Safeguarding Support for Covid-19 Inquiry

The Cabinet Office has put in place contracts for the provision of Emotional Support service for use by the Covid 19 Inquiry. The Inquiry has pledged to be trauma-informed across all of its work. A trauma informed approach means seeking to reduce the risk of retraumatisation to people who are engaging with the Inquiry. Emotional support is one of the key ways of reducing retraumatisation by offering timely, sensitive, psychologically informed emotional support to people engaging with the Inquiry's work. Emotional support is not counselling or therapy. The focus is on facilitating the person's engagement with the Inquiry, creating support plans, facilitating stabilisation, providing psychological containment and facilitating the person's journey through their engagement process. These contracts provide the offer of emotional support for everyone engaging with the Inquiry. The UK Covid-19 Inquiry has chosen to exercise its option to terminate Lot 1 and Lot 3 of these contracts and on Monday 25 March 2024 gave the requisite 90 days notice. Additional information: In relation to Lot 2 - The value change to $1,144877.74 and Utilisation of the first permitted 1 year extension (effective from 22/02/2026) and removal of telephone-based emotional support from the deliverables required under the contract (effective 1st April 2026). As a result of this, and from01/04/2026, the Inquiry will no longer be charged for baseline monthly cost of telephone/video support sessions.