Decision Maker: Executive Director Adults and Communities
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
Approval to award funding to Health Assured to provide a mental health telephone helpline for residents contacting the council’s various customer contact centres, including the Covid 19 Contact Centre and the Public Health Covid Support Service, whose mental health is being adversely affected by the pandemic and its restrictions.
To award funding to Health Assured to provide a mental health telephone helpline for residents contacting the council’s various customer contact centres, including the Covid 19 Contact Centre and the Public Health Covid Support Service, whose mental health is being adversely affected by the pandemic and its restrictions at a cost of £35,000.
The council’s customer facing services have been receiving a number of calls which involve people being emotionally distressed, experiencing anxiety and/or being socially isolated due to the Covid pandemic and its restrictions. Many have underlying issues which call centre staff are not trained to support them with.
The Financial Resilience Group, Community Resilience Group, Communities DMT and Public Health have been consulted.
Other option were examined and this provider is the most economically advantageous and able to implement the telephone helpline in the most timely way.
Publication date: 08/01/2021
Date of decision: 07/01/2021