Statutory guidance

Chapter 9: Marketing and Communications

Updated 28 August 2024

Marketing

9.01 Providers are expected to promote the Access to Work Mental Health Support Service (AtW MHSS) and recruit customers externally through marketing and engagement activity. This activity should be targeted specifically at potential customers who are employees of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) as defined in your AtW MHSS Contract.

9.02 Unless otherwise expressly approved by Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), you are prohibited from actively marketing AtW MHSS to Large Employers (as defined in your contract). You are also prohibited from establishing new or continuing existing working relationships with Large Employers with a view to obtaining Supplier Generated Candidates (as defined in your contract).

9.03 You must not engage in direct marketing of any individual for whom you have claimed a six (6) Month Outcome Payment (in this or any previous AtW MHSS contract).

9.04 ‘Blanket’ marketing that is unlikely to specifically target employees of SMEs and self-employed individuals, for example via social media/flyers/posters etc. is unlikely to be approved by DWP and should be avoided.

9.05 Should you be approached directly by any Large Employers looking to establish new, or continue existing, working relationships with a view to providing Supplier Generated Candidates, you should not engage with any employer requests, but rather inform DWP at your next Contract Performance Review (CPR).

9.06 DWP retains final approval on all marketing activities and initiatives. All planned materials and activities for marketing should be submitted to DWP Marketing for approval (via Jaggaer) with details of the target audience before they are used or delivered.

Please note: DWP will seek to turnaround approvals for marketing materials and activities within three (3) weeks.

9.07 DWP can direct you to cease all marketing activity at any time, including pausing or cancelling social media marketing activities, and you will immediately comply with any such direction.

9.08 If DWP has concerns about your marketing approach they can call for a scrutiny meeting between you and senior DWP management to address any concerns. Failure to comply with any DWP instruction to cease, pause or alter marketing activity shall constitute a Non Service Failure Default under your AtW MHSS contract.

9.09 You will be expected to accept applications online and via telephony. AtW Service Delivery team will retain control over customer eligibility for all applications to the AtW MHSS.

9.10 You will prepare and share yearly marketing plans with DWP Strategic Communications for their approval. All creative concepts should be reviewed by the DWP Marketing team, and any content produced should align with approved concepts and brand guidelines.

• This plan should be shared with all meeting attendees of CPRs
• Marketing Plans need to be in the format specified by DWP at the marketing launch meeting

9.11 You will attend monthly CPRs which will contain a section to analyse marketing activities. These meetings will provide a forum for you to showcase your activities. They will cover:

• A review of all marketing activity (online, literature, sessions etc) that you have delivered in the previous month and all planned marketing activity for the following month
• Management Information related to social media impressions, engagements and click throughs, and how many people attended any events
• Evidence of increasing participation from employees of SMEs and self-employed individuals as a direct result of your marketing
• Demonstrating that your marketing plans focus only on increasing participation from employees of SMEs and self-employed individuals
• Ensuring that the number of starts achieved remains in line with the volumes indicated in your contract Specification or as otherwise indicated to you to meet the needs and requirements of DWP
• The names of companies which have received marketing packs
• The number of Supplier Generated Candidates per month
• A breakdown of referrals by company name for the preceding months
• Any other information on marketing activities as requested by DWP

9.12 All promotional activity must be evaluated robustly, and outcomes shared with DWP Strategic Communications at CPR meetings. To support this evaluation, as a minimum all applicants must be asked, and it should be recorded:

• Which promotional activity or channel prompted their application at the time of initial contact
• Their Employer’s Name and Size

Branding and Marketing Approach

9.13 The creative approach to the products can reflect the Provider’s own design criteria but they must carry the DWP logo as the primary logo. It must be clear that the service is delivered as part of AtW and all mentions to the service should state it is the AtW MHSS.

9.14 Some key issues you must consider for the content of your communications, marketing and press activity are:

• Reputational Risk.  Materials you produce must not adversely affect the reputation of the service being provided by the Government, DWP or JCP, e.g. risks that could lead to adverse media attention, or messages that could be misunderstood or misinterpreted; and
• Disability Equality Duty/Equality Act 2010.  You must ensure that all our participants can access our information by providing a variety of alternative formats (e.g. large print, audio format, Braille) on request; and ensuring that people can still access our information when their chosen alternative format is not available

9.15 In producing your marketing material, you must be aware that there are propriety conventions that you will have to follow. Please see Chapter 9 of the Generic Provider Guidance - Marketing and Communications for further information. Adhering to these conventions ensures that the Government, Department, Ministers, Civil Servants and those delivering on their behalf act properly and are seen to be acting properly.

9.16 If you pay a Sub-contractor to do your marketing, you are both responsible for complying with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). You should ensure you have a written contract setting out your Sub-contractor’s responsibilities.

Communications

9.17 Providers should establish and maintain effective communication channels with all delivery partners to ensure prompt and accurate transmission of information.

9.18 All proposed press activity must be cleared through the DWP press office and you must inform your performance manager in the first instance.