Statutory guidance

Annex F: Access to Work MHSS Specified Standard

Updated 21 November 2024

1. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is keen to ensure that the quality of Access to Work provision provided by the Provider is exemplary.

2. The Provider is responsible for ensuring that Customers have access to suitable and high-quality support in a way that provides a good service and an excellent Customer experience. For Access to Work Mental Health Support Service to offer the most effective support possible to Customers, a number of key features are integral to delivery. In providing the Services the Provider is required to:

• focus strongly on returning MHSS Reports within the contracted timescales
• provide accurate MHSS Reports
• demonstrate a sound understanding of the breadth of mental health issues which may be experienced by the Customer and the appropriate support to address the Customer’s workplace-related mental health needs

3. In particular, the MHSS Reports shall be in the format specified below and be fit for purpose:

• legible and in plain language
• checked for grammar, spelling and punctuation
• well-presented and of good quality
• in point 12 Arial font (unless alternative requirements are needed due to the Customer’s disability)
• logically sequenced, clear, informative and complete
• fully detailed and consistent (please note it will be seen by the Customer)

4. It is important that the MHSS Reports are of good quality in accordance with the standard in this Annex F and the AtW Service Delivery Team will define whether they are to the ‘specified standard’, based on the criteria below.

5. An MHSS Report may be deemed not to the standard specified in this Annex F and therefore rejected and returned for Rework if one or more of the following reasons applies:

• incorrect information is reported
• no confirmation of whether Customer is or is not in employment
• there are spelling and/or grammatical errors
• there is no full justification or insufficient detail for the support recommended/provided
• there is insufficient detail on the progress of the customer throughout the Support Period or Sustainment Period (as applicable)
• there is no explanation of how the support will address the Customer’s support needs
• it contains personal/confidential information reported to the Provider that the Customer requested to be confidential and did not want to be disclosed on the report

6. The MHSS Coach should ensure that they advise the Customer that they will report anything they tell them unless otherwise stated.

7. If the MHSS Coach wants to make the AtW Service Delivery Team aware of any issues, a separate document can be added to the MHSS Report for the AtW Service Delivery Team.

8. If an MHSS Report has been rejected, the Provider will be notified by e-mail within five (5) Working Days of the receipt of the MHSS Report.

9. If the AtW Service Delivery Team decides that an MHSS Report is not to the standard specified in this Annex F, the Provider will be notified of the reason and will be required to review and resubmit the report within one (1) Working Day of its return.

10. If the Provider is concerned about an MHSS Report that has been returned for Rework, it should refer to the Single Point of Contact in the AtW Team (as designated by DWP from time to time). In the absence of the SPOC, the Provider should contact the AtW Business Support team by email atwprovider.contractcorrespondence@dwp.gov.uk to determine the appropriate action to take.

11. The AtW Team will monitor the quality of the MHSS Reports and the number returned to the Provider as unacceptable on a monthly basis.

12. This information will be discussed formally as part of regular performance reviews led by AtW Performance Manager.