Maternity Voices Partnership (MVP)
Voluntary Sector Partners Meeting
Friday 14th February 2020, 10.00am – 12.00pm at CNet
Present: Graham Carey Briggs ( NSPCC), Masira Hans ( Sharing Voices), Alison Brown ( Better Start Bradford), Alia Fazil ( Co Chair & Bradford Doulas), Laila Ahmed ( Engaging People , CNet), Tilly Rathnell ( Project 6), Shelley ( Bradford Doulas), Rubie Ahmed( Bradford Doulas), Rachael Dennis ( National Childcare Trust)
Apologies: Yazmin Shah (CNet)
1. Introductions and Matters Arising
Aliya Co – Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting, this was then followed by a round of introductions.
The minutes of the last meeting were agreed as an accurate record.
2. MVP Priorities and Strategic Themes
The current strategic priorities and themes are:
- Breastfeeding
- Infant mortality
- Continuity of carer
- Perinatal mental health
- Seldom heard groups
- Healthy Lifestyle Choices – cross cutting theme
These were set prior to the maternity voices partnership launch which took place in March 2018. These priorities were set for a two year period and the partnerships intention was to review these priorities during Spring 2020.
Members were asked in small groups and then at a larger group, on what they felt the priorities should focus on over the next two years.
Members were ask to consider the existing headings, should these priorities remain the same, should any be removed and which if any new priorities needed adding.
There was discussion around different models of maternity care (the medical model and the social model), it was felt that an ideal scenario would be to have a balance from both perspectives and approaches.
There was a general consensus that the existing strategic themes were still of relevance for now and the foreseeable future. Members felt that there was scope to include an overarching theme around positive experiences for women and their families.
Action:
Workshop notes on themes and priorities to be shared at MVP Main meeting in March for discussion and to be finalised.
3. Grassroots
The overview of feedback from grassroots patient around maternity care and services was shared with the group. The Grassroots Handbook details ways in which voluntary sector partners can feed back comments and the MVP postcard question 3 could also be used to gather the feedback and intelligence.
Members then completed a sticky note exercise noting maternity care service and feedback from women and families with which they work and have relationships with.
Action:
MVP Grassroots Handbook and Summary overview of feedback attached.
26 comments/issues collated via workshop and feedback through GR channels
Next GR overview report to be shared at MVP main meeting 17th March.
4. Walk the Patch
Walk The Patch is a volunteer led program to collect direct feedback from current maternity users on the antenatal and postnatal wards of maternity units. The aim is to provide a snap shot of Womens experiences of care on a certain day on the maternity wards and can be collected from women who have birthed in a centre or on a labour ward.
Yazmin will be leading on this piece of work and will be organising a walk the patch for spring/summer and a second in autumn/ winter. The idea would be to organise one for BRI and another for AG. Shelley asked if Walk The Patch could include home births situations also as it would be good to include this area also.
Action:
YS to contact Tina Mori BRI and Sarah Munsie (AG) and MVP members and co- ordinate visits, dates and recruiting volunteers.
5. Sharing news and good practice
Masira informed that the current maternity partnership boards are currently being reviewed in line with the review of the three CCG’s.
The single CCG (formerly Bradford City, Bradford Districts and Airedale, Wharfdale and Craven) entity is proposed to begin at the start of April. The format and composition of current partnerships and boards for the time are in transit.
The proposal will be for the perinatal mental health stream to be extended to two years (it was previously three years) and the offer will be in the future be extended to include fathers.
Alison stated that Better Start Bradford were in an extremely busy period as the programme hit its five year marker (halfway through the project programme). An open invite to Tell The Story so far will be held at Kala Sangham on the 30th March.
There is also now in place three district wide strategic planning groups: Workforce, Education and Dads Groups. Zakra Yasin at BSB is the contact for more information on these.
Alison also mentioned that the Dads Programme co- ordinated by Rachel Lofthus will now be focusing on the 0 – 4 year age range.
Rachael of NCT shared her story of good practice with members following a lengthy period of campaigning around perinatal mental health checks. It has just been announced by NHS England that they will set aside an allocated amount of funding for perinatal mental health six week checks for all new mothers.
This is exciting news following the campaigning and push to reinstate this funding.
Tilly of Project 6 gave details for a training programme she is delivering around foetal alcohol syndrome and is very keen to reach midwifery teams and health professionals. Whilst women were definitely being informed on the dangers of smoking , risk of obesity there was perhaps more confusion around the recommended alcohol intake for women when pregnant, and less awareness around the effects of alcohol consumption when pregnant ( long term effects for the baby/child).
It was proposed and agreed that Tilly would deliver an interactive workshop around the theme at the MVP main meeting on the 21st July
Feedback for Bradford Doulas by Aliya was of some joint training with Rape Crisis around domestic and sexual violence.
Action:
Masira to update group when new systems are in place.
To forward Tilly information on Midwifery Curriculum Stakeholders Group sessions organised by Bradford University
6. Dates and time for MVP Voluntary Sector Partners Group 2020
If you would like a slot to share or any present information/deliver a workshop then please contact Yazmin Shah
Tuesday 23rd June Tuesday 20th October
10:00-12:00pm at CNet Offices
To download a PDF of these minutes please click here: