Time and duration

Two weekly 3 hour sessions per course (both sessions must be attended)

Venue

Royal South Hants Hospital Southampton

What is this training about?

Making Every Contact Count (MECC) enables organisations and individuals to develop and be able to use a different approach to working with people to address health and wellbeing. Telling people what to do is not the most effective way to help them to change. Making Every Contact Count is about altering how we interact with people through learning how to recognise opportunities to talk to people about their wellbeing. This training aims to develop specific skills that will help staff:

• Open up conversations around healthy lifestyles
• Gain a better insight into client perspectives in order to support them in making realistic and sustainable choices around healthy lifestyles

MECC has been accredited by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH)

Target Audience:

Staff who are front line or in contact with clients/patients for often brief periods (e.g. at a reception, children dropped off at a playgroup, over short consultations).

Particularly relevant for staff in contact with families such as play workers and adults undertaking short consultations.

Learning Outcomes:

Participants will have developed enhanced communication skills enabling them to hold healthy conversations with their clients/patients to support them in leading healthier lifestyles.

Participant Feedback:

The training is based on the idea that if lots of people do a little bit, then over time this will make a real and lasting difference for individuals and/or families. Some feedback participants have given:

“I learned the value of asking questions, rather than giving advice in the first instance.”

“Conversation training is really key for all aspects of Children’s Centre work and is adaptable across the board.”

“I learned that I don’t have to be an expert to have a healthy conversation.”

“I realise I don’t have to solve people’s problems – clients often have their own solutions. It’s good to listen and use open- ended questions to find the solution.”