Job overview
The Secretary of State for Health has a duty, under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, to ensure “the use in the health service of evidence obtained from research". NHS Library & Knowledge Services have a key role in enabling NHS staff to have access to and use appropriate knowledge to support their practice, their learning and development and their research.
This is an exciting post for a qualified, experienced, pro-active and creative librarian/information specialist who wants to make their mark working in an innovative service environment in one of the biggest NHS Trusts in England.
The post has cross-site responsibility and the post holder, while based at Southend Healthcare Library, will be required to work at any Mid and South Essex (MSE) Healthcare Library site in order to develop a collaborative and consistent high-quality service. There will also be the opportunity to work from home on an ad-hoc basis, dependent on service needs.
The library maintains service agreements with Provide CIC, a Community Interest Company. You may be required to travel to their locations to promote library resources and deliver customised information skills training that addresses their specific needs.
No Sponsorship is available for this role.
Main duties of the job
Clinical librarianship is a proactive approach to supporting evidence-based healthcare and clinical governance within the clinical setting at the point of need. You will primarily be based in the library but will spend much of your time linking with identified departments or teams and will play a vital role in providing patient centred, evidence-based information at the time and place of need thus contributing to patient care.
NHS Library and Knowledge Services (LKS) need to be visible and accessible to all staff members. You will be a key advocate for the library and its importance to evidence-based practice and patient care. An essential aspect of the role will be to build positive relationships at all levels of the organisation and with all users and staff who need access to high quality evidence-based resources.
You will work closely with the Southend Site Manager to develop and implement effective marketing and promotional initiatives that enhance the library's visibility across the site.
Working both independently and in collaboration with MSE or regional training librarians, you will enhance the library's existing training program by creating and delivering structured library skills sessions. These sessions may include presentations, one-to-one coaching, group workshops, or virtual training to build literature searching and critical appraisal skills among staff at all levels.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For more details on this varied and rewarding role, please see the attached job description.
We look forward to reading your application!
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree or post graduate qualification in Library & Information Studies OR Information Science.
Desirable
- Chartered member or working towards chartered status of CILIP.
- Teaching or adult education qualification
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in a Library or information services environment
- Knowledge of relevant legislation, e.g. Copyright Act and Data Protection
- Knowledge and experience in using a range of online information resources and healthcare databases e.g. Medline, CINAHL etc
- Ability to deliver a range of training courses including literature searching, critical appraisal and reflective writing
Desirable
- Experience of working in an NHS Library or information services environment
- Experience of teaching/training in the virtual environment
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Clinical Evidence Specialist with Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust in Southend. It is listed as a Band 6 Administrative and IT role. The advertised salary is £39,959 Per Annum Pro Rata for Part Time. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 31 Aug 2026.
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