WELL CARE held its third General Assembly in Copenhagen in December

All partners gathered in person on 2–3 December in Copenhagen for the WELL CARE 3rd General Assembly. Over the course of a one-and-a-half-day meeting, coordinated and facilitated by Prof. Elizabeth Hanson (Linnaeus University), partners reviewed project progress at mid-point and refined objectives for 2026.

The meeting opened with reflections on the positive outcomes of the technical review of the WELL CARE project carried out last September, as well as on the European Commission’s recommendations on how best to deliver on the project’s objectives during its second half.

In 2025, under the leadership of Marco Socci (INRCA), the selection and analysis of 40 good practices across Europe were completed, and the corresponding report (Deliverable D2.1) was submitted to the European Commission in August. In parallel, work is ongoing on a report presenting 10 in-depth case studies from the five pilot countries.

Regarding the implementation and testing of prototypes (Work Package 3), the establishment of local implementation teams, with support from Ludo Glimmerveen (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), was successfully completed in October.

The consortium also welcomed Ann-Katrin Orr, representing Mental Health Europe. Together, partners agreed on the process leading to the development of country profiles, which will translate the knowledge generated so far into clear policy recommendations. These profiles will serve as stand-alone outputs, designed to communicate effectively with policymakers as the primary audience, as well as with persons in need of care, family members, informal carers, long-term care workers and other stakeholders.

Lennart Magnusson (NKA) and Elin-Sofie Forsgärde (LNU) presented how the feedback loop between the different work packages and the national Blended Learning Networks (BLNs) has been a continuous activity throughout 2025. They also highlighted the successful international meeting of all BLN teams held in Brussels in November.

Claire Champeix (Eurocarers) presented recent EU policy developments relevant to the project, prompting discussions among partners on next steps and on further strengthening the dissemination, exploitation and sustainability plan.

Elizabeth (Betsy) Olson (UNC–Chapel Hill) led a collective reflection on intersectionality and on the importance of generating research that is inclusive and attentive to diverse experiences.

Overall, the meeting enabled in-depth exchange and was widely regarded as highly successful in supporting strong coordination across activities, as well as a shared and detailed understanding of progress and next steps within the consortium.

The consortium is very grateful to Linnaeus University for generously hosting the General Assembly in the beautiful and inspiring setting of the Hotel Ottilia in Copenhagen.