Bookbug Amendment

7/30/2019 Bookbug Amendment

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BOOKBUG AMENDMENT COUNCILLOR MICHELLE STEWART

Council notes the Bookbug sessions historically worked on a drop in system, and sessionsincluded anything from 5 50 attendees with no prior notice on numbers.

This was not workable, and the Libraries and Cultural Services believed it presented ahealth and safety risk to participants and was at odds with their duty of care.

The Libraries & Cultural Services carried out a review of the Bookbug service and theCouncils Early Years provision. Whilst the Bookbug sessions were highly popular andsuccessful, it became clear that the size of some of these sessions was too large,unmanageable and presented a health and safety risk.

In addition the department believes that the potential impact and benefits of Bookbug werediluted by the large numbers attending. Therefore the changes to Bookbug Sessions weremade.

The Libraries and Cultural Services reasons for the changes were:

a) To ensure that Bookbug sessions take place in a safe environment for parents,children, staff and other library users

b) To give session leaders the ability to develop quality relationships with both parentsand children, encouraging parent/child communication and the borrowing of books fromlibraries

c) To provide better quality sessions for participants

d) To enable staff the opportunity to develop further resources for children.

e) In response to staff and volunteer comments regarding the size of groups andconcerns as to how difficult they are to lead.

As a result of these concerns the decision was made to cap attendance to sessions at amaximum of 15 children effective from January 2013. The new sessions aims to ensuresafety, and that each child receives the highest quality of service and benefit.

Therefore Council does not agree the Motion from Councillor Black regarding the Book BugService.

However, Council accepts that there will be some teething problems during theimplementation phase and asks that a degree of flexibility is applied by the Library andCultural Services staff in the during implementation.

Council requests that a rolling feedback and consultation exercise is carried during the firstblock of sessions and a report is to be presented to the Educational Services Committee inFebruary identifying any barriers or issues and actions to overcome the concerns identified.

As part of the review the Libraries and Cultural Services have expanded provision to includenew Storytelling Sessions aimed at children from 3-5 years. This new service enables

continuity of service for early/pre schools age children, effectively 0 5yrs.

Full details of the improved service are attached to this Amendment.


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Bookbug Service Improvement and Risk Reduction

1. Bookbug is supported by the Scottish Book Trust who coordinate the Bookbug Programmenationally.

2. A number of local authorities across Scotland have experienced the same concerns aroundoversubscription to Bookbug sessions, and have brought about similar changes includingpromoting smaller Bookbug sessions to increase quality of provision.

3. The changes in West Dunbartonshire were applied to enhance the quality of Bookbug provision,

without reducing the number of places.4. The new programme will have 9 weekly Bookbug Sessions plus another 2 Bookbug sessionsworking alternate weeks. These have the capacity for 165 children.

5. In addition there will be a new programme of 4 Storytime sessions per week for 3-5yr olds withthe capacity for 60 children. The introduction of Storytime will address a previously unmet need.

6. Pre booking for blocks of sessions will take place on a first come first served basis, and waitinglists established if required.

7. Parents have been requested to regularly attend the sessions which they have booked. If this isnot the case and three sessions in a row are missed, staff will assume that there was no longeran interest in Bookbug, and another parent on the waiting list would be contacted to fill the place.

8. Where parents wish to increase the number of Bookbug Sessions, the Council will providetraining to allow them to facilitate additional parent led sessions in libraries.

9. Parent led sessions already take place in some parts of West Dunbartonshire.10. The Bookbug sessions will be held in every branch library across the authority, with Storytime

sessions being held in the busier branches. Details of the sessions are as follows:

Alexandria 2 BB sessions & 1 Storytime

Balloch 1 BB session

Clydebank 1 Storytime Session & 1 BB / Storytime alternate Saturdays

Dalmuir 2 BB Sessions & 1 Storytime session

Dumbarton 2 BB sessions & 1 Storytime session plus 1 BB session on alternate Saturdays

Duntocher 1 BB session

Parkhall 1 BB session

11. The Libraries and Cultural Services would expect all sessions to be busy i.e. close to the 15 childcapacity however there is the capacity to meet more than the current demand for child places.

12. In some rare cases parents may require to attend an alternate library close by.13. The Libraries and Cultural Services will monitor the changes and amend to meet demand in

individual branches as necessary.14. Based on current figures there is unlikely to be an unmet demand. However, should demand

develop the aim is to meet this by initiating additional sessions.15. We are keen to work with parents to support these increases where possible. Parents will be

signposted to less well attended sessions to ensure they can participate, and should demandexceed places the Libraries and Cultural Services will aim to meet this.

16. Risk assessments were carried for all activities promoted by Libraries and Cultural Services. The

risk assessments for Bookbug sessions were carried out for all venues involved. The results ofthese were used to inform the review changes.

17. Through consultation with staff we also applied a capacity for each session, this met therequirements of the risk assessments, and was based on the experiences and recommendationsof staff involved in leading Bookbug sessions of varying sizes.

18. If a couple of additional parents turn up, not knowing the new system, we would not turn themaway as it is recognized that the changes will take some time to bed in and for all parents to beaware of the need to book sessions.

19. Similarly where two siblings wish to attend and only one place remains, both children will beaccepted in these circumstances.

20. Other contingencies in place ensure that any children referred from support services e.g. theNHS will be assured of a place at their chosen session.


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Councillor Michelle Stewart

In speaking to the amendment I would Like to highlight the following points:

Firstly, I would like to take the time to recognize the work our Library staff do over andabove what we have come to expect of them. They deliver first rate services that are anasset to our communities.

Whilst we dont always appreciate what goes on behind the scenes, I know that themanagement and staff are continuously reviewing services they provide to the public toimprove them, make them more productive and also ensure that they are providing a warm,safe, secure environment for reading and learning for all ages.

Just some of the services that they provide for our youngest learners are Bookbug,Rhymtime and Storytime. These services have proven to be very popular, in fact they havebecome so popular that after receiving complaints from parents using the service andlistening to the concerns expressed by the staff who provide it, a review of the service wasundertaken.

The outcome of this review are covered in my Amendment and the attached document but Ifeel I really need to restate a couple of issues:

This is a service improvement.

The number of available spaces have increased (from 144 to 225)

A new service has been introduced (Storytime)

The Library and Cultural Services have put quality and safety at the heart of thisreview.

There will be some flexibility during the transition and the Library and CulturalServices will continue to monitor service demand.

There is a real desire to grow the service capacity and involve parents more.

Finally, the review that has taken place was to enhance the quality of the service that wasoffered without reducing places for children.

It is fully supported by the Scottish Bookbug Trust who co-ordinate Bookbug nationally.

West Dunbartonshire was not alone in reviewing the quality and safety of Bookbug sessionsdue to oversubscription.

A number of other local authorities have brought about similar changes including smallersessions to increase the quality that children who attend these services receive from them.

I would ask the Council to support my Amendment.

Thank you

Documents

Bookbug Amendment