Making Every Contact Count (MECC) is an approach that makes the most of the day to day conversations that organisations and individuals already have with people to support them in making positive changes to improve their health and wellbeing.
By supporting people to make changes to their lifestyles it is possible to prevent ill health, improve health and reduce health inequalities.
A MECC approach can also be used to engage people in conversations about change on wider issues that have an impact on health and wellbeing such as reducing social isolation, managing debt, or in tackling housing issues.
MECC helps to develop a different way of working with people to improve health and wellbeing. Telling people what to do is not the most effective way to help them change. MECC is about changing how we interact with people through learning how to spot opportunities to talk to people about their wellbeing.
The focus is on taking a person centred approach to conversations about change, empowering others to identify what matters to them and what they would like to change, as well as how they think they may be able to take small first steps towards that change.
These short conversations might be just about ‘planting a seed’ and raising a person’s awareness to the potential for change. Conversations may result in signposting to relevant local services where additional or more specialist support is needed.
MECC is not about:
- adding another job to already busy working days
- becoming specialists or experts in certain lifestyle areas
- becoming counsellors or providing ongoing support
- telling somebody what to do and how to live their life
Watch this video to find out more:
There is more information on the following page about the MECC Training model available in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay.