20/08 - International student support and counselling service

The University of Portsmouth wishes to ascertain the marketplace and is seeking a suitable supplier to provide a fully fluent, multilingual student support service which will supplement our embedded wellbeing and mental health provision, offering 24/7 safeguarding support and in particular ensuring that international students can access support and counselling in their home language. Crucially, the service will also provide legally compliant support and counselling for whatever country the student is in at the time of contact.

The service must have capability to provide immediate 24/7 telephone safeguarding support and ideally text chat from trained mental health professionals, using key world languages in addition to English such as Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish and French and possibly additional key languages. It should be able to arrange for students blocks of ongoing professional counselling sessions in any world language within a few days of initial contact. Students should be able to request matching for language, cultural background or other relevant experience (eg LGBTQ+). These factors can be crucial in circumstances where students are distressed or in poor mental health, making a significant difference to the helpfulness and perceived accessibility of support.

The University is looking for a partner who can help us to provide:

Professional 24/7 safeguarding provision for all students (include distance learners and those in countries other than the UK)

Substantial increase in counselling provision for all students, ensuring sufficient capacity to meet rising demand on the University Student Wellbeing Service

Significantly increased accessibility of wellbeing/mental health support for international and other students with minority experience, supporting their inclusion and success.

Collaborative working to extend our embedded mental health provision, linking directly with confidential Student Wellbeing Service systems to ensure appropriate data-sharing and a joined up approach to student support and safeguarding.

Anticipated initial contract length is for 3 years.

Following receipt of expressions of interest the University will confirm its intentions and if applicable release full procurement documentation. Please note, this notice does not bind the University to undertake any further procurement activity. All procurement activity will be undertaken in accordance with PCR 2015.

To Express an Interest in this project please register on the University of Portsmouth In-Tend webpage and express an interest in this project. Please find the weblink for our webpage below:

https://in-tendhost.co.uk/port/

Additional information:

This is currently a call for competition only. Please express your interest via the University's tendering portal - https://in-tendhost.co.uk/port/

Is a Recurrent Procurement Type? : No