Developing your knowledge, library and information management team
Ensure your knowledge, library and information team has the skills and knowledge required to deliver high-quality proactive knowledge and library services today and for the future.
Knowledge, library and information management roles are part of the Digital, Data and Technology workforce. They underpin the UK Government expectation that NHS staff keep up to date with changing service models and new technologies, and that care is informed by best practice, research and innovation.
Highly skilled health knowledge, library and information teams ensure that healthcare organisations, their staff, learners, patients and the public can use evidence and knowledge to inform service policy, planning and delivery, enabling health and care solutions to keep the population and the NHS, Fit for the Future.
Right people, right roles, right skills
Over 1000 people work in specialist knowledge, library and information roles across the NHS in England.
Use the Federation of Informatics (FEDIP) Job Profiles to identify the roles, behaviours, skills and knowledge required in your team. For further information review our role redesign resources.
We are currently developing a set of accompanying generic job descriptions for these roles. Please contact the national team for further advice and help with recruitment to these specialist roles.
Developing skills for knowledge, library and information management teams
The Knowledge for Healthcare Learning Academy offers a programme of learning and development opportunities primarily for knowledge and library staff delivering services to NHS systems, organisations, their staff, learners, patients and the public in England.
Training is offered around six foundational pillars to underpin the practice of this highly specialised workforce – . Acquiring mastery in these areas ensures the workforce has the expertise, knowledge and skills required to deliver high-quality, proactive knowledge and library services.
The Knowledge for Healthcare Learning Academy consists of CILIP-accredited short courses informed by a biannual development needs analysis and responses to national strategic priorities. Recent training and development has included courses in: Ethical use of AI and copyright considerations; Co-Pilot prompt engineering; synthesising and summarising research evidence; search techniques to inform evidence-based practice; data-informed decision making; introduction to knowledge mobilisation; delivering digital literacy and health literacy awareness. All short-course opportunities are advertised in the Knowledge for Healthcare Digest.
The Knowledge for Healthcare Learning Academy also offers:
- Self-paced learning opportunities via the Learning Zone including developing research skills and supporting researchers.
- A specialist professional collection of books.
- Communities of Practice for peer to peer learning and innovation.
- Development pathways such as the self-guided expert searchers pathway with self-assessment and applied digital and data skills for knowledge, library and information management professionals (accessible via the Knowledge for Healthcare Learning Academy Futures NHS workspace – log-in required).
- A Welcome Pack and induction sessions for new colleagues.
All of this work is underpinned by the CILIP Professional Knowledge and Skills Base (PKSB) and the associated health guidance. You can use this skills framework to identify individual strengths and weaknesses and to map skills gaps and priorities for your knowledge services team.