Healthy Surrey:

Healthy Surrey

Making Every Contact Count training

Information about Making Every Contact Count training in Surrey.

Updated 6 December 2024

Surrey County Council's Making Every Contact Count (MECC) training courses are free of charge and open to all staff and volunteers from NHS, local authorities (including Surrey County Council and borough and district councils) voluntary and community organisations based within Surrey.

We offer a range of generic and bespoke MECC training courses, delivered online and in person.

To view our courses and book a place please visit The Jen Group and Surrey County Council Eventbrite page. New course dates are added regularly, so please check Eventbrite for the latest information.

MECC training course list

MECC Level 1 training

  • Location: Online / In person – to arrange in person training for your organisation, department or team please contact us.
  • Duration: 2 hours

This course aims to increase your:

  1. Knowledge of healthy lifestyle information, advice and guidance
  2. Understanding of behaviour change theory and techniques
  3. Ability to recognise opportunities to initiate conversations about health and wellbeing
  4. Confidence to initiate conversations about health and wellbeing
  5. Awareness of where to signpost people for local healthy lifestyle information and support

A MECC approach to fuel poverty training

  • Location: Online
  • Duration: 2 hours

This course aims to increase your:

  1. Knowledge of information, advice and guidance about fuel poverty
  2. Understanding of behaviour change theory and techniques that can be used during a conversation about fuel poverty
  3. Ability to recognise opportunities to initiate conversations about fuel poverty
  4. Confidence to initiate conversations about fuel poverty
  5. Understanding of how to apply National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) NG6 recommendations on fuel poverty
  6. Awareness of where to signpost people for local information and support about fuel poverty

A MECC Approach to Fuel Poverty training video

This short 30-minute training video explores what fuel poverty is and how to identify it, behaviour change skills and techniques for delivering conversations about fuel poverty, and where to signpost for local information, advice and support.

A MECC approach to alcohol training

  • Location: Online
  • Duration: 3 hours

This course aims to increase your:

  1. Knowledge of healthy lifestyle information, advice and guidance about alcohol
  2. Understanding of behaviour change theory and techniques that can be used during a healthy lifestyle conversation about alcohol
  3. Ability to recognise opportunities to initiate healthy lifestyle conversations about alcohol
  4. Confidence to initiate healthy lifestyle conversations about alcohol
  5. Understanding of how to utilise alcohol screening tools during a healthy lifestyle conversation about alcohol
  6. Awareness of where to signpost people local alcohol support and treatment

A MECC approach to smoking

  • Location: Online
  • Duration: 2 hours

This course aims to increase your:

  1. Knowledge of healthy lifestyle information, advice and guidance about smoking
  2. Understanding of behaviour change theory and techniques that can be used during a healthy lifestyle conversation about smoking
  3. Ability to recognise opportunities to initiate healthy lifestyle conversations about smoking
  4. Confidence to initiate healthy lifestyle conversations about smoking
  5. Awareness of where to signpost people for local smoking support and treatment

A MECC approach to mental health

  • Location: Online
  • Duration: 2 hours

This course aims to increase your:

  1. Knowledge of healthy lifestyle information, advice and guidance about mental health
  2. Understanding of behaviour change theory and techniques that can be used during a conversation about mental health
  3. Ability to recognise opportunities to initiate conversations about mental health
  4. Confidence to initiate conversations about mental health
  5. Awareness of where to signpost people for local information and support about mental health

A MECC approach to food and wellbeing for carers of adults with learning disabilities AND/or autism

  • Location: Online
  • Duration: 3 hours

The training will focus on the impact of food on our health and will address some of the challenges encountered by carers when trying to ensure the people they care for enjoy a healthy and nutritious diet.

The free online training is open to carers (paid and unpaid) and to support staff in community settings.

If you require further information about MECC training please contact us.

National MECC e-Learning

Making Every Contact Count - elearning for healthcare 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.

This e-learning takes approximately 45 minutes to complete and consists of 4 modules:

  • What is MECC and why it is important
  • How to have a MECC conversation
  • Signposting
  • Five Ways to Wellbeing (optional learning)

To access the e-learning, you will need to register and create an account with e-Learning for Health.

MECC resources

Local resources

  • Surrey Alcohol MECC toolkit - a resource to support alcohol behaviour change. A toolkit to support workforces, professionals, and volunteers across Surrey to develop basic knowledge and skills to help people consider positive behaviour change about their drinking and health, and when necessary, access the appropriate support.

National resources