Developments in the recognition of mental health issues across the EU have increased awareness in relation to mental health and wellbeing in education.

However, VET providers are finding increasingly difficult to keep up to date with changing developments. As a result, their provision, facilities and policies are not always set up to offer a welcoming environment for those suffering from mental health issues. There needs to be a shift in the whole approach to positive mental health VET provision, from course design and promotion to HR policies and recruitment.

With the view to strengthen the approach that VET institutions usually take to address the specific educational needs of participants to their courses, 5 partner organisations from England, Spain, Bulgaria, Iceland and Italy have recently launched the project Mental Health+.

The project aims to develop benchmarking and governance tools for VET institutions in order to enable the sound implementation of inclusive policies and procedures. Drawing on existing best practices at the European level, the partner organisations will shed light on issues related to the institutional set-up of these schools, suggesting the most appropriate measures for the creation of inclusive learning environments.

On 19 and 20 November 2019, the Kick-off meeting of the project took place, bringing together all partners in Valladolid, Spain. The meeting was the first opportunity for them to meet and discuss about responsibilities and roles of each partner, compare the different legal frameworks on mental health at the national level, and clarify next activities.

During the different phases of implementation of the project, therefore, several actions are foreseen. Initially, the partners will carry out both desk and field researches to give a general overview on national/regional/institutional developments and challenges, and to provide concrete information on best practices related to diversity integration.

Once the research is completed, an MH+ charter setting out the minimum requirements that VET institutions need to meet in order to consider themselves a champion of mental health inclusivity will be developed. Later on, the partners will focus on the development of benchmarking tools and useful guidelines for the identification of skills and responsibilities needed to develop a specific professional profile – the so-called MH+ Champion – in charge of driving forward inclusive policies and developments. To test the interactive benchmarking tool and provide feedback on its usability, design and relevance, each partner will carry out both focus groups and remote piloting with local stakeholders.