We all meet and interact with people every day at work, at home and in our communities. Making Every Contact Count (MECC) uses these interactions to support people in making positive changes to their Physical Health, Mental Health and General Wellbeing.

As part of the Local Strategic Transformation Partnership, Kent County Council and Medway Council have developed training to cater for our diverse workforce

Making Every Contact Count with Motivational Interviewing Techniques (MECC + MI)

What's it about?

This training covers the principles of MECC and highlights the local services available to support people in relation to quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, reducing alcohol related harm and maintaining good mental health & wellbeing, along with some of the basic principles of motivational interviewing to help successfully manage conversations with people about leading a healthier lifestyle

Who is this training for?

Making Every Contact Count with Motivational Interviewing Techniques is designed primarily for those having direct contact with service users and where conversations about lifestyle and health are likely to occur:

• Those with opportunities to give brief advice and signpost to health services

• May suit the following roles: Housing officers, Children's Centre Staff, Community Nurses, Youth Workers, Pharmacy Staff

Making Every Contact Count using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Techniques (MECC + CBT)

What is it about?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a problem solving model, which helps us to understand the important links between thoughts, beliefs, behaviours and emotions and how these drive unhelpful thinking styles that lead to or maintain unhealthy decisions and behaviours. Using this model and its techniques in MECC conversations we can support individuals to adapt their thinking and achieve more healthy goals. The 2-day training provides you with a toolkit of CBT techniques what will help you in your everyday work as well as supporting you to raise the subject of health & lifestyle and achieve change with your client. After the training you get access to online documents and resources to support you to consolidate this learning and to develop your knowledge and skills further.

This training is being delivered by Sasha Cain, Health Psychologist, from SCCH Health Psychology Consulting. For more information about the trainer, please visit https://www.scchconsulting.com/

This training covers:

• Understanding models of health behaviour change & CBT within the context of Making Every Contact Count

• Applying core CBT techniques for use in MECC conversations

• Building your confidence to apply CBT techniques with your clients

• Working with clients with a range of health issues and challenges

Who is this training for?

• Professionals who regularly work directly with complex clients (e.g. those who have multiple health and/or social care problems).

• Professionals who support clients over extended periods and where opportunities to have health and lifestyle related conversations are likely to occur.

• Professionals who manage case work (as the training provides tools for carrying out interventions related to behaviour change, enhancing the work you do with individuals and families E.g. Midwives, Social Workers, Health Visitors, Early Help Case Workers)

Signing up to the training

If you would like to sign up to MECC training, please click on the 'Register' button. Due to the current COVID-19 Pandemic, these courses will be delivered online until further notice. We will resume face-to-face delivery when appropriate. The Time and Date of each training session will be shown after clicking on the 'Register' button.

Please ensure you select the MECC training offer you wish to attend:

a) MECC with Motivational Interviewing Techniques (MECC + MI) - 1 day

b) MECC using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Techniques (MECC + CBT) - 2 day

Each training session will be tailored to reflect the services available in either Kent or Medway. To ensure that you get the most out of the training with regard to local services, it is highly recommended that if you work in Medway, you sign up to a Medway session and if you work in Kent, you sign up to a Kent session.

Additional info & contact details

If you would like more information, please contact mecc@medway.gov.uk.

To ensure the smooth-running and effective evaluation of this training programme, your contact details will be shared between Medway Council, Kent County Council and our training partners. We will also send you hard copy resources in the post. (You will be asked to provide a shipping address when you register.)

We would like to share details of further training opportunities with you via email. If you would prefer not to receive these details, please email mecc@medway.gov.uk.

Please note that failure to attend may incur a cancellation charge of £50 unless cancelled at least 5 working days before the course commences.