Tender

Mental Health Employment Advisors co-located in Job Centres

  • Cornwall Council

F02: Contract notice

Notice identifier: 2022/S 000-018641

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-034f79

Published 7 July 2022, 2:48pm



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

Cornwall Council

County Hall, Treyew Road

Truro

TR1 3AY

Contact

Mrs Laura Kennell

Email

laura.kennell@cornwall.gov.uk

Telephone

+44 1872327168

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UKK3 - Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

Internet address(es)

Main address

http://www.cornwall.gov.uk

Buyer's address

http://www.cornwall.gov.uk

one.3) Communication

The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at

https://www.proactis.com/uk/i-would-like-to/for-suppliers/access-tendering-opportunities/

Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via

https://www.proactis.com/uk/i-would-like-to/for-suppliers/access-tendering-opportunities/

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Regional or local authority

one.5) Main activity

General public services


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

Mental Health Employment Advisors co-located in Job Centres

Reference number

DN620825

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 85000000 - Health and social work services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

There is a long history of unemployment having an adverse impact on health with a reduction in psychological wellbeing and greater incidence of anxiety, depression, poor mental health and risk of suicide (10-12). Whilst poor mental health and wellbeing can be a predictor for unemployment (13), spells of unemployment have been found to predict reduced quality of life and life satisfaction after the age of 50 (14). There is a need for funders and mental health systems to support policies and practices that address long-term unemployment and its impact on mental health and wellbeing (11). The NHS Kernow adult mental health strategy for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly supports the adoption of the prevention concordat for better mental health. Improving population wellbeing through targeting the wider determinants of health such as employment and health inequalities is a core component of the strategy.

Since 2018, The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) grant funded Mental Health Employment Advisors (MHEA) being co-located in eleven job centres across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to support individuals with their mental health and wellbeing and help them back into employment. With additional funding from Public Health, this service comes to an end on the 30th September 2022. This service has been delivered by Pentreath, a charity formed in 1991 to provide support and guidance to people experiencing and recovering from mental ill health across Cornwall (24). The intervention targets adults aged 16+ years who accessed a job centre and self-declared that their mental health acted as a barrier to accessing appropriate employment. The intervention includes supporting people over a 2-4 month period, which includes an initial assessment to identify their mental health needs, ability to work and then identify a personalised action plan to help them back into employment and improve their mental health and wellbeing.

With the service coming to an end in September 2022, there is a need to address the ongoing economic pressures and rising living costs on society. This new contract specification covers the commissioning of the MHEA project co-located in eleven job centres across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, as well as the Devonport job centre, to ensure that people living in the Southeast of Cornwall using job centres in Plymouth also receive the support they need. This new service will run for the next three years. This will start on the 1st October 2022 to prevent there being a gap in service provision. This will work closely with the job centres through co-location to support adults aged 16 years and over who declare that their mental health acts as a barrier to employment. Those delivering the service must be co-located to meet the needs of individuals and have knowledge of local support for their employment and mental health and wellbeing needs, as well as other needs such as substance mis-use, housing and wider lifestyle issues including debt and finances. The service must deliver positive outcomes for local people accessing job centres, which includes moving towards employment (e.g. new employment, training, volunteering and other social value) and clinical improvements in mental health and wellbeing. This specification lays out the requirements of this contract.

two.1.5) Estimated total value

Value excluding VAT: £434,885

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKK3 - Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

There is a long history of unemployment having an adverse impact on health with a reduction in psychological wellbeing and greater incidence of anxiety, depression, poor mental health and risk of suicide (10-12). Whilst poor mental health and wellbeing can be a predictor for unemployment (13), spells of unemployment have been found to predict reduced quality of life and life satisfaction after the age of 50 (14). There is a need for funders and mental health systems to support policies and practices that address long-term unemployment and its impact on mental health and wellbeing (11). The NHS Kernow adult mental health strategy for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly supports the adoption of the prevention concordat for better mental health. Improving population wellbeing through targeting the wider determinants of health such as employment and health inequalities is a core component of the strategy.

Since 2018, The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) grant funded Mental Health Employment Advisors (MHEA) being co-located in eleven job centres across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to support individuals with their mental health and wellbeing and help them back into employment. With additional funding from Public Health, this service comes to an end on the 30th September 2022. This service has been delivered by Pentreath, a charity formed in 1991 to provide support and guidance to people experiencing and recovering from mental ill health across Cornwall (24). The intervention targets adults aged 16+ years who accessed a job centre and self-declared that their mental health acted as a barrier to accessing appropriate employment. The intervention includes supporting people over a 2-4 month period, which includes an initial assessment to identify their mental health needs, ability to work and then identify a personalised action plan to help them back into employment and improve their mental health and wellbeing.

With the service coming to an end in September 2022, there is a need to address the ongoing economic pressures and rising living costs on society. This new contract specification covers the commissioning of the MHEA project co-located in eleven job centres across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, as well as the Devonport job centre, to ensure that people living in the Southeast of Cornwall using job centres in Plymouth also receive the support they need. This new service will run for the next three years. This will start on the 1st October 2022 to prevent there being a gap in service provision. This will work closely with the job centres through co-location to support adults aged 16 years and over who declare that their mental health acts as a barrier to employment. Those delivering the service must be co-located to meet the needs of individuals and have knowledge of local support for their employment and mental health and wellbeing needs, as well as other needs such as substance mis-use, housing and wider lifestyle issues including debt and finances. The service must deliver positive outcomes for local people accessing job centres, which includes moving towards employment (e.g. new employment, training, volunteering and other social value) and clinical improvements in mental health and wellbeing. This specification lays out the requirements of this contract.

two.2.5) Award criteria

Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents

two.2.6) Estimated value

Value excluding VAT: £434,885

two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system

Start date

1 October 2022

End date

30 September 2025

This contract is subject to renewal

No

two.2.10) Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: No

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: No

two.2.12) Information about electronic catalogues

Tenders must be presented in the form of electronic catalogues or include an electronic catalogue

two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds

The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.1) Type of procedure

Open procedure

four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes

four.2) Administrative information

four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

Date

8 August 2022

Local time

12:00pm

four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted

English

four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders

Date

8 August 2022

Local time

12:00pm


Section six. Complementary information

six.1) Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: No

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Cornwall Council

1 Treyew Road

Truro

TR1 3AY

Country

United Kingdom