Health Training and Education
Improving the knowledge and skills of health and care professionals across Lancashire in preventing illness, protecting health and promoting wellbeing.
Health Coaching. Day 1 & 2
This interactive 2 day training supports practitioners across all health, care, community and voluntary sectors effectively apply health coaching in their roles.
The programme builds on existing skills and introduces practical techniques to enhance person-centred conversations and empower behaviour change.
- Delivered in person
- 2 day session – attendance to both days is essential.
- Carried out across Blackburn, Preston, Blackpool and Morecambe areas.
MECC 90 min Familiarisation / Refresher
The MECC 90 minute online familiarisation session is delivered to provide colleagues with an understanding of what the MECC approach is (Making Every Contact Count) and how we can apply it to conversations within the community to support health and wellbeing.
It focuses on brief conversations as part of the everyday contact we have with people and how we can support them within a variety of health and wellbeing topics e.g. smoking, physical activity and diet.
Personalised Health Care Training:
At Active Lancashire, we take great pride in our partnership with the NHS Integrated Care Board, delivering health coaching, Making Every Contact Count (MECC), and Patient Activation Measures training.
What is Making Every Contact Count? A Chat to Change.
Making Every Contact Count (MECC) is the opportunistic delivery of consistent and concise healthy lifestyle information via brief or very brief behaviour change interventions, enabling individuals to engage in conversations about their health.
MECC provides an opportunity to discuss health and wellbeing lifestyle pathways which can support and enable behaviour change for key risk factors including smoking, alcohol, healthy weight, physical activity and mental health and may link to local social prescribing offers.
Why are we doing this?
Many long-term diseases affecting our population are closely linked to known behavioural risk factors, with 40% of the UK’s disability adjusted life years lost being attributable to tobacco, hypertension, alcohol, being overweight or being physically inactive.
Our public and community services provide thousands of opportunities every day to work with and support people in living the best lives they can and in accessing the services and help they need to do this.
What are the benefits for your staff, service and patients?
Implementing Making Every Contact Count will require training and up-skilling of staff with the knowledge, skills and resources necessary to support these lifestyle behaviour changes.
Frontline staff and volunteers routinely have thousands of day-to-day contacts each year with service users, and patients and MECC is about using these to empower and support everyone – including staff themselves – to make healthier choices to achieve positive health outcomes.
For organisations, MECC will provide staff with the leadership, environment, training and information they need to deliver the MECC approach.
For staff, MECC can provide the competence and confidence to deliver health and wellbeing messages. This helps encourage people to change their way of thinking/behaviour(s) and can direct them to local services that can support them.
For individuals, MECC means seeking support when needed and taking action to improve their own health and wellbeing.
Our collaborative efforts have a clear, unified goal: enhancing the health and wellbeing of the people within our community. We believe in providing equal access to healthcare services, ensuring that everyone receives the same high-quality care and
treatment outcomes.
Book on to our range of courses below:
About MECC
MECC Familiarisation
The MECC 90 minute online familiarisation session is delivered to provide colleagues with an understanding of what the MECC approach is (Making Every Contact Count) and how we can apply it to conversations within the community to support health and wellbeing.
Supported Self Management
This training helps support next steps on what would be needed to increase an individuals levels of knowledge, skills and confidence in order to improve their health and wellbeing outcomes.
Training Courses:
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Signposting Support
Click the image below or visit www.mecclink.co.uk/lancashire-and-south-cumbria for a wide range of signposting resources.
MECC Resources
Click on the links below to access a range of resources to support engaging conversations around physical and mental wellbeing.
- Sport England Moving Healthcare Professional
- NHS Physical Activity and Health eLearning programme
- NHS England Wellbeing apps
- NHS Get Active
- One You
- Moving Medicine
- Physical Activity Clinical Champions (PACC) training
- We Are Undefeatable
- We Are Undefeatable Conversation Starter | Campaign Resource Centre (phe.gov.uk)
- This Girl Can
- Active Dorset Communication Guide
- Active Pregnancy Foundation
Useful Links
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- Book recommended to help patients think about behaviour change Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results by James Clear
- Healthwise Exercise Referral Scheme in Kendall
- Operated by Better, Healthwise Exercise Referral is highly recommended for those taking their first steps into getting active Healthwise Physical Activity Referral | Better UK
- Up & Active
- Exercise Referral in Rossendale was similarly recommended Health Referral Programmes – Rossendale Leisure Trust
- Sandgate Hydrotherapy
- Sandgate Hydrotherapy pool in Kendall is recommended for those who need something gentle and who wouldn’t be confident in the gym Sandgate Hydrotherapy Pool | Westmorland and Furness Council
- Stroke Association
- Getting active after a stroke guidance getting_active_after_stroke_guide.pdf
- Growing Well (Kendall)
- Community owned growing business with community café. Great group for people with mental health challenges; helping to build routine, volunteering opps, get back into work. Have also been good for people recovering from Stroke. Growing Well – Low Sizergh Barn
- Remap (Lancashire and South Lakes)
- Providing free, custom-made equipment to help people with mobility, personal care and enjoying sports and hobbies Custom Disability Equipment Lancashire North West UK | REMAP (A specific contact was also provided. Local contact is Lancashire NW Secretary Hilary Cresswell : 01253 727 139 (this info is publicly available on their website).
- Care & Repair
- Providing practical home improvements, advice and information for older people, vulnerable people and people with LTHCs to live safely and independently at home.
- Preston – Home – Preston Care & Repair 01772 204 096
- Wyre – Care and repair – Wyre Council 01253 887569
- Heartbeat North-West Cardiac Care
- Offering supported exercise classes, as well as educational and social sessions for people at risk of or living with heart disease or following a cardiac event. Based at Preston North End FC but have sessions in Burscough, Chorley, Garstang, Leyland, Lytham, Penwortham, Ribby Hall, St Annes Heartbeat | North Wests Leading Cardiac Rehabilitation Charity
- Wheels for All
- Inclusive Cycling Opportunities (UK wide) Welcome to Wheels for All | Wheels for All — The UK inclusive cycling charity
- Neuro Drop In
- Sessions in Lancaster for people affected by neurological conditions Activities | NeuroDropin
- Travel Actively
- Providing opportunities for walking and cycling in Cumbria Home | Active Travel (led by Active Cumbria and funded by DfT Social Prescribing Pilot Delivery Fund)
- Lancashire LGBT
- Swimming and Walking Groups for LGBTQ+ people (18+) Lancashire LGBT Activity Groups – Lancashire LGBT – Happier, healthier and better connected
- Active Wellness Suite @YMCA Thornton
- Power-assisted exercise suite supporting those with limited mobility, LTHCs & Injury rehabilitation in Wyre & Fylde Active Wellness Suite – YMCA Y:Active
