of 26 hours a week

•  salary of £22,206 per annum (Based on 36 hours a week Pro rata)

• A values driven organisation

• Learning & development to support career development

• Good pension schemes

• Discounted gym membership for you and your partner

• We will consider both full time and part time positions

• The opportunity to join the GLL Society and have a say on how we ar run plus associated events

• Exclusive discounts on our villas in Portugal

• Exclusive discounts on our Ski chalets in Bulgaria

• Career Pathways, professional development is just the start. To ensure your stay on top of your game we provide training with practical and theory elements too

• Discounts across thousands of retailers (GLL Extras)

• 25% off Red Letter Days

• 25% off Buy a Gift

• 20% off GLL spa experience treatments and associated products

• Ride to work scheme

• Free eye tests and discounted glasses

About GLL:

As the UK’s largest leisure operator and charitable social enterprise, we offer a range of careers for everyone in our local communities. We manage over 400 facilities across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, including public sport and leisure centres, elite sporting venues, libraries and children’s centres.

Our people are from the communities we serve and help us make real changes in their local area.

One of our core values is ‘More than a Job’, because working with us opens up a wide range of possibilities and opportunities for you, starting with how you work with us. To make sure we’re having a positive impact on our people, we also offer some flexible and part-time working options so you can make sure your new job works for you. Subject to vacancies, whether you are after a contractual commitment and a regular work schedule or the freedom of flexible hours, you may be able to choose an arrangement that works best for you and play your part in improving the health and wellbeing of your community.

We offer two different types of work arrangements:

• A permanent employment contract - part time and full time
• A flexible worker engagement by joining our flexible worker pool

If you are looking for a regular number of hours that you can work, and are flexible to meet the needs of a 7 day a week service, then a full-time or part-time permanent contract might be the right choice for you.

So whether your ambitions lie in sport and leisure, events & catering, health & beauty, corporate support or working with children, you’ll be able to find your ideal new job at GLL.

Passionate about seeing our communities thrive, we invest back into our facilities, projects and people and are Investors in People Silver Award employer.

However you choose to work with us, you can be sure that you will be a valued member of our team, working with great colleagues, and making a real difference to people’s lives.

We are an inclusive employer. We seek and welcome diversity in our teams.