Making Every Contact Count

Making Every Contact Count

Making Every Contact Count (MECCMECC— Making Every Contact CountAn approach that uses every interaction with a person to support healthier choices, when invited.) is a public-health approach: every interaction with a person can be used to support better health and wellbeing.

It is not about lecturing every person about their lifestyle. It is about noticing the moment when a small, well-judged conversation could open a door.

The MECC approach in three lines

1. Notice — be alert to what the person is mentioning that affects their health.
2. Open the conversation — gently, briefly. "Can I ask a bit more about that?"
3. Connect or refer if the person wants to take it further. Don't push.

Why SPLWs are well-placed for MECC

SPLWsSPLW— Social Prescribing Link WorkerA role that supports people to access community-based services, groups and activities to meet practical, social and emotional needs that affect their health and wellbeing. Used internationally; equivalents in some countries include 'link worker', 'community connector' or 'health navigator'. already work in long, rich conversations centred on what matters to the person. That is exactly the soil MECCMECC— Making Every Contact CountAn approach that uses every interaction with a person to support healthier choices, when invited. needs to grow in.

The framework's expectation: "Use all interactions with individuals to have conversations about health and wellbeing" — when invited.

What to avoid

• The "have you thought about losing weight" school of brief intervention. People know.
• One-size-fits-all leaflets. They rarely change anything.
• Making the person feel they came in for one thing and got a lecture about another.

How to do it well

• Anchor MECCMECC— Making Every Contact CountAn approach that uses every interaction with a person to support healthier choices, when invited. moments to what the person already raised.
• Use OARSOARSThe four core skills of motivational interviewing: Open questions, Affirmations, Reflective listening, Summaries. from motivational interviewing — open question, affirmation, reflection, summary.
• Keep the next step concrete, small, and theirs to choose.

Read more

The national MECCMECC— Making Every Contact CountAn approach that uses every interaction with a person to support healthier choices, when invited. programme has free e-learning. Many ICSs run MECCMECC— Making Every Contact CountAn approach that uses every interaction with a person to support healthier choices, when invited. training that is open to SPLWsSPLW— Social Prescribing Link WorkerA role that supports people to access community-based services, groups and activities to meet practical, social and emotional needs that affect their health and wellbeing. Used internationally; equivalents in some countries include 'link worker', 'community connector' or 'health navigator'..

Linked competencies

• Promotes and supports behaviour change through coaching and motivational interviewing techniques (Domain 2)
• Uses available evidence base for SP interventions (Domain 4).