New OGP arrangement for Employee Assistance Services

A new Framework Agreement developed by the Office of Government Procurement provides access to Employee Assistance Services and is now available to public sector bodies.

The framework agreement is arranged into two discrete areas including, A Complete Employee Assistance Service and Counselling-only Services. Both arrangements have been awarded to Irish SMEs, Spectrum.Life and Inspire Workplaces.

These employee assistance services are intended to assist public sector bodies and their employees to manage or resolve work-related and personal concerns in support of employee wellness and quality of life. This confidential support will help promote organisational effectiveness in the public sector.

The Complete Employee Assistance Service will provide public bodies with access to:

• Secure and confidential telephone helpline and advice service accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
• Independent and confidential counselling, support, advice, and information by suitably qualified people.
• Active health & wellbeing promotion with dedicated online support system.
• Promotional brochures and literature relating to the employee assistance services.
• Support for HR managers
• a dedicated Mental Health Promotion Manager to tailor the service to each public sector bodies culture, practices and operating environment

The Counselling-only services provides public bodies with access to a counselling support programme which will provide public bodies with access to:

• Independent and confidential counselling, support, advice, and information, 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year, delivered by suitably qualified counsellors.
• Trauma counselling services.

These valuable support services are available to bodies across the whole of the public service including An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces and the Irish Prison Service. Civil servants in central Government will continue to use the existing Civil Service Employee Assistance Service.

Further detailed information on the range of services available, eligibility to use the services and how to access these services is available on the OGP website, ogp.gov.ie