Get Your 5 A Day- Mindfulness and Mental Wellbeing at Work: Training and Games for Public Sector Managers. Erasmus Project

Project Title

Get Your 5 A Day- Mindfulness and Mental Wellbeing at Work: Training and Games for Public Sector Managers.

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Health and wellbeing

Project Summary

The rationale behind the Mindful Managers project was the high absenteeism in the public sector due to stress, anxiety and poor mental health. Research conducted prior to the submission of the project showed that more than 40 million people are affected by work-related stress and illness in the EU (Zoni, S. & Lucchini, R. G., 2012). Around 50% of European workers experience stress frequently and it is considered to be the main health and safety risk they face in the workplace (EU-OSHA, 2016).
Therefore the Mindful Managers project aimed to:
– develop and provide techniques and tools to public sector managers to support their and their teams’ mental wellbeing,
– de-stigmatise the discussion around mental health at work and raise awareness.
4 partners gathered from the UK (Inova Consultancy), Cyprus (CARDET), Belgium (Obelisk) and Finland (VAMK – Vaasa University of Applied Sciences) to achieve the above mentioned project objectives.
The project built on the 5 habits to wellbeing identified in the Mental Capital and Wellbeing research project (UK Government, 2008). These five steps are Connect, Be active, Take notice, Keep learning and Give. This mimics the successful campaigns across Europe for healthy eating which focus on getting ‘5 fruits/vegetables or more a day’. The 5 thematic areas are present throughout all project results.
The direct target group of the project was public sector managers. As part of the piloting sessions in the project, past managers and people applying for such positions were engaged. Secondary beneficiaries of the project were stakeholders, policy makers, health and support organisations. Feedback received from participants was very positive (e.g., “Relaxation exercises were wonderful and the atmosphere at the sessions was calming and good.“, “A remarkable seminar with very interesting information that can help self-improvement.”)

In order to achieve the above mentioned project objectives, the partnership developed 4 intellectual outputs.
– Mindful Managers Training Programme (O2): The partnership successfully developed 5 modules as part of the training programme (5 steps to wellbeing) and piloted the modules in 2 pilot phases in Belgium, Cyprus, Finland and the UK. In total 136 public sector managers participated in the programme face to face or online. As part of the output, the Belgian partner developed webinars that reached more than 200 views.
– E-learning game/App (O3): This App was developed with more than 100 mini scenarios to guide players through various challenges and solutions in the public sector. The game is available in the App Store and Google Play. The game is self-paced and can be useful for stakeholders and other sectors. Players can collect stars as they complete the different quests. More than 150 users downloaded the game during the project lifetime.
– Reflection Rounds (O4): this peer mentoring programme was designed to offer public sector managers a confidential learning environment to reflect on their mental wellbeing and goals in their professional and personal lives. The programme was piloted twice with a total of 60 participants in Belgium, Finland, Cyprus and the UK.
– “Developing Mindful Managers: A Guide for Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Public Sector” (O5): this Policy Makers Guide was prepared to compile the recommendations of the Mindful Managers project and to highlight the importance of mental wellbeing at work. The Guide also offers a comprehensive overview of the products developed in the Mindful Managers project. The Guide is available in English and an executive summary was translated into Dutch, Greek and Finnish.
Project partners carried out various online and office dissemination activities and organised 3 multiplier events. A total of more than 5000 people were reached by the dissemination activities and had access to the results of the project during the project lifetime.

The final activities of the project were carried out online due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In the current circumstances, the pressure on the public sector is higher than before the pandemic with many public sector workers being on the front line. Therefore specific support provided to the sector is of utmost importance and more in demand. In order to sustain the project results, all training materials have been shared on the project website (https://mindfulmanager.eu/en/). These resources are freely accessible to anyone who wishes to learn about the project, utilise the materials with their clients or use the online game. Continued commitment of partners to disseminate further the findings and results form part of the sustainability plan.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 254368,26 Eur

Project Coordinator

INOVA CONSULTANCY LTD & Country: UK

Project Partners

• CENTRE FOR ADVANCEMENT OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY LTD-CARDET
• OY VAASAN AMMATTIKORKEAKOULU – VASAYRKESHOGSKOLA AB
• Obelisk NV