Making Every Contact Count

Making Every Contact Count (MECC) training gives you transferable skills to help you listen more, ask the right questions and ensure people feel empowered and heard.

It began as a national initiative in England, rooted in the NHS and public health systems. It was designed to embed brief, opportunistic interventions into routine interactions. It’s now expanded to cover so many more people facing roles – whether that’s a patient at a GP appointment, a resident in housing, or someone wanting to borrow a book in a library. 

The goal is simple: To empower people to make positive changes to their health and wellbeing through everyday conversations.

It's grounded in behaviour change science. It’s not about telling people what to do or adding to already busy workloads. Instead, it’s about listening, prompting reflection, and signposting support – creating the conditions for change, not forcing it.

For those who receive MECC training, the principles are simple.

• Get transferable skills to help you listen more, ask the right questions and ensure people feel empowered and heard.

The benefits are significant.

• Earlier, informed interventions that make a real difference.
• Challenges seen and addressed before they become a problem.
• A feeling of connection – everyone is pulling in the same direction.
• A practical way to tackle health inequalities because conversations can happen anywhere and with anyone.
• Education and awareness – informed conversations help people take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing.

Oxfordshire’s Marmot Place programme is committed to tackling health inequalities and improving health fairness. MECC is being delivered by local partners across the county – helping us meet the Marmot principles we are focusing on.

For more information about MECC training in your organisation or community group, email MECC@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Find and access support

Helping people improve their health and wellbeing starts with simple, everyday healthy conversations. 

Whether you're a professional or volunteer engaging in a healthy conversation, having the right information around local support available at your fingertips can make a big difference. This information brings together a range of local and national support services and practical tips around leading a healthy lifestyle. 

Visit the MECC Link website for more support and information about the MECC approach across the Thames Valley. You can access suggested open questions and signposting for both national and Oxfordshire-based services, all broken down by a range of healthy lifestyle topics.

• Support for general health and wellbeing
• Physical health
• Mental health
• Smoking
• Physical activity
• Alcohol and drugs
• Healthy eating
• Financial worries