--- title: "Health and Wellbeing Staff Support Text Service" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-d3850647-9ac0-465e-bf37-9271638948c1" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-d3850647-9ac0-465e-bf37-9271638948c1" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-d3850647-9ac0-465e-bf37-9271638948c1.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-d3850647-9ac0-465e-bf37-9271638948c1.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "NHS ENGLAND" published: "2022-03-14" --- # Health and Wellbeing Staff Support Text Service Buyer: NHS ENGLAND Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-b5fd17-d3850647-9ac0-465e-bf37-9271638948c1 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-d3850647-9ac0-465e-bf37-9271638948c1) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-d3850647-9ac0-465e-bf37-9271638948c1.json) ## Summary NHS England is initiating a procurement for the "Health and Wellbeing Staff Support Text Service", aimed at providing psychological support for health and care workers across the UK. This service is intended to continue a vital helpline that has been operational since June 2020, addressing various mental health challenges faced by NHS staff. The procurement is at the planning stage, with estimated contract values ranging from £90,000 to £270,000, and a contract period from 5th August 2022 to 5th August 2023. Interested suppliers must register their interest via the NHS e-procurement system, with a future notice communicated by 14th March 2022. This tender presents an opportunity for businesses in the mental health and counselling sectors to expand their services within the public health framework. Companies that offer guidance and counselling services, particularly those with experience in supporting staff wellbeing in high-stress environments, would be particularly well-suited to compete. The open procurement method encourages a diverse range of suppliers, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs), to participate in delivering essential support services to NHS staff. ## Notice The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need of establishing a suitable health and wellbeing offer for all our staff. As a result, we have operated a national staff support text service since June 2020, to support our NHS staff who are under enormous pressure every day. Common themes that have emerged from the text service in the past six months, that we want to continue supporting our staff with include - * Job stress * Traumatic events * Caring responsibilities * Lack of support network * Relationship breakdowns * Health concerns Most common issues include: * Anxiety/stress * Depression/sadness * Suicide * Relationships * Self-harm * Isolation/loneliness The requirement is for a staff support text service, to continue to provide a psychological support offer for all NHS staff. The service is provided for all health and care workers across the country. Currently over 3600 NHS staff have contacted the helpline since June 2020. On average the text service receives between 170-200 conversations a month from NHS staff. The text service will offer NHS staff the opportunity to converse with trained crisis volunteers. The requirement will be to run a 7-day service, 24 hours a day, that can operate nationally, and is able to cater to all groups and demographics. This will need to be set up and delivered at a relatively fast pace, to enable a continuation in service for our workforce. There is a clinical risk attached to the necessity to keep the service continuous for our users, and therefore a gap in service will not be acceptable (a short period of transition between an old supplier and a new one can be agreed however). The existing contract is scheduled to end on the 5th August 2022. Additionally, the supplier should be able to provide anonymized and vital data, to the commissioning organisation, to provide further understanding of emerging concerns and issues related to the health and wellbeing of our workforce. The content, structure and delivery of the reports should be open to change depending on the requirements of the commissioning organisation. This will also conclude in an evaluation piece that will need to be carried out at intervals throughout the year. This will involve working with our evaluation lead to explore and deliver report/s through qualitative evaluation methods, such as interviews with users, to gain an in-depth understanding of service usage by staff. Supplier Expressions of Interest Interested suppliers should register on the NHS England & Improvement e-procurement system here: https://health-family.force.com/login * Once logged in click 'Find Opportunities' and search for 'Health and Wellbeing Staff Support Text Service' * Click 'Register Interest' * Once you have registered your interest you will be able to view the Requirements and submit a response to the question within the portal (See attached document for more details) ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/929c6f3c-54ba-44e3-abce-1443e7a89721 | | Notice type | Planned Procurement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Open | | Procurement method details | Open procedure (above threshold) | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 14 Mar 2022 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 14 Mar 2022 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 4 Aug 2022 - 5 Aug 2023 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £270,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planned | | Lots status | Not specified | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | NHS ENGLAND | | Locality | LEEDS | | Post town | Leeds | | Postcode | LS2 7UE | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLE Yorkshire and The Humber | | ITL 2 | TLE4 West Yorkshire | | ITL 3 | TLE42 Leeds | | Local authority | Leeds | | Electoral ward | Little London & Woodhouse | | Westminster constituency | Leeds Central and Headingley | | Delivery location | TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England) | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 85 - Health and social work services ### Codes - 85312300 - Guidance and counselling services - 85312320 - Counselling services ## Release History - 14 Mar 2022 at 16:59 - Planning - Planned Procurement Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/929c6f3c-54ba-44e3-abce-1443e7a89721 ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/929c6f3c-54ba-44e3-abce-1443e7a89721 14th March 2022 - Future opportunity notice on Contracts Finder - https://atamis-1928.cloudforce.com/sfc/p/0O000000rwim/a/8d000000HYkc/fp_2yH4N.jm_EmffnjPavJpippaxZZ.iVhWwnNeUJ18 Market Engagement - HWB National Staff Support Text Service final ## Notice URLs - https://health-family.force.com/login ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. 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