Guidance and counselling services

Tender description

Queen’s seeks to appoint an economic operator(s) for the provision of staff and student counselling services. The University’s requirements have been spilt into the following two Lots: Lot 1: Provision of an employee assistance programme; Lot 2: Psychological therapy and support service for students. Lot 1: Provision of an employee assistance programme The University is fully committed to the wellbeing of its staff and recognises that many staff have competing demands on their time and resources, both inside and outside work. The importance of achieving and maintaining a satisfactory work/life balance is fundamental to the maintenance of good health and wellbeing, and education and counselling has been shown to be of benefit to those who are in need of support and guidance on a wide variety of personal, social and occupational issues. The employee assistance programme will supplement the other sources of support to staff which include their line management, the people and culture directorate, the occupational health service, Trade Union advisers etc. The current service usage includes approximately 450 personal counselling sessions delivered to approximately 110 new clients per year, using a maximum six session counselling model. Telephone contacts are few but they, and online video calls, may rise with increasing internationalisation. The delivery of a psychological therapy and support service through a ‘matched stepped care model’, as detailed in the framework below: • triage assessment Tier 1-2; • on-line self-help resource platform; • low intensity group work and workshops; • guided self-help courses Tier 2-3; • face to face, telephone and on-line counselling sessions; • telephone helpline.