What is MECSH?
MECSH is pronounced like the word “mesh” and is the shortened form for Maternal Early Childhood Sustained Home-visiting. MECSH is a scientifically validated home visiting initiative originally developed at UNSW in Australia and led by Distinguished Professor Lynn Kemp at Western Sydney University.
The MECSH programme is a structured intervention underpinned by professional health visitor leadership, incorporating inherent flexibility to accommodate individual family contexts. It is delivered by health visitors to provide targeted support for families assessed as requiring additional assistance.
MECSH can support to families from pregnancy through to the child’s second birthday, helping parents and children thrive.
MECSH is integrated within the universal child and family health service and is underpinned by three core principles:
- Core‑and‑adaptation model – The programme maintains a consistent, evidence‑informed structure while allowing for contextual adaptation to meet the specific needs and characteristics of local communities.
- Building skills and capacity – The approach focuses on strengthening families’ competencies and enhancing their ability to access and utilise available resources, thereby supporting families to parent well even when facing challenges.
- Salutogenic (health‑creating) orientation – MECSH emphasises the promotion of health and wellbeing, not just treating problems.
MECSH at a glance
To find out more about MECSH and to contact the UK MECSH consultants see MECSH at a glance.
MECSH Implementation
MECSH has an established international footprint, with programmes embedded within local service systems in Australia, South Korea, the UK and USA.
MECSH was first introduced in the UK in 2013. Currently there are 14 locations across the UK and Channel Islands.
MECSH Evidence
The MECSH programme is a scientifically validated home visiting service that supports parents and children during the early years of life. International research shows that MECSH helps create safer home environments, improves parental mental health, and prepares children for a successful start at school. Its evidence has been independently reviewed and approved as a quality, evidence‑based programme by the US Department of Health and Human Services Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness (HomVEE).
In the UK, a mixed-methods study has shown MECSH is effective for families here. The programme reached a diverse range of families. The research drew on multiple data sources, including parent feedback, health visitor focus groups, written testimonies, and record audits. Results showed positive impacts for both parents and children, with parent‑reported measures meeting high‑quality standards and exceeding those in comparison sites.
Building on these results, MECSH is now being studied in a current NIHR‑funded research project to explore its impact on access, engagement, retention, and outcomes for Black and Asian parents in England. You can find out more about this research on the MECSH study page: add link to MECSH study site.
You can access all MECSH related publications here: https://www.earlychildhoodconnect.edu.au/images/MECSH/PDF/A4-Flyer-MECSHResearchPublications.pdf
MECSH on the Earliest Years of Life Podcast
Listen to the Earliest Years of Life podcast, in which Dr Sharin Baldwin, Senior Health Visitor Lead at the Institute of Health Visiting, and Edwina Lintin, Bradford MECSH Champion, discuss the vital role of the health visitor. They explore how evidence‑based practice and the MECSH programme support families, strengthen early parent–child relationships, and help reduce inequalities. The conversation also highlights the importance of investment in the earliest years of life and considers the changes needed to ensure all babies and young children are able to thrive.
More information
For more information, please contact the UK MECSH Implementation Consultants:
- Beulah Hook: [email protected]
- Wendy Sumpton: [email protected]
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