Health and social work services

Tender description

This is for the provision of supported employment services to adults in Essex experiencing mental ill health. The proposed approach, based on broad stakeholder engagement, including engagement with individuals with lived experience, is to procure a lead provider(s) to deliver supported mental health employment services across Essex via 2 lots. The supported employment services are a non-statutory service and are aimed at improving the well-being of people mental health illness. We believe that employment is a key enabler to supporting recovering and independence and can help people become less reliant on statutory health and social care services. Lot 1 will focus exclusively on adults known to secondary mental health services and deliver specialist employment support using the individual placement and support (IPS) approach. The primary aim of the service and the main outcome is to support adults with mental ill health into employment. Individuals will need different degrees and types of support depending on their personal circumstances and we would expect that the provider takes a personalised approach, whilst remaining true to the IPS model. The primary aim of the service and the main outcome is to provide job retention support to the employee/ individual and the employer where an individual is/has been absent from their existing employment as a result of mental ill health. Retention support can take various forms and be provided at varying degrees of intensity. This could range from providing telephone advice, support and guidance through to intensive face to face support. The services provided within Lot 2 will be available to all adults experiencing mental ill health and will cover the Essex County Council Local Authority area only. Providers will need to demonstrate an understanding and knowledge of the needs of individuals with mental ill health and the provision of specialist employment support and how best to differentiate services responses to meet these. This is key to ensure that every individual receives the best possible support to meet their particular situation and needs and to help them thrive.