Our strategy
The RCVS Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) was set up by the RCVS to improve mental health and wellbeing in the veterinary sector.
Our current five-year strategy (2023-2028) focuses on three workstreams; Prevent, Protect, and Support. We are supported by the MMI Taskforce, a team of representatives from key veterinary and veterinary nursing organisations, including:
Our approach
We've developed our strategy by listening to the professions, reviewing research, and consulting widely. This has helped us shape three clear workstreams that reflect our priorities:
Prevent
This workstream takes a proactive approach to mental health. We target systemic and organisational issues within the veterinary profession to help reduce the chance of people becoming unwell in the first place, particularly looking at:
Leadership – supporting those who lead veterinary teams to create healthier workplace cultures.
Equality, diversity, inclusion and civility – addressing discrimination, bullying and lack of civility that can harm mental health.
Widening the conversation – bringing mental health discussions into mainstream veterinary dialogue, so it's easier to talk about and address.
Protect
This aspect of the initiative equips people with the skills and knowledge they need to stay well, even when working under challenging conditions. We are keen to connect with lesser-heard voices, making sure our work reaches everyone in the veterinary team. By developing resources that are accessible and inclusive, we hope to be a trusted source of information.
Support
MMI does not itself offer direct mental health support, instead supporting a range of organisations, including Vetlife, ProfCon Investigation Support and Vet Support, who are best placed to provide this kind of specialist help directly to the veterinary community, alongside national charities and services, such as the Samaritans.
When planning our own projects, campaigns and interventions, we aim to make sure that they will have the greatest possible impact on the professions, addressing the issues that affect them most, and supporting them in ways that meet their varied needs.
We aim to not replicate, but to signpost, disseminating knowledge of existing resources. Through our support workstream, we will combine our commitment to learning from the existing evidence base, with our drive to innovate and further our understanding of what the problems are, what helps mitigate them, and what barriers are preventing change.
In this way, we will continue to address some of the most complex and difficult issues around veterinary mental health. We will also continue to be mindful of the impact our concerns investigation and disciplinary processes can have on veterinary mental health, and take steps towards continual improvement.
Our values
Four key values guide everything we do:
Collaboration – we work with organisations, professionals and individuals across the veterinary community.
Innovation – we're open to new approaches and ways of thinking about mental health.
Inclusion and accessibility – everyone in the veterinary team should benefit from our work.
Evidence – we base our decisions and activities on research and what we learn from people in the profession.
Looking ahead
Our strategy gives us a clear direction for the years ahead. We'll continue to listen, learn and adapt our approach as we understand more about what veterinary professionals need.
Through sustained commitment and strategic action, we can make a real difference to the wellbeing of everyone working in veterinary settings.