According to the EU Action Plan on Childhood Obesity 2014-2020, the proportion of the population in EU countries who are overweight or obese remains worryingly high for adults and for children and young people, despite action at the European level to reverse the rising trend (EU Action Plan on Childhood Obesity 2014-2020,p.2). The implications of overweight and obesity in the Europe are stark: the prevalence of obesity has more than tripled in many European countries since the 1980s and with this rise comes a concomitant increase in rates of associated non-communicable disease. The WHO’s Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI), around 1 in 3 children in the EU aged 6-9 years old were overweight or obese in 2010. This is a worrying increase on 2008, when estimates were 1 in 4. The target groups of the CORRECT IT! project were nurses, social workers and teachers who are appropriate professionals to successfully tackle the issue of obesity prevention and promoting a healthy lifestyle, taking into account their role in advising and promoting healthy lifestyle habits. Project partners were universities, professional organizations, research centers and NGOs from Romania, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, and Norway. CORRECT IT! has contributed to the decrease of this important global issue with the following outputs: a healthy lifestyle concept analysis and collection of good practices, a VET obesity prevention and healthy lifestyle curricula, a tested platform and VET blended learning obesity prevention and healthy lifestyle training materials. The project also created a pool of 26 trainers from the 5 countries and piloted the training at international and local level with 686 trainees among the 3 target groups and other health and psycho-social professionals who acquired knowledge, skills and tools to provide clear messages on healthy diets and nutrition, physical activity, prevention of obesity and metabolic diseases and nondiscriminatory behavior towards the obese or overweight persons. The 6 dissemination activities with 312 participants, the numerous awareness raising events, and materials elaborated during the project implementation have contributed to the obesity prevention and promotion of a healthy lifestyle among target groups, patients, beneficiaries, children, teen agers, adults, public authorities, other stakeholders. The impact of the CORRECT IT! project during the sustainability period of the project through the efforts of direct and associated partners in the project.

"It is of paramount importance to support the development of relevant and high-quality skills and competences further to strengthen key competences in VET concerning health care. European healthcare systems show significant gaps in healthcare provision (Council of Europe, 2016). At the same time, our health care system is under considerable budgetary and societal strain (European Commission, 2017). To improve our provision of care, we need to devise a more efficient and sustainable healthcare system. Then it is essential to be able to implement change and monitoring the outcomes. At the same time, numerous studies show that implementing the proposed changes in a healthcare setting remains fragmented, inconsistent, and inefficient. Hence, there is a substantial need for the development of high-quality work-based VET in the healthcare sector that facilitates the process of implementing change in an efficient and structured way and being cost-efficient. The need for ongoing training and development of health care professionals is highlighted in the Directive 2013/55/EU ""Member States shall ensure, by encouraging continuous professional development, that health professionals are able to update their knowledge… to maintain safe and effective practice"". A key priority is the need to train healthcare professionals to implement change and monitor the effect at the clinical levels. The healthcare partners from Slovenia, Greece, Estonia, Latvia, and Romania report that they do not have the resources or training to address these issues adequately and are therefore neglected. The objectives of this project were to develop, test, implement and disseminate the developed training material for healthcare managers and healthcare professionals and students. A further objective was to produce a functional training programme reflective of the sociocultural diversity across Europe. The project succeeded to make the training material accessible to a broad range of stakeholders via multi-mode delivery accessible as an open resource. The consortium consisted of public health experts in change and implementation methodology (SE) and pedagogical experts in vocational training (NO) with an NGO (NL) that incorporated the patient perspective. The hospitals (LT, EL, RO, SI, EE) generated a needs analysis of each partners' healthcare setting to achieve the best way to implement the project. The methodological approach and activities generated the following results: 1. A functional and evaluated training material that is based upon research evidence and the needs analysis. 2. The training has quickly impacted work-based CVET that enhances service provision by addressing the need to create tools for implementing and evaluating change in a structured way. 3. The pilot data of the training course showed a significant increase in learning between pre and post in 121 healthcare professionals. 4. Health care organisations have now access to continuing education and training (CVET) that will update their health professionals' knowledge in this area to maintain safe and effective practice 5. As prioritised by the European Commission, it is paramount to create a more sustainable health care system that can address that everyone has access to affordable, preventive and curative health care of good quality. This developed training course provides the tools to implement and monitor these changes for all patient groups, including those at risk for social exclusion and poverty. 6. The developed training curriculum is economically viable to implement and can reach a large group of members of health staff or NGO's. This is due to the methodological design of concrete and focused 1-day training courses that emphasise addressing knowledge and skill deficits in this area. The long-term benefits are that staff/students in the health care sector and NGOs have access via the partners a training program that will directly enhance their skillset and facilitate better health care provision for their intended target groups and in the same way make the health care system more efficient. Better implementation strategies that can ensure that improvement in health care provision will be more successful. This results in that patients will receive improved timely access to affordable, preventive and curative health care of good quality. Individuals that also belong to socially disadvantaged groups benefits since the training will address the circumstances that need to be considered when implementing change to avoid unintentional marginalisation. The project has resulted in raising a European awareness of these aspects, which adheres to the established priorities of the European Commission (European Commission Communication ""European Disability Strategy 2010-2020: A Renewed Commitment to a Barrier-Free Europe"", November 2010; European Commission Communication ""The European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion"", December 2010)."

