DWP in the North East commits to Making Every Contact Count

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in the North East has committed to a collaboration initiative, with the aim of making a positive impact on the health and well-being of customers seeking employment and claiming benefit.
By Andrew Coulson
Published 23rd Nov 2023, 13:23 BST
Updated 23rd Nov 2023, 13:23 BST
Craig Robson with DWP visiting officers Nichola Burt (left) and Lauren Lemin (right).Craig Robson with DWP visiting officers Nichola Burt (left) and Lauren Lemin (right).
Craig Robson with DWP visiting officers Nichola Burt (left) and Lauren Lemin (right).

Staff in jobcentres, contact centres and those based in the community – including in Northumberland – will now undertake Making Every Contact Count (MECC) training.

MECC is an evidence-based approach to behaviour change, which helps those in public-facing roles to recognise opportunities to talk to customers about what they would like to do or change to support their health and well-being.

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The initiative recognises that it is not just healthcare workers who contribute to promoting good health and so this is a whole community approach with the ethos that working together can help make improvements to the health and well-being of citizens.

Craig Robson, regional MECC lead, said: “We’re delighted that DWP is so keen to embed MECC. With the amount of people DWP support on a daily basis, its advisors are in the perfect position to have conversations that can encourage small changes to improve someone’s well-being.

“Our new partnership with DWP will help to support some of the people in our community who may not access healthcare or are unaware of the local support options available to them.”

The regional MECC training programme forms part of the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System’s work to ensure better health and well-being is achieved for all in the North East and North Cumbria, and is hosted by Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

To learn more about MECC and how you can get involved, go to www.meccgateway.co.uk/nenc

Related topics:DWPNorth EastNorthumberland