Links to background information:

Where we are now

The MVP have continued to operate virtually during the Covid-19 pandemic which consumed most of 2021/22. Despite this, our key achievements to date have been:

  • Worked with local maternity teams to respond to the recommendations in the Ockenden Report
  • Introduced regular birth experience insights initiated by QR codes on the wards. This is shared with the Local Maternity and Neonatal System quarterly.
  • Commenced a monthly ‘Your Maternity Voice’ live chat on our social media channels, giving women and birthing people the opportunity to join a live Q&A with a subject matter expert. So far we have covered topics such as feeding support, covid restrictions and vaccinations, a meet the team with Aveta Birth Unit and coping with a crying baby (ICON).
  • Gained insights into how families choose to feed their babies, levels of feeding support and areas for improvement.
  • Captured feedback about pelvic health support to inform new service requirements.
  • Undertook testing to explore health visiting phone call response times based on recurring feedback. Responses were received by all teams and in the process, we identified a phone line that was no longer in use.
  • Held 2 coffee mornings in line with covid-19 government guidelines.
  • Reached 3,000 followers on our Facebook page, which is our main platform used to engage our audience.
  • Established good working relationships with Dad Matters, HomeStart and Footsteps.

You can read our 2021 impact report here. 

Where we’re going

This financial year, Gloucestershire Maternity Voices Partnership pledges to:

  • Share  quarterly birth experience reports, sharing the latest feedback to the Local Maternity and Neonatal System.
  • Create stronger relationships with local voluntary sector organisations and community leaders to increase the diversity of our membership so that it is reflective of the local population.
  • Increase the number of active maternity staff on the partnership by 50% to expand our representation across the maternity journey.
  • Host 12 ‘Your Maternity Voice’ Q&A sessions to increase awareness on key topics as a result of key themes emerging from feedback received.
  • Increase our social media following of expectant parents by 30% to ensure our following reflects current users of maternity services.
  • Incorporate antenatal and postnatal feedback into our quarterly feedback reporting so that the whole maternity journey is captured.
  • Host quarterly drop-in sessions at local venues to increase visibility of the MVP in places that are already known to our audience eg. baby groups, community centres etc.
  • Actively close the feedback loop using a ‘you said, we did’ model so people know the impact that their feedback is having.

Acting on feedback

Our deliverables this year reflect our aspiration to improve the feedback loop and how the MVP works operationally. Another key focus for us is to increase awareness of the MVPs role and purpose now that we have been running for some time.

In addition to this list, we will participate in various other projects throughout the year that emerge as a result of feedback. This will ensure that the MVP can remain responsive to women, birthing people and families needs. These projects will have their own deliverables and will be included within our end of year report.

Download our full strategy here (PDF).

Add your voice to ours

Want to join us and help us achieve our aims? Find out more here.