Making Every Contact Count (MECC)

Would you/your team like to be more confident talking about health with the people you support?

Would you/your team like to support people to make positive changes to their health and wellbeing?

If so, Making Every Contact Count (MECC) training could be the answer!!

MECC is about utilising the day-to-day interactions we have with others to help people make positive changes to their physical and mental health and access the support they need.

MECC training is available to support staff to gain the skills and confidence needed to have conversations with others about health and wellbeing and then signpost to support services. The training is designed to support staff to make the most of their everyday conversations and respond appropriately to cues for issues that come up in conversations and may be affecting people’s wellbeing such as money worries, finding a job, mental health and changes to lifestyle such as healthy eating or stopping smoking.

A MECC interaction takes a matter of minutes and is not intended to add to existing busy workloads, rather it is structured to fit into and complement existing conversations.

The nationwide MECC initiative is led by NHS England and Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (formerly known as Public Health England).

There are two different training options available:

• An e-learning MECC course which takes approx. 1 hour and is provided by NHS England. The e-learning can be accessed from: https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/making-every-contact-count/. You don’t need to create an account.
• A 3 hour MECC training session that is live and interactive with a MECC trainer. This builds on what is covered in the e-learning and includes:
  • Explaining what MECC is and who it is for
  • An introduction to Behaviour Change and the COM-B and Stages of Change behaviour change models
  • How to have a MECC conversation using the 3As framework (ask, assess, act)
  • Using open discovery questions and practicing good conversation skills
  • What to consider when providing information or promoting a support service to an individual

To find out more or to book a place on the 3 hour MECC training session, please email MECC@oxfordshire.gov.uk. Depending on numbers, bespoke sessions can also be arranged for your team.