---
title: "Mental Health Recovery Workers - ESTEP/ARMS Service"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06ee6b"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06ee6b"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ee6b.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ee6b.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust"
published: "2026-08-28"
---

# Mental Health Recovery Workers - ESTEP/ARMS Service

Buyer: Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06ee6b

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## Summary

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust commissioned mental health recovery worker services for its Early Intervention in Psychosis and At Risk Mental State service. The provider works alongside Trust colleagues to support patients and help prevent a first episode of psychosis. The service covers mental wellbeing, social functioning, employment and quality of life, with a focus on recovery, reducing relapse and increasing independence. It also links patients with local services and mainstream community support. The work is delivered in Essex and falls within miscellaneous health services. This is a patient-facing community mental health support requirement, suited to organisations with experience helping people at risk of, or recovering from, psychosis and with established links to local support networks.

The procurement is complete and the contract was awarded to Thurrock and Brentwood Mind under the Provider Selection Regime’s Direct Award Process A, on the stated basis that there was no realistic alternative provider. One service lot was identified, with price as the award criterion. The contract was signed on 4 August 2026 and awarded for the period from 1 September 2026 to 31 March 2028. Its value is up to £187,720 including the stated contract value. The arrangement includes an optional extension of two further 12-month periods. The award record shows one bid and the selected supplier is Thurrock and Brentwood Mind, an SME.

This award indicates established demand from Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust for specialist, community-based support connected to early intervention in psychosis and at-risk mental state services. A credible future competitor would need mental health recovery workers able to work effectively within NHS clinical teams, support people across wellbeing, social functioning, employment and independence goals, and recognise or help reduce relapse risk. Strong local knowledge and practical referral links with community and mainstream services would be important, as would the ability to provide consistent patient-facing support across the service area. The award also shows that the requirement has been met by an SME and that the buyer considered there to be no realistic alternative provider, making distinctive service capability and established relationships particularly significant.

## Notice

Work alongside Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) colleagues based in the EIP/ARMS Service to support patients to help prevent a first episode of psychosis providing support to people with all aspects of their lives including mental wellbeing, social functioning, employment and general quality of life. Maximising opportunities to promote recovery, reduce relapse and enhance independence. Linking with local services, connecting to mainstream support.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Work alongside Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) colleagues based in the EIP/ARMS Service to support patients to help prevent a first episode of psychosis providing support to people with all aspects of their lives including mental wellbeing, social functioning, employment and general quality of life. Maximising opportunities to promote recovery, reduce relapse and enhance independence. Linking with local services, connecting to mainstream support.

This notice is an intention to award a contract under the Direct Award Process A. No realistic alternative provider.

Contract Value: Up to PS187,720 
New or Existing Service: Existing
Contract Start Date: 01/09/2026
Contract End Date: 31/03/2028
Optional Extension: N/A

Options: Optional extension period of 2 x 12-months.

### Procurement Information

No realistic alternative provider

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/082118-2026 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 28 Aug 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £187,720 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Cancelled |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust |
| Locality | WICKFORD |
| Postcode area | Southend-on-Sea |
| Postcode | SS11 7XX |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLH East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLH3 Essex |
| ITL 3 | TLH36 Heart of Essex |
| Local authority | Chelmsford |
| Electoral ward | Rettendon and Runwell |
| Westminster constituency | Maldon |
| Delivery location | TLH3 Essex |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | THURROCK AND BRENTWOOD MIND |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 85140000 - Miscellaneous health services

## Release History

- 28 Aug 2026 at 11:40 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/082118-2026

## Notice URLs

- http://thurrockmind.org.uk
- https://www.eput.nhs.uk
- https://www.resolution.nhs.uk/

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06ee6b. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ee6b.json.