There was and still is a considerable need to develop educational training for staff and volunteers working with youths with Down syndrome (DS) or intellectual disabilities, especially concerning physical activities. Down syndrome is a common learning disability, and the condition occurs in approximately 1 in 700 births (U.S Department of Health & Human Service, 2017). There is no cure for the condition; instead, interventions are encouraged to promote independence, social inclusion, physical and mental development (European Commission, 2017, European Commission, 2010, Heller et al., 2003). Many individuals with DS already have or will develop physical health problems, however many still have sedentary lifestyles with little physical exercise (Bull, 2011; Bertapelli, et al., 2016; Heller et al., 2003; Tsimaras & Fotiadou, 2004; Balic, Mateos & Blasco, 2000; Esposito et al., 2012). For individuals with DS, one of the primary reasons for participating in activities is the social interaction with peers (Sayers Menear, 2007); however, many people trying or considering including this group are feeling inadequately equipped on how to best support, motivate and include individuals with disabilities as they lack knowledge not only about their needs but also about their skills (Thai & Kingsley, 2017; Sayers Menear, 2007; Jones, 2003; Kozub & Porretta, 1998). However, being aware of needs and strengths can change attitudes and encourage staff to devise an integrational programme that promotes inclusion and engagement (Spencer-Cavaliere et al., 2017; Campbell et al., 2003); this project successfully accomplished this objective. Participation in our society relates to the fundamental rights of EU citizens, including full access to cultural, sports and leisure activities. The project adhered to the European priorities agreed in: a) The European Disability Strategy 2010-2020: A renewed commitment to a barrier-free Europe (November 2010), b) The Declaration of the European Parliament of 18 April 2012 on children with Down syndrome, c) The European Commission Communication 'The European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion' (December 2010) and d) The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which entered into force in the EU in 2011. The outcome was a functional continuing education and training package for organisations that works or are interested in working with individuals with DS or intellectual disabilities. This enhances the possibilities for individuals with DS or intellectual disabilities to participate in sports activities and at the same time have the increased opportunities to become more integrated into our European society, which will contribute to their empowerment. The training course is in a modular form piloted on staff, youth workers, and volunteers in the partner countries that ensured the effectiveness and cultural adaptation. A website was developed that contains all the generated material, reports and outcomes in the partner languages. The project bridged the gap between higher education and user organisations with limited access to knowledge about barriers and variables that may affect participation in physical activities. By having a consortium of health/sport science, psychology and pedagogical experts in accordance with the EQF, ECVET and EQAVET frameworks together with NGOs that work directly with individuals with disabilities, we have ensured that functional training program was delivered as the results of the proposed programme of work. This was verified via pre and post-tests statistically on the 47 pilot participants. The outcome is a functional continuing education and training package for staff and volunteers in organisations who currently work or are interested in working with this target group. The inclusion of people with disabilities is a European-wide problem. By utilising a transnational project approach, we were able to generate training materials that function effectively in the context of European diversity in social and cultural aspects. By increasing knowledge and awareness of how to support and motivate individuals with DS or intellectual disabilities to participate in sports activities, we promote social inclusion and empower individuals to develop life skills and a better quality of life. The Multiplier events reached 185 participants. The developed material included training about equity, diversity and inclusion to combat segregation and discrimination. The longer-term benefits will be a framework of implementation strategies and skillsets for organisations to utilise via a succinct and economically viable training module. All the material developed is an open resource and available to download at the project's website. The dissemination and sustainability plan worked following the plan, reaching at least 18000 stakeholders (conferences, radio, events, TV interviews, newspapers, book chapters, social media).

In Europe it is estimated that approximately 12 million individuals have a disfigurement that results in body image dissatisfaction (BID), which is recognised as a global public health concern. Healthcare professionals (HP) across Europe commonly report caring for patients who have BID as a result of a disfiguring condition. There are many causes of disfigurement, including craniofacial conditions (e.g. cleft lip and/or palate), injury (e.g. burns and combat-related injuries), skin conditions (e.g. psoriasis) and medical treatment (e.g. following cancer or meningitis). Given their high level of contact with patients with disfiguring conditions, HP are well placed and motivated to positively address patients' BID, but many lack knowledge and confidence to do so. Research shows that giving HP simple training and access to specialist resources enables HP to take on this role. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) offers a psychological model well suited to the needs of patients with a disfiguring condition. ACT focuses on helping patients to lead fulfilling lives and teaching them skills to manage difficult thoughts and feelings, which enhances their quality of life. The objectives of this project were to (i) develop, (ii) test (iii) implement and (iv) disseminate a training package for Health Professionals (HP), enabling them to use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) principles to facilitate patient adjustment to a disfiguring condition. A further objective was to produce a functional training programme, reflective of the sociocultural diversity across Europe. A needs analysis of each partners' healthcare setting was carried out. The project managed to make the training material accessible to a broad range of HP and will continue to do so through multi-mode delivery. A highly experienced research team (United Kingdom, Sweden) and a knowledge mobilisation partner with extensive VET experience (Norway), along with Health Care providers (Estonia, Greece, Cyprus, Slovenia, Romania) and NGO (Netherlands) collaborated to complete the project. These partners have been selected to provide the necessary expertise and experience of the project's educational remit, and to target HP from Estonia, Greece, Cyprus, Slovenia and Romania, in order to implement the training into service provision. Project methodology and activities comprised: 1. A functional and evaluated training material that was based upon research evidence and the needs analysis from the target recipient nations. 2. The training which promptly created an impact through high quality work-based VET by addressing the need to create tools on how to address the patients with body image dissatisfaction (BID) as a result of disfiguring conditions 3. Health care organisations became able to access this open resource material and provided continuing education and training (CVET) to HP to enhance their clinical skills. 4. In line with the European Commission's priorities, the project contributed to a more sustainable health care system that safeguards access to affordable, preventive and curative health care of good quality. 5. The training proved to be economically viable to implement and at the same time able to reach a large group of members of healthcare staff, students or NGO's, as it is short and concrete. In the long-term, the training package together with its implementation plan will be updated and adapted for other partners' operational directives. The project's key products (project outline, reports, didactic guidelines, extracts from the training pack) will remain freely available online for a minimum of 5 years after funding, allowing longer-term access for HP and healthcare stakeholders. It is anticipated that the transnational networks and relationships formed through this project will also lead to new training initiatives and projects across Europe. The project resulted in raising a European awareness of these aspects, which adheres to the established priorities of the European commission (European Commission Communication 'European Disability Strategy 2010-2020: A Renewed Commitment to a Barrier-Free Europe', November 2010; European Commission Communication 'The European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion', December 2010).

A cleft of the lip and/or palate is the most common birth defect. Approximately 900,000 children, adults and their families are affected by this condition across Europe. This project offers an exciting opportunity to develop innovative information and resources for use by health professionals to enable parents to identify signs of impairment and to offer practical ways of supporting their child born with a cleft and experiencing speech and language difficulties and/or psychological challenges associated with their condition. Speech, appearance and psychological adjustment are inextricably linked. Subjective satisfaction with speech and reading skills have also been shown to be associated with self and parent reported psychological adjustment in children with a cleft palate. The family environment is key in promoting positive adjustment in a child with a cleft. Parents are considered key agents for change in their child’s development and well-being including communication and speech disorders. Parents want the best for their children and to optimise their child’s chances of successfully dealing with life’s challenges, yet often lack the specialist information and advice to help them in this goal. The provision of care for children with cleft and their families varies markedly across Europe. The ‘gold standard’ of multidisciplinary care is available only to a small minority. Parental need for information and advice about how to identify early warning signs of challenges and address the difficulties, is acute. There have been calls from parents and healthcare professionals to develop authoritative information to support parents in promoting positive adjustment in their children. Looking and/or sounding different does not have to be a barrier to a happy and successful life. Parents are uniquely influential in shaping their child’s experience of being born and treated for a cleft, in the values, attitudes and behaviours their child develops, and in how to interpret social and cultural information. But parents need help to achieve this, particularly if the health care resources available to them are limited. “For patients, ‘innovation’ means not only new treatments, but also new and better ways to organise and deliver care. Empowered patients are partners in improving care quality, from self-management support through shared care planning to service evaluation and (re-)design'' European Patient Forum ‘Putting what matters to patients at the heart of EU Health Policy’ 2019.This project will develop materials to be delivered by health professionals to parents offering practical ways of helping children to improve their speech and language and to build their psychological resilience. Giving parents training and insight leads to positive benefits to their child’s language and speech. Similarly, with appropriate information and skills, for example, parents can be effective in promoting psychological resilience and positive adjustment in children in early and middle childhood. For example, skills in identifying early signs of sub-optimal social or psychological adjustment, educational or social difficulties can alert parents to the need to seek out credible sources of further support, thus improving the chances of optimising later outcomes for their child. The project consortium covers a wide geographical and social dimension: partners come from Bulgaria, Estonia, Italy, Ireland, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Romania and Serbia . The consortium includes a combination of “players” in research, health care delivery and training expertise (VET) together with an international NGO meaning that the partnership possesses a variety of high-level and complementary skills. The partnership is built with organisations having extensive national and European level knowledge, networks and experience . The coordinator (NL) is a specialist Europe wide NGO promoting best practice cleft care from the user perspective that has run training programmes in 8 countries for healthcare professionals and user groups. The Norwegian partner (NO) is a specialist in VET and EQVET and also has experts focusing on psychology and resilience. Additionally, there is a highly experienced partner in research and knowledge in speech and communication disorders and therapies (IRL) together with specialist multidisciplinary cleft healthcare providers (BU, EE, IT, MT, RO, RS ) The majority of partners have successfully cooperated in various European strategic partnerships before, delivering projects with outstanding quality and outputs which is reflected in the final assessment rating. Two new partners will have the opportunity to gain new knowledge and skills by working in an experienced partnership.