MECC - Norfolk and Waveney
“Every 24 hours the NHS comes into contact with more than a million people at moments that bring home the personal impact of ill health” – NHS Long Term Plan
Making Every Contact Count (MECC)
MECC is an evidence-based approach to improving people’s health and wellbeing through behaviour change. It is aimed at helping staff to have high quality and personalised conversations with individuals, enabling delivery of consistent and concise health and wellbeing information which encourages individuals to engage in shared conversations and decision making about their health.
MECC uses brief and very brief interventions, delivered whenever the opportunity arises in routine appointments and contacts. Very brief interventions take from 30 seconds to a couple of minutes.
The person is encouraged to think about change and offered help such as a referral or further information. A brief intervention involves a conversation, with negotiation and encouragement, and may lead to referral for other interventions, or more intensive support.
What is MECC Link?
MECC Link is a simple and flexible tool designed to support the MECC approach in recognition that staff using MECC require easy access to the information they need to help them to raise awareness, motivate and signpost individuals to sources of support.
MECC Link helps you to raise awareness, motivate and signpost people to help them to improve their health and wellbeing.
MECC Link gives you access to a range of signposting information for health improvement, including self-care and national and local support services and it does all of this in one place by:
- Providing easily accessible information on key healthy lifestyle topics
- Suggested open questions using the Ask, Assist, Act model
- Information on a range of primary self-care tools and resources
- Signposting to recommended national and local support services
MECC within Norfolk and Waveney
MECC implementation is a key part of proactive population health management within Norfolk and Waveney linked to the "Ready to Change" programme provided by Norfolk County Council
It fits into a wider workforce development programme supporting staff to feel confident in engaging with individuals in meaningful ways to support their health needs through appropriate signposting and supported self management tools and techniques
The MECC approach is part of the competency framework for social prescribers allowing for assurance and quality improvement within the service
Training on MECC
To get your support offer added to MECC Link please contact the Norfolk and Waveney Personalisation Team