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Date: 
Friday, 19 January, 2024

ASCEL: Invitation to Tender

 

Title:    Research to support School Library Services

Return to: [email protected]

Deadline for receipt of tender proposals: 12 noon 6 February 2024.

 

1.INTRODUCTION

 

This Invitation to Tender (ITT) specifies the requirements for delivering a research project to support School Library Services (SLS/s)

 

The following details are outlined in this document:

  • Background
  • Objectives of this project
  • The Brief
  • Contract Management and Governance
  • Workplan and milestones
  • Budget
  • The terms of business relating to the award of any contract
  • Process for submitting proposals
  • Further Information
  • Compliance

 

 

2.BACKGROUND

​.2.1 ASCEL https://www.ascel.org.uk/

 

ASCEL is the national network for senior leaders in children's, public and schools library services. Created by and for Members, we provide training, peer support, best practice, resources and networking initiatives that enable our Members to give children and young people a dynamic, exciting and innovative library experience and amplify their voices.

Our network of active regional committees support place based partnership working across the country and help to drive our national impact.

ASCEL is a charity that receives funding from Arts Council England as an Investment Principles Support Organisation (IPSO). We are a membership organisation that supports every public library service for children and young people and school library services in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

2.2  School Library Services

Schools Library Services are organisations offering services to schools. They advise schools and provide training on managing and developing their own school libraries and teaching resources in schools, on teaching information literacy skills to enable children to become independent learners and to help schools create a reading culture.

The way each service operates varies considerably from local authority to local authority.

SLS UK (supported by ASCEL) consists of a collective of Schools Library Services covering the length and breadth of the UK. https://sls-uk.org/about/

 

3. OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROJECT

This is a research project funded by Arts Council England to execute and complete a research project to enable the sector to gain a better understanding of the number, reach and location of School Library Services (SLS) in England.

 

It will:

  • analyse the number, distribution, provision, service level, reach, quality, different business models (with associated advantages/disadvantages), operating environments and funding arrangements and success factors (which may include use, value and impact) to give a clear national picture of school library services (SLS) in England
  • provide an understanding of gaps in SLS provision
  • provide a picture of the health of School Library Services across the country
  • present a strategic evidence and knowledge base for supporting local authorities or services commissioned by local authorities to maintain and develop SLSs

 

4. THE BRIEF

The contractor will:

 

  • Create a survey to be shared with English library services/local authorities
  • Carry out desk-based research including collecting case studies examples of best practice, successful delivery and different models and funding
  • Conduct a stakeholder survey
  • Carry out interviews with SLS leaders and their teams
  • Produce a report outlining the national picture in relation to SLS including number, reach, delivery and funding models. mapped against the literacy levels/free school meals/indices of deprivation. The report should include consideration of places where there is no defined SLS but similar provision is provided effectively through public library services
  • Look at partnerships between public library services and school library services
  • Create a ‘how to guide’ for those wishing to create an SLS including how to make the case for creating one
  • Create a list of contacts/resources/support organisations

 

5. CONTRACT MANAGEMENT AND GOVERNANCE

  • The contract will be directly managed by the Programme Manager at ASCEL
  • The work will be supported by a small reference group of ASCEL SLS Members and the Executive

 

6. WORKPLAN AND MILESTONES

We envisage the project will follow this workplan, but proposals can set out an alternative timetable to meet the brief.

 

Overall programme plan

 

Activity Time Period
Milestone Date
Invitation to Tender published Friday 19 January
Closing date  Midday 6 February
Appointment of successful contractor By 28 February
Develop the research plan March -April
Convene reference group March -April
Meeting with reference group April
Research and interviews April- August 
Report writing August- September
Presentation and sign off of final report (Trustees, Reference group, CEO and Chair) October
Possibility of sharing at ASCEL Conference  (to be confirmed) 15 or 16 November

 

7.  BUDGET

 

A maximum of £ 11.5k inclusive of VAT is available for research and report writing and in addition up to 1.5k is earmarked for researcher travel.

ASCEL Connected will provide some support to convene the reference group and working with Arts Council England to share the findings.

