Making Every Contact Count
Small conversations. Positive changes. Healthier communities.
Everyday conversations can make a difference to someone’s health and wellbeing. Making Every Contact Count (MECC) helps people recognise opportunities to encourage healthier choices, support positive lifestyle changes and connect others with the right support.
Active Lancashire offers a range of fully funded MECC training opportunities, funded by Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), to help you develop the skills and confidence to make these conversations part of everyday life.
Whether you’re new to MECC or looking to build on your existing knowledge, there’s a course to help you get started.
What is MECC?
Making Every Contact Count is an approach that encourages people to use everyday interactions to support health and wellbeing.
A brief conversation can help someone think about their lifestyle, consider a positive change or find out where to access further support. It could be a discussion about physical activity, healthy eating, mental wellbeing or another aspect of a healthier lifestyle.
MECC isn’t about being an expert in every area of health. It’s about listening without judgement, asking the right questions, offering encouragement and helping people take steps towards positive change.
By building these conversations into everyday interactions, we can help create environments where healthier choices are encouraged and supported.
Who is it For?
MECC training is suitable for anyone whose role brings them into contact with people and provides opportunities to support their health and wellbeing.
This includes people working in health and care, leisure and physical activity, community and voluntary organisations, and other customer-facing roles.
You don’t need a clinical background or previous experience of MECC to get started. Our training offers opportunities to develop your skills, build confidence and find practical ways to apply the approach in your role.
Explore Our Pathway
Our six fully funded courses offer different ways to develop your understanding of MECC, from short introductory learning to more in-depth training in communication and health coaching. Please note, you must complete the introductory courses before progressing through to our other training options.
Bitesize Introduction
4 × 15-minute online courses
Explore the principles of Making Every Contact Count through four self-paced online courses. Learn how everyday conversations can encourage healthier lifestyle choices, develop your communication skills and discover practical techniques, including active listening, empathy and asking open-ended questions, to support positive behaviour change.
Confidence and Conversation Skills
3 hours | Online or in person
Build the confidence and skills to bring MECC into everyday conversations. Through real-life scenarios and practical activities, explore how to approach health and wellbeing discussions, respond to common challenges and deliver brief, supportive interventions that encourage positive lifestyle changes.
MECC Champions
3.5 hours | Online or in-person
Learn how to champion MECC within your organisation and encourage colleagues to adopt the approach. This practical workshop explores ways to share knowledge, support challenging conversations and build confidence across your team, helping embed MECC principles into everyday practice and promote a consistent approach to health and wellbeing.
Health Coaching
2 days | In person
Develop your skills in health coaching through interactive activities, real-life challenges and guided practice. Explore how to apply a coaching approach in your role, support meaningful conversations and encourage individuals to take positive steps towards improving their health and wellbeing. Reflect on experiences and share learning with other practitioners.
Supported Self Management
3.5 hours | Online
Learn how Supported Self Management can help people build the knowledge, skills and confidence to manage their health. Explore how to identify individual needs, tailor support and plan next steps, using personalised approaches that encourage positive health behaviours and help people take a more active role in their wellbeing.
Health Coaching Follow Ups
One day | In person
Build on your health coaching experience and explore how to apply your learning in everyday practice. This follow-up session gives practitioners across health, care, community and voluntary sectors the opportunity to reflect on their experiences, share learning and identify ways to embed health coaching more effectively into their current roles.
