Remploy's Employment Services <http://www.remploy.co.uk/employment-services.ashx>  division has been earmarked as preferred bidder to become the UK's sole provider of the mental health support service for Access to Work.

The Government contract, from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), is estimated at £4.8m. Remploy has been appointed as preferred bidder in all of the seven available contracts to deliver Access to Work's mental health provision, spanning England, Wales and Scotland.

Currently, there is no contracted provision for Access to Work customers who also require support for mental health issues. However, this new service will assist more than 1,600 people with mental health conditions to stay in employment.

Remploy's in work support service will provide a wide range of support for people with mental health conditions for six months, and will include:

*       A work focused counselling service or other tailored work focused mental health support for the individual

*       Provision of a personalised action plan and exit report

*       Employer education

*       Assessing an individual's needs and identifying coping strategies

*       Identifying reasonable adjustments within the workplace or within the confines of working practice

Beth Carruthers, Remploy's Director of Employment Services <http://www.remploy.co.uk/employment-services.ashx> , said:

"Remploy is delighted to have been awarded preferred bidder status in the delivery of mental health support services of Access to work.

"We are experts in this field and have been delivering a similar 'in work' support package for more four years.

"I look forward to the delivery of this programme and the change for the better in the lives of more than 1,500 people with mental health conditions."

Access to Work advisers can be contacted via the following link on the Direct Gov website.

Source: Remploy website