 

8. THE TERMS OF BUSINESS RELATING TO THE AWARD OF ANY CONTRACT

Payment at key milestones in two instalments subject to satisfactory progress and delivery of the project.

 

9.  PROCESS FOR SUBMITTING PROPOSAL

9.1 Procurement timetable

  • Submission by 6 February 2024
  • Award selection process completed by end February 2024 

 

9.2 Proposal submission

Please submit proposals by email to [email protected]

Proposals must be submitted by 6 February 2024

Proposals should be no more than 2500 words and should include:

 

  • Understanding of the brief
  • An outline methodology for achieving the brief
  • A statement of your skills and experience in context of this brief including names and experience of each person assigned to the project. Examples and links to relevant reports you have written or contributed to should be included
  • An outline work plan and timetable for this work
  • A clear breakdown of costs which includes all rates, fees, and expenses you are anticipating for the project. If you are VAT registered this must be included in your costings
  • Evidence of your commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
  • Two contactable referees who could provide a relevant reference of your suitability to work on this project

 

9.3 Evaluation of proposals

  1. We will evaluate proposals using these criteria:

    Criteria

    Weighting

    Extent to which proposal demonstrates an understanding of the brief

    25

    Knowledge and experience relevant to the project, including experience of running consultation processes and strategic planning

    		 25

    Quality of methodology

    25

    Proposed team composition and management

    15

    Cost (Value for money)

    10

     

10.  FURTHER INFORMATION

For an informal discussion about the work, please contact: [email protected]

 

11. COMPLIANCE

ASCEL reserves the right to disqualify any provider’s response to this ITT if it does not fully comply with the requirements contained therein. This is particularly relevant in relation to the stated closing date and time of applications.

ASCEL is not responsible for and will not pay for any expenses or losses you incur during, but not limited to, the application preparation, visits, negotiations, or interviews in relation to this procurement process. It is your responsibility to ensure that any consortium member, sub-contractor, and adviser abide by the conditions set out by ASCEL.

In submitting a response to this ITT, it will be implied that you accept all the provisions of this ITT including these conditions.

If ASCEL needs to change any information contained within this ITT before the closing date, you will be written to advise you of these changes, which includes the extension of any submission deadlines. ASCEL reserves the right to cancel or suspend this ITT process at any time but will notify you in writing as soon as possible if this occurs.

It is expected that the contractor will work within the values and behaviours of ASCEL and this will be part of the contract of engagement.

 

Download full ItT

 

Date: 
Thursday, 21 December, 2023

As 2023 comes to close, we thought we'd look back at what has been the most important, at times challenging but ultimately the most exciting year for ASCEL as we transformed into the IPSO charity.

Although the work to get here actually started all the way back in 2019 under then chair, Stella Thebridge it was not until October 2022 that we were successful in being offered the IPSO funding from ACE and the trustees put their mind to the recruitment of the CEO.

Adam Tulloch was announced as the first ASCEL CEO in February. The Trustees were back in action through February and March, bringing together all the strands that were needed for ASCEL to become a fully functioning charity, ready for Adam to take up his post in April. Setting up HR, IT, Finance services and the necessary policies, it's been a steep learning curve for everyone involved!

Adam joined the National Committee in Berwick-upon-Tweed for his first meeting in May 2023. Berwick is the most Northerly authority, and it was enlightening to hear some of the issues in serving their very rural communities. If you would like to host a meeting at your library, do get in touch.

Every charity requires a strong and diverse Board of Trustees and finding the right people to take on this important role was a priority for the next couple of months.  We had some brilliant people apply for the role of trustees and we were delighted to have welcomed them officially onto the board at our AGM in November.

The Arts Council funding means that we now have a budget of £200,000 per year to develop our support services for libraries and embed quality children’s and young people’s engagement across the library sector with a new Executive Team.  In the summer Adam was joined by Lucy Banks and Sarah Gregory as Programme Manager and Management and Information Consultant in working towards ASCEL's new goals and ambitions.  The new team met for the first time in our new base at Wolverhampton Library.

