Guidance

Avon, Somerset and Gloucestershire, closing date: Midday 16 January 2019

Updated 11 December 2018

Jobcentre Plus would like to work with partners to improve the employment prospects of individuals facing complex barriers. We are looking for imaginative and innovative proposals from organisations to support individuals with mental health barriers to employment.

This opportunity will be administered by Jobcentre Plus through grant funding. The funding available for this is up to a maximum of £99,000 and will be awarded to a lead accountable body (LAB). A LAB must be a legal entity with auditable accounts.

Location – Bristol
Closing date for applications – Midday 16 January 2019

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) offers a range of support to help people off benefits and into jobs. With government policies focused on helping more people return to work, we have seen the numbers of people in work at record highs. However, there is still a focus to help people who have been unemployed for long periods, who live in deprived areas or have health conditions, change their lives through work.

DWP wants to join up public services such as health, housing, transport, employment and skills to help local people back into work. We seek to achieve value for money and alignment of funding which supports our primary aim of getting as many people back to work as quickly as possible.

Details of the partnership opportunity

DWP has identified a number of customers (at least 70) in Bristol who have a need for support in addressing mental health barriers order to gain sustainable employment.

Delivery should cover Bristol with referrals being made by Jobcentres across the City

  • Bedminster
  • Bishopsworth
  • Bristol Temple Street
  • Kingswood
  • Horfield
  • Shirehampton

The objective of this opportunity is to support 70 economically inactive participants who experience mental health barriers. Delivery must enable participants to understand and manage their Mental Health issues, leading them to have the confidence to be more self-sufficient, and to progress the removal of barriers faced by those individuals.

DWP seeks a service that will increase the confidence and motivation of the individual so that they can consider employment as the best course of action in order to improve their standard of living. We require the supplier to hold extensive experience in the field of supporting and engaging with those experiencing mental distress / mental health barriers to work.

Critical elements of the provision

DWP would like suppliers to provide as a minimum the following elements:

  • a full diagnostic interview
  • it is essential that the supplier can offer a holistic approach so knows of sources of local help across Bristol and can actively signpost to those organisations acting as an advocate for that individual
  • understanding the causes of depression and anxiety and ways to cope and manage them
  • overcoming anxiety over interviews and entering the work place
  • to include at least six 1-2-1 face to face or group sessions (each expected to have a minimum duration of 60 minutes).Some sessions could be in a group setting if several claimants are facing similar barriers and group delivery/support would be more effective
  • help with emotional health, self-esteem, confidence building and anxiety management, battling negative thoughts ~ promoting a positive attitude. Development of an individual, realistic, time bound action plan and where required help to remove barriers to employment
  • the supplier is to take an active role to ensure the claimant addresses barriers, delivering and arranging support activities and mentoring advice. This includes direct delivery in-house and from third parties, rather than simply signposting

Other features of the provision that are desirable but not essential:

  • providing a positive health statement and the benefits of having one with support to create their own personal health statement
  • the Supplier should have good local knowledge of other stakeholder groups so they can network and signpost to other avenues of support. The purpose is that there is the chance of post contract activity to avoid resetting into “normal” patterns of behaviour, thus making them more able to sustain employment in the future
  • opportunity to have 3-way reviews which include our Work Coaches
  • understanding mental wellbeing, for example how we store information in our minds and how negative thoughts can affect us when carrying out important activities
  • understanding virtuous circles

Required targets/ indicators

The critical elements to be included in the support are:

  • 100% of attendees on completion are provided with a personalised Action Plan that has been developed with them by the supplier
  • the Action Plans to show both short-term and long-term goals and steps the customer is taking to achieve them.
  • if a claimant presents with a particular barrier, they are to be signposted to an organisation that can help the customer to move forward
  • delivery to take place at the suppliers premises, community venues or other similar locations
  • expected outcomes will be soft Social Justice Outcomes and evidence that people are moving forwards, e.g. engagement in further training, work experience, volunteering, etc. as a means of getting closer to the labour market

Start and finish dates

Jobcentre Plus would like this support to begin in January 2019, with referrals ending in mid September 2019 allowing final delivery by November 2019.

How to apply

Contact Third Party Provision Team for an application form quoting reference number:

ASG Grant 02 Bristol Mental Health Support

Email: asg.provisionteam@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone: 01823 349105

Closing date

The closing date for applications is midday 16 January 2019.

More information

For further information please contact:

Kevin Limrick Telephone: 01823 349105
Email: kevin.limrick@dwp.gsi.gov.uk