Head of Library, Networked Services and Student Support Sean Mckernan Head of Library, Networked Services and Student Support Northern College Barnsley s.mckernan@northern.ac.uk

From Library & Learning Resources Centre (LLRC) To Library & Learning Support Centre (LLSC)

Inspection Comment: ‘An outstanding and innovative LLSC providing a highly valued service including skilled personal tutorials to support learners and learning…Almost without exception learners rate the service as excellent. Professionally qualified librarians provide a valued personal tutor role to Diploma students.’

CoLRiC Peer Inspection Report The support provided to users is outstanding Library staff are well qualified and highly motivated, taking pride in the ethos of the College and the work they do The LLSC is seen as an essential and integral part of the College. This is reflected on a formal level through representation on all key committees and forums and on an informal level through interaction with colleagues at all levels The vision of the LLSC is more than a document. It is a very real commitment to providing a service for the benefit of the users. To this end it is subject to rigorous on-going monitoring and reporting *

‘LLRC staff have the abilities and personalities to participate fully in the educational process. In the discussions with the Principal and the Director of Academic Planning & Resources, the regard for the LLRC and its centrality to the success of the College, came across strongly’.

Background Learner support is recognised as a key strength of the College. Following a College-wide staff restructuring exercise, the operational viability of the personal tutorial system was threatened due to academic staff redundancies.

Personal Tutor Role* Involvement in the interview and selection process Minimum of ten timetabled tutorials per year Academic advice and guidance My Learning Space (MLS) responsibility* Pastoral support and counselling Progress monitoring, including Committee reports

Individual Learner Plans Workshop referral UCAS Applications (2) Individual Learner Plans Workshop referral UCAS Applications References Interview preparation Student tracking after course completion

The adoption of the personal tutor role formalised the extensive academic support function that the LLSC staff had been offering to learners. There was an assumption within the department that high levels of academic learner support had always been offered, but this had never been formally acknowledged or recorded.

Centrality and Accessibility ‘It really helps that you can have a personal tutor you can access easily’ Diploma Semester 2 Evaluation Survey

Quality Innovations Peer Personal Tutorial Observations Quality of learner records systematically checked and incorporated into the appraisal process Student retention levels mapped to individual Personal Tutors

‘This year, the staff of the LLRC moved into new areas of formal academic guidance and pastoral care. The multi-faceted support they provide to learners is outstanding’ Diploma Programme Annual Report 2009

‘As personal tutors the LLRC staff were exemplary in their approach ‘As personal tutors the LLRC staff were exemplary in their approach. Each team member fully embraced the role, bringing new ideas, new approaches and offering extensive support to each student’. Diploma Programme Annual Report 2010

Key Factors Positive support and encouragement from the College Senior Management Team A significant commitment to staff training and development. Despite the challenging financial circumstances, the College continued to invest in staff training. This enabled the staff of the LLSC to move confidently into new areas of support and administration Strong cross-College committee representation Flexibility High quality core service performance and a College-wide reputation for excellence.

A commitment from library staff to the mission of the College (2) A commitment from library staff to the mission of the College A commitment from library staff to continuous improvement within the department A recognition that the College was in a challenging period of transition and re-adjustment A recognition that departmental salary levels were above the sector average Support from academic colleagues comfortable with the academic-related members of the LLRC team performing tasks and duties usually associated with teaching staff  

While the Northern College is a small, specialist residential provider with what is probably a unique staffing structure, this initiative may well cause general FE libraries to reflect on conventional models of integration and the very nature of learner support.

(2) It may identify opportunities for services to make a positive impact in areas which they may not have previously considered, by using the skills, expertise and educational qualifications of their staff to enhance the LLSC’s point of centrality in the core learning experience

Throughout the sector, providing evidence for the LLSC impact on learners has often proved problematic. Initiatives such as this place the LLSC at the centre of the learning experience in a way that can be quantified and recognised in terms of learner impact and Departmental efficiency

Conclusion The initiative was perceived as an opportunity (in terms of job enrichment*, career progression and enhanced job security) rather than a threat (in terms of changes to established working practices and increased workloads) an opportunity to strengthen the strategic and operational role of the LLSC through enhanced levels of integration.