Driver/Library Assistant - Schools Library Service

West Sussex County Council; England; On-site; GBP 13,000 - 14,000; Part time

Job summary

A local authority in West Sussex is seeking a motivated Library Assistant to provide a quality Schools Library Service. The role involves driving a vehicle to deliver books and assisting school staff. Candidates should have relevant qualifications, a full clean driving license, and good administrative skills. This part-time position operates during term time, offering a chance to make a difference in local communities.

Benefits

Employee Assistance Programme

Local government pension scheme

Training and development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience driving large vehicles.
• Willing to undertake CPC training within 6 months.
• Good communication skills with diverse customers.

Responsibilities

• Maintain the vehicle's condition and conduct daily inspections.
• Drive to various locations and assist with book exchanges.
• Support restocking the mobile library.

Skills

Attention to detail

Digital skills

Administrative skills

Confident IT use

Use of IT

Education

4 GCSEs with 9-4 / A-C passes including Maths and English

Full clean driving license with C1 category

Age over 21 and 2 years driving experience

Tools

Vehicle driving

IT tools

Job description

Overview

We\'re looking for a well-motivated person, with a keen attention to detail, and good digital and administrative skills, to join a small but active team where you will provide a quality Schools Library Service to a wide variety of primary schools across West Sussex during term time.

And you won\'t just be sitting behind a desk, you will assist with the exchange of books; restocking the mobile and carry out a variety of Library Assistant duties in the Schools Library Service base at Worthing Library.

It\'s an active role: you will be driving, carrying books, taking books from the base to restock, moving around the vehicle, and supporting school staff and children when operating the mobile library as well as spending time working in schools with the team. Flexibility is essential as deliveries, routes and timings will vary each day and you will be visiting primary schools across the large and diverse county of West Sussex (covering an area of 769 square miles) a long with a small number of schools in neighbouring Authorities.

Salary: £13,224 to £13,434 (pro rata for part time and calculated to term time only)

Contract Type: Permanent, Term Time Only (39 weeks)

Working Pattern: Part-time (22.2 hours per week) working across 3 days per week

Location: Worthing Library, Richmond Rd, Worthing BN11 1HD

Interview Date: Tuesday 25 November 2025

We do reserve the right to close this advertisement early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications. We encourage you to submit your application at your earliest convenience.

About the Job

West Sussex Schools Library Service (SLS) provides schools with high quality resources and expertise to support literacy and whole school learning to primary schools across West Sussex.

One school highlights the importance of this service: "Thanks very much for the wonderful services and support the SLS gives to our school. We love the school mobile visits, giving the chance to browse and for children to be involved in selecting books for our school\'s library."

To find out more about the West Sussex Schools Library Service (SLS) click the link here:Schools Library Service | West Sussex Services for Schools

Your responsibilities will include:

• Responsible for maintaining the vehicle\'s condition daily, including conducting vehicle inspections and accurately recording daily defect checks to ensure compliance and meet legal requirements.
• Pack and unpack books for delivery and load them onto the van. Drive to various locations throughout West Sussex, ensuring compliance with Health and Safety and safe parking of the vehicle at schools.
• Assist customers (school librarians, pupils and teachers) with book exchanges, including counting, cleaning, sorting, and shelving books during the exchange process.
• Support the restocking of the mobile library as needed.
• Offer clear and professional guidance and assistance to a diverse range of customers.

No candidate will meet every single desired qualification. If your experience looks a little different from what we\'ve identified and you think you can bring value to the role, we\'d love to learn more about you!

Required Qualifications and Skills

• 4 GCSEs with 9-4 / A-C passes including Maths and English, or equivalent qualification/experience.
• Full clean driving license with C1 category.
• Age over 21 (as required by DVLA) and a minimum of 2 years\' holding your license.
• Experience driving large vehicles, such as a sizable transit van or equivalent.
• Candidates should hold a Certificate of Professional Competence (Drivers) (CPC) or be willing to undertake CPC training within the first 6 months of employment.
• Confident with use of IT.

For more information on the Key Skills as well as the Qualifications and/or experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached.

Rewards and Benefits

From access to our Employee Assistance Programme to training and development opportunities, we aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do.

A Term Time Only (TTO) contract, meaning you will work exclusively during periods when schools are open, along with access to an excellent local government pension scheme and a variety of discounts offering our staff access to hundreds of exclusive offers.

We think libraries are great places to work, where you can make a difference to local communities every day. Find out more about the variety that comes with working in a library and hear first-hand from some of our library staff here:Library Jobs - West Sussex

For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our Rewards and Benefits page.

Further Information

The reference number for this role is CPP01225.

Does this sound like the opportunity for you? Click apply below, upload your CV, and complete the application form, explaining how you meet the key skills in the attached job description and experience you can bring to the role. Please ensure that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. All candidates will be required to prove proof of C1 category licence prior to interview.

Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.

Struggling to apply? Book onto a Digital Support Session in a library near you to get help navigating our application form.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to right to work within the UK, enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, satisfactory references, and a health check.

Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.

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