CP1333-16 Employee Assistance Programme

Tender description

Devon County Council is looking for one supplier to provide an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) consisting of a telephone helpline and up to six one-hour sessions of telephone or face-to-face counselling per employee per year to its centrally employed staff (as at July 2016 approximately 4,500 staff) in order to support individuals to remain in work, or to return to work after a period of absence. The provision of an EAP service is designed to produce organisational benefit that can be quantified by measurable outcomes (such as feedback from employees showing that using the EAP contract helped them to return to work after a period of absence) The EAP must include: • A 24 hour telephone advice line available 365 days a year addressing concerns which may include but not be restricted to the following: - addiction/ dependency - alcoholism - anxiety / stress - bereavement - bullying/ harassment/ intimidation/ discrimination - career/ job related stress - care problems related to childcare/ eldercare/ disability care - debt advice - depression - domestic violence - eating disorders - family / relationship problems - gambling - gay/ lesbian/ gender issues - health problems - problems arising from an accident at work - mental health related issues - illness of a family member - legal information - matrimonial/ domestic settlement problems - performance related problems - redeployment/ relocation/ redundancy - substance abuse - post-traumatic stress. • Support for users and managers in a number of different ways including, but not limited to: - signposting on where to get advice / information - direct provision of advice / information - referral to specialised agencies • Support for employees to identify and resolve work issues such as working relationships, personal and interpersonal skills, time management skills, work/life balance, stress and other related issues • Support and advice for managers regarding recognition of problems which may impact on their or a team members ability to work effectively and undertaking their duty of care to staff and their management role e.g. having difficult conversations, managing and implementing change, stress, pressure and resilience and managing mental health in the workplace • Up to six sessions of self-referral telephone or face-to-face counselling per employee per year. • Access to counselling sessions should be available 52 weeks per year between 8am – 8pm, Monday to Friday and occasionally at weekends if no other time is suitable. • Access to the services provided must take account of an employee’s health needs (for example disabled access to counselling rooms when requested, minicom facilities or text type on telephone helplines) Keywords: Guidance, Employee Assistance, Counselling, Employee Assistance Programme, EAP