Maternity &
Neonatal
Voices
Partnerships
Review and contribute to the development of local maternity care
Who are we?
A Maternity & Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) is a team of people who provide feedback about their local maternity and neonatal systems.
The membership includes maternity professionals (like midwives and doctors) and people with direct personal experience of the service, including women who have been pregnant and given birth and their family members. Our MNVPs are led by those who use the services.
Gateway Family Services is the facilitator of MNVPs for Birmingham & Solihull and all of the Black Country, which includes Dudley, Sandwell & West Birmingham, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
The MNVPs are supported by Coordinators. Lynsey Roberts in Birmingham & Solihull and Nadia Griffin in the Black Country.
What we do?
The MNVP engages with families and Maternity & Neonatal services in a wide variety of ways. These include:
- Meeting at least four times a year.
- Conducting and sharing surveys and questionnaires.
- Holding ‘Listening’ events.
- Informal chats at baby groups and Maternity settings.
- and many more…
The meetings bring members together to share stories and opinions on different topics and their experiences of maternity services in a safe and accepting space.
We work together with local Maternity & Neonatal services to identify themes for discussion and areas of concern and ensure that the relevant Trusts build these into their thinking and forward planning.
We participate in “Fifteen Steps” activities in local hospitals, taking groups of service users around maternity and neonatal departments to give their first impressions and suggest improvements.
Previously this has led to several changes, including better signage and some decorative and environmental improvements on the ward.
Women and families can choose to be more involved in their local MNVP by becoming Leads or Service User Representatives, which may mean participating in meetings, engaging with other women and families, and liaising directly with service providers.
Our overall aim is to amplify the voices of Women and families to help shape and improve Maternity and Neonatal services.
Black Country MNVP works with the Local Maternity and Neonatal System at the above hospitals, if you live in this area or have had your baby at one of the hospitals, please click on the button below to learn more.
Birmingham and Solihull MNVP works with the Local Maternity and Neonatal System at the above hospitals, if you live in this area or have had your baby at one of the hospitals, please click on the button below to learn more.