Making Every Contact Count - Training
Training resources for staff are a key element of a Making Every Contact Count (MECC) programme. Ensuring staff have the skills, knowledge and confidence to deliver the right messages and information to members of the public can govern whether your programme is a success or not.
Tutor-led Training and blended learning
Training on MECC is recommended but can be flexibly delivered and light touch. Training should ideally be focused on:
- An understanding of the determinants of our health not just modifiable risk factors
- An understanding of the health inequalities which determine the risk of people getting ill and the actions that can be taken to help people to take control of their own lives
- 'What matters to them' and not focused on any single topic
- The ability to apply a very brief intervention using behavioural science (COM-B)
- Experience has taught us for the need to improve access to information on self-care, national and local support services – For this we have www.mecclink.co.uk
The North East have a similar website - https://www.meccgateway.co.uk/nenc
e-learning
Making Every Contact Count
The MECC e-learning programme is designed to support learners in developing an understanding of public health and the factors that impact on a person’s health and wellbeing. It focuses on how asking questions and listening effectively to people is a vital role for us all.
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 engagement approaches.
https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/making-every-contact-count/
Health Literacy
Health literacy is about people having enough knowledge, understanding, skills and confidence to use health information, to be active partners in their care, and to navigate health and social care systems. Therefore, to access, assess and apply health information, people need to be health literate. People working in health and social care need to be aware of health literacy and of the techniques that can help to increase understanding.
The e-learning resource takes about 30 mins to complete. At the end of the module learners will know why health literacy is important and how to use some simple techniques to improve communication and check understanding with others.
https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/healthliteracy/
All our health (e-learning)
Interactive All Our Health learning sessions written by PHE and developed by Health Education England’s e-Learning for Healthcare, are available to increase the knowledge, confidence and skills of all health and care professionals in embedding prevention in their day to day practice.
https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/all-our-health/
Making Every Contact Count - Role Modelling Videos
The people delivering the MECC conversations are not actors but are employees of the organisation they represent. We didn’t wanted to highlight that these are real members of staff and not actors but simple enough to highlight ASK, ASSIST and ACT. The videos have been developed to support MECC Training.
Using the MECC approach to Tackle Social Isolation and Loneliness
The Yorkshire and Humber MECC CoI has worked in partnership with the Jo Cox Foundation and the Campaign to End Loneliness to develop a slide pack that can be added as an additional module to any MECC course. This slide set covers the following objectives:
- To understand the difference between loneliness and social isolation
- To understand the health impact of social isolation and loneliness
- To understand how and why people can experience social isolation and loneliness at different points in their life
- To understand how we can use the MECC approach to combat loneliness one conversation at a time
- To learn more about the services and organisations that are available nationally and locally
If you would like a PowerPoint copy of the slide set below which includes two videos, please contact Chris Sharp, Workforce Development Manager, OHID Y&H chris.sharp@dhsc.gov.uk
Making Every Contact Count (MECC) - Social Isolation - b:friend Social Club
13 May 2019
Video
Making Every Contact Count (MECC) - Social Isolation - b:friend - Befriending
13 May 2019
Video
Making Every Contact Count (MECC) - Falls and Frailty - General Practice Nursing
13 May 2019
Video
Creating Connections to Tackle Social Isolation and Loneliness - MECC Slide set
04 November 2019
PDF Presentation