The work has now started, and Lucy has been kept busy. “I can’t believe it’s only been five months since I started with ASCEL! In that time, we’ve assembled our member-led library team to start delivering the Youth Engagement Network programme. I’m especially thrilled we’re doing this work; it’s never been more important to listen to children, co-create with them and learn from their experiences, expertise and opinions. We’ve got eight public library services and one school library taking part in the pilot, and we’ll start the children-led activities in the new year. We’re also developing training that meaningfully supports you and your wider teams. The Skills Audit, which was completed by 89 members, gave insight into where your strengths lie, and the areas that may need development. This work links with both our HAF ‘train the trainer’ programme, which is supported by three public libraries, and our exploration of training pathways into the sector (alongside key partners). We need younger people to not only engage with our services but join our teams to shape the future of libraries across the country. “

Sarah has taken over the membership systems from Anna Simmons, freeing up a great deal of her time, thank you Anna.  (A quick reminder to return your 2023/24 subscription form for invoicing, before final red reminder emails go out in the new year!) As well as leading on the development of the new website.

We were all very sad when Adam had to step down as CEO in October. He brought dynamism, knowledge, insight and energy to the role and had put in so much work to progress our strategic plans, build the foundations of ASCEL as a charity, form a new Executive Team and consolidate our action plan. But before leaving, he led a strategy day in the beautiful Shrewsbury library with the new Trustee Board and the Executive team.

An interim CEO was swiftly put in place, and we were very pleased to welcome back Sarah Mears, a past ASCEL chair and the libraries Connected rep on our National Committee. With her extensive knowledge of the sector and leadership skills, she's been able to jump right in and start building on the strong base created by Adam. Sarah says she is delighted to be reconnecting with ASCEL for this interim period and has been so excited by the inspirational projects being developed by the team alongside ASCEL members.

We all came together for another amazing Conference in November, where we formally voted on the new constitution and officially appointed our new Trustees. You may have talked to our External Comms consultant, Bryony Bishop, who collected feedback and your glowing endorsements of ASCEL. We'll be using these quotes and clips in future marketing. Here's the first video, thanks for all your ASCEL love!

There was time for one more library visit when the executive team and new CEO met in Christmassy Manchester central library.

As the year draws to a close there is much to look back on and be proud of. Being Chair of a new organisation requires a lot of focus on the detail required, so I am enjoying this opportunity to take that step back and feel proud of all that we have achieved together.  One thing is for certain that we would not be in this positive place ready for 2024 without the support and dedication of so many people and partners so

Thank you to:

  • Those ASCEL committee members who stepped up as Trustees, learning on the job to get all the background work in place, alongside their demanding day jobs.
  • Sue Ball, Chris Myhill, Nina Simons, Krystal Vittles, Anna Simmons our treasurer who has spent so much time researching and setting up finance systems and myself, Annabel Gittins for taking on the unenviable role of Chair to steer the process.
  • To our wonderful new Trustees Sherilyn Pereira, Benedict Shaw, Mark Freeman, Kirsty Blyth, Nick Fuller and Fabienne Tannoh.
  • Our consultant Katie Peckacar for guiding us through the process and helping out as needed.
  • Our fantastic partners who have supported us through our first year – in particular Libraries Connected and Arts Council England
  • To Adam for setting up the charity and giving us such a strong base to work from, and Sarah Mears for taking over so effectively and carrying on his legacy.
  • To Lucy and Sarah for taking on new roles in a new organisation.
  • To Annie Everall, our Conference Consultant for putting together, what could be the best conference to date (although we say that every year!)

And of course, to you, our members - for your support, guidance and input over this whole process and for getting involved in surveys, focus groups and new research programmes as we make plans for the future.

Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year and I look forward to leading ASCEL through 2024.

Annabel

 

Chair of Trustees

 

 

Date: 
Friday, 1 December, 2023

ASCEL is delighted to welcome five new trustees to our Board, who bring a wealth of experience, passion, and dedication to support the charity’s mission.

Introducing our New Trustees

Kirsty Blyth - Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Inspire: Culture, Learning & Libraries

Nick Fuller - Bi-borough Libraries Manager Children’s and Outreach, Westminster City Council working with Kensington and Chelsea Council

Mark Freeman MBE – Retired Head of Service, Stockton-on-Tees, previous President of Libraries Connected

Sherilyn Pereira – Public Engagement Manager, Stephen Lawrence Research Centre, De Montfort University

Benedict Shaw - Head of Euro Bilateral Team - Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)

These accomplished professionals join us at an exciting time, as we continue to expand and develop as a new charity. Their diverse skills and proven track records in the library, education and technology sectors will contribute hugely to the growth of ASCEL, enhancing and complementing the skills of our existing trustees.

Each ASCEL trustee shares a deep passion for cultivating dynamic library services which promote inclusion and diversity and where children’s and young people’s voices are heard, valued and reflected.

Annabel Gittins, Chair of ASCEL, says:

“Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Kirsty, Nick, Mark, Sherilyn and Benedict. We are excited about the impact their involvement will have on ASCEL and look forward to achieving great things together. Their fresh perspectives will invigorate our approach, helping us explore new ideas and opportunities. We encourage you to take a moment to learn more about our new trustees, their achievements, backgrounds, and what motivates them to support ASCEL.”

These new Trustees expand ASCEL’s Board to 12 and join our current Trustees:

Annabel Gittins (Chair) - Library Support Manager, Shropshire Libraries

Sue Ball – Interim Libraries & Arts Manager, Staffordshire County Council

Christine Myhill - Libraries & Heritage Manager, Gateshead Council

Nina Simon - SLS Manager, Schools Library Service, Redbridge

Anna Simmons – Head of Libraries & Information, Luton Libraries, Active Luton

Krystal Vittles – Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Suffolk Libraries

 

Get to know our new Trustees

Date: 
Thursday, 9 November, 2023

Sarah Mears MBE, Programme Manager for Libraries Connected joins ASCEL as Interim CEO.

 

Sarah will support ASCEL with the charity’s exciting new strategic plans as an Arts Council England ISPO, bringing a wealth of experience and energy to the role. Sarah’s background in strong, effective leadership and programming, and extensive knowledge of children’s library services means she is well placed to steer the organisation further forward with our ambitious plans for growth, whilst we recruit a permanent CEO.

As a past Chair and longtime supporter of ASCEL, Sarah has an excellent insight into our members’ needs and our vision and mission.

Annabel Gittins, Chair of ASCEL, says:

“ASCEL is extremely grateful to Sarah and Libraries Connected for providing us with such invaluable support during this interim period. We are excited to have found such an experienced and passionate Interim CEO to work with our Trustees, team, and members who will continue our ambitious plans and support us in our evolution as a new Arts Council England IPSO. Sarah’s expertise and insight are set to enhance our organisation further during this exciting new chapter.”

Sarah Mears MBE says:

“I am so delighted to be given this opportunity to contribute to ASCEL’s development. It is such an exciting time for ASCEL as the organisation grows and I will work hard to support the charity’s strategy working with public libraries to put the voice of the child and young person at the heart of services.”

Isobel Hunter, CEO Libraries Connected says:

“As an expert on children’s librarianship, and a former chair of ASCEL, Sarah is the perfect choice to continue Adam Tulloch’s work in establishing ASCEL as a delivery organisation. It’s so important that children’s and school libraries have a dedicated organisation representing them – that’s why Libraries Connected has been a steadfast supporter of ASCEL from the outset. We’re pleased that we can help ASCEL at this time of transition and are excited to see the organisation grow under Sarah’s stewardship as it recruits its next permanent CEO.”

 

Sarah Mears MBE is Programme Manager for Libraries Connected, the national network for Librarians across the UK. Formerly, Sarah was Library Services Manager for Essex Libraries, the lead for the Universal Culture Offer and was a member of SCL Executive. She is also a past Chair of ASCEL. Away from work she is one of the founder members and a director of Empathy Lab, a not-for-profit organisation which focuses on developing children’s empathy skills through the power of books and stories in schools and libraries.

Date: 
Monday, 16 October, 2023

 

The Association of Senior Children’s and Education Librarians is looking for a Chief Executive to lead the organisation. 

 

We are looking for an ambitious, enthusiastic, and creative candidate with strong empathy and listening skills. They must be passionate about our vision and mission to inspire all children and young people to reach their full potential by championing excellence, diversity and equality in libraries.

Our new Chief Executive will need to continue to grow ASCEL so that it can deliver against its business plan and new role as an Investment Principles Support Organisation for the public library sector.

 

Read the full job specification online

Download specification

Download Application form

Date: 
Thursday, 12 October, 2023

It is with great sadness that ASCEL announces that Adam Tulloch has had to make the difficult decision to stand down as our CEO, due to an unexpected change in personal circumstances. Adam will leave the organisation at the end of October 2023.

We are actively engaging an interim CEO to support the organisation as we recruit a new leader for ASCEL.

Our commitment to supporting Children’s Public and Schools Library Services is unwavering as we continue to evolve and grow as a charity and Arts Council Investment Principles Support Organisation (IPSO).

In the time that Adam has been with us, he has helped us to progress our strategic plans, build the foundations of ASCEL as a charity, form a new Executive Team and consolidate our action plan. We are in a strong position to drive forward our next exciting phase of development with confidence and make a real impact in the sector. We thank Adam for bringing such dynamism, knowledge, insight and energy to the role.

Adam says:

“It has been a real privilege to be the first CEO of ASCEL. I have thoroughly enjoyed working for the organisation and I know that ASCEL will continue to achieve great things.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the warm welcome and support I received during my tenure, and I wish the organisation the very best in its next chapter.

I will be working to ensure this unexpected transition is as smooth as possible for the charity and my successor.”

 

We will announce our interim CEO in the coming weeks.

Date: 
Monday, 14 August, 2023

 

BACK TO THE FUTURE:

Changing Times for Children’s & Schools Library Services

Friday 10th & Saturday 11th November 2023

 

ASCEL Future Forward (Virtual)             Monday 6th November 2.30 – 3.30

Publisher Highlights (Virtual)                Tuesday 7th & Wednesday 8th 09.15 – 12.15 

Main Conference (In Person)                 Friday 10th & Saturday 11th November 2023

Venue: Derby Mickleover Hotel, Etwall Rd, Mickleover, Derby DE3 0XX 

 

For information regarding the conference please contact: Annie Everall, ASCEL Conference Manager  email: [email protected]

ASCEL Members can book directly

Specific Aims for this Conference:

This conference will equip leaders of Schools Library Services and Public Library Services for Children & Young People to:

  • Support children and young people in engaging with and accessing library services
  • Learn from other organisations as to how they listen to children and young people.
  • Explore how public libraries and schools library services can listen to the children and young people in their communities and put them at the heart of our service.
  • Engage libraries within the broader field of Children’s Services

 

General Conference Aims:

  • Exploring best practice
  • Understanding the current strategic landscape
  • Generating innovative solutions to respond to new ways of thinking.
  • Providing opportunities for networking
  • Developing cross sector partnerships

 

Programme Topics will include (subject to speaker confirmation):

  • Back to the Future for Libraries panel session
  • Are libraries relevant in today’s world? Panel session
  • DFE Reading Framework – opportunities and challenges for libraries and SLS
  • Reading, Libraries and Me – author sessions
  • Poverty Proofing the school day
  • Libraries engaging Internationally through IFLA
  • Trends in reading and book buying
  • AI challenges and opportunities for libraries and education
  • Building future partnerships with Arts Council NPO
  • Learning from Our Peers workshops
  • School Diversity week – Just Like Us
  • Digital developments in publishing

 

Publishers and Reading Materials

The virtual Publisher Highlights during conference will enable delegates to see key children’s books being published in 2023. There will also be a Book Exhibition at the physical conference venue. Pre-recorded supplier highlights plus the publisher recordings will also be shown during breaks.  A reading bag of key children’s titles and promotional materials will be provided for all delegates attending the conference in person.

 

For information regarding the conference please contact: Annie Everall, ASCEL Conference Manager  email: [email protected]

Date: 
Wednesday, 26 July, 2023

   ASCEL - Association of Senior Children’s and Education Librarians – Press Release 26th July 2023

 

ASCEL announces their executive team

  

 ASCEL is delighted to announce it has appointed Lucy Banks (left) as Programme Manager and Sarah Gregory (right) as Information and Membership Consultant as part of its executive team.

  

Lucy Banks previously worked as Reading Development Manager at Libraries Unlimited, the charity responsible for running 54 libraries across Devon and Torbay. With a background in education as well as libraries, she has always had a passion for supporting children and young people.

Sarah Gregory has worked and built relationships with members at ASCEL since 2015. She has worked in information services for local education authorities before managing the library at her daughters’ primary school where she continues to be involved. Sarah is now looking forward to continuing and developing her role at the charity.

 

Lucy Banks said: "I'm delighted to work alongside Adam and Sarah to champion children and young people's voices in libraries and to be a part of this exciting new phase of ASCEL's development. I also look forward to working more closely with library teams across the country to inspire positive change in our sector."

 

Sarah Gregory said: “It’s an exciting time to be a part of ASCEL, and I welcome the opportunity to support the teams and members as we grow and develop the new organisation.”

 

Lucy and Sarah join ASCEL’s executive team as the charity moves into an exciting new phase of growth and development, having recently become an Investment Principles Support Organisation (IPSO) for Arts Council England. As the national network of senior managers in Children’s Public and Schools Library Services, it is central to ASCEL’s strategy to ensure that the voice of children, young people and families co-leads on the planning and delivery of library services across the country.

 

Adam Tulloch, CEO, said: “I am absolutely delighted that ASCEL has been able to appoint such strong candidates to the roles and I am very much looking forward to working with both Lucy and Sarah and championing the voice of children and young people in library services.”

 

ASCEL is the national network of senior managers in Children’s Public and Schools Library Services.  Our aim is to lead excellence in library services for children and young people and schools so that:

 

  • every child and young person visiting a public library should be inspired by an exciting environment which makes reading for pleasure irresistible
  • every school has access to a high quality school library service

 

ASCEL has always championed children and young people’s place within libraries. Becoming a charity and an IPSO for the Arts Council England will enable ASCEL to ensure that the voice of children and young people and families can co-lead on the planning and delivery of library services that are relevant and interesting to them.

 

 

 

 

Media Contact:

Adam Tulloch
CEO, ASCEL

[email protected]

www.ascel.org.uk

Date: 
Thursday, 4 May, 2023

ASCEL has been successful in gaining funding from Arts Council England to become an Investment Principles Support Organisation from 2023-2026. This means we will have £200,000 per year core funding for this time to develop our support services for libraries and embed quality children’s and young people’s engagement across the library sector.

We are now able to recruit for two new roles; Programme Manager & Communications and Engagement Manager.

If you are interested in applying for either role you are welcome to book a conversation with our Chief Executive, Adam Tulloch, to understand more about what it entails, however this is not mandatory. [email protected]

In order to apply for these posts, please send a CV along with a cover letter that is no longer than 2 x A4 to [email protected] by 17th May 2023.

The timeline for applications and interviews is as follows:

  • 17th May 2023 Deadline for applications
  • 19th May 2023 Applicants invited for interview
  • 24th and 25th May 2023 Interviews take place online

Job Descriptions

 

Programme Manager

Communications and Engagement Manager

Date: 
Thursday, 30 March, 2023

We are recruiting: Trustees

The Association of Senior Children’s and Education Librarians (ASCEL) has been a membership organisation for library staff for over 20 years, but it has only recently become a charity. We have appointed a dynamic new Chief Executive who will work with the Board of Trustees to lead and grow ASCEL and have set up a new head office in Wolverhampton Library.

We currently have a small board of 6 trustees, made up of ASCEL members and are now looking to expand our board to 15 people, including young people and independent trustees with the skills and experience to help our organisation grow sustainably and achieve its strategic objectives.

As we are a new organisation, we have a lot of work to do. Becoming a trustee at this time will give you the opportunity to help shape ASCEL’s culture, strategy and ways of working.

 

Please see further details in the Trustees Recruitment  Pack

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