Share your experience
Sandwell &
West Birmingham
MNVP
Here at Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership Sandwell and West Birmingham we are passionate about pregnancy, birth and postpartum and believe that each experience should be safe and empowering.
We engage with people who are willing to share their stories, opinions and maternity and/or neonatal experiences, support them and work together to review and contribute to the development of our local maternity and neonatal care.
We are inclusive of all women, birthing people and families. We recognise that at present, many refugees and migrants are not getting the medical care that they need through pregnancy and birth, and have made it our mission to change this.
How are we helping?
We are working closely with supporting organisations, such as Brushstrokes, to learn of the issues that refugees and migrants are facing.
We welcome them to our meetings, where they see that we care and that we are invested in making a change. We have open discussions, their voices are heard and together we talk about how we can overcome the issues that they face.
We want them to feel safe and know that help is available. Through Brushstrokes and the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Midwife, Afrah, we ensure that we have the most up to date information on benefits and entitlements, and openly share this information in hope that they are either already in receipt of the help, support and medical care that they are entitled to or soon will be, to improve the quality of life for them and their families.
Meet The Lead
Abbie
Hi, I’m Abbie, and I’ve recently taken over the role of Lead of Sandwell & West Birmingham Maternity & Neonatal Voices Partnership.
I’m a mother of two tots, who were both born at City hospital and who both gave me two very different birthing and postnatal experiences.
I’ve always been fascinated by pregnancy, birth and beyond and after having my children my interest in the maternity services really flourished.
I attended a few MNVP meetings as a volunteer and walked away from each meeting feeling extremely satisfied and hopeful that my input would make a difference for future expectant mothers and families. However, I found myself wanting to get even more involved.
So, of course, I jumped at the opportunity to become the MNVP Lead for Sandwell & West Birmingham, which covers City Hospital and I’m super excited to be part of the development of my local maternity services, improving experiences for women and families across Sandwell and West Birmingham
Almas Maan
West Birmingham Lead
Hello, I’m Almas Maan, one of the newly appointed Lead for the Birmingham & Solihull MNVP.
As I take on the role of MNVP, I am guided by a simple belief that every woman’s maternity journey is unique, teeming with transformative experiences. I’m thrilled to serve as an advocate for diverse voices within our community, ensuring that the needs and experiences of women and families from varied cultural and diverse backgrounds are heard, understood, respected and addressed.
I envision a future where women and their families are actively involved in shaping maternity care, effecting real and significant improvements. I’m passionate about creating safe spaces where everyone feels empowered to share their stories, opinions, and experiences with sensitivity and care.
These invaluable narratives will help us co-create new changes to maternity resources, processes and training that truly meet the needs of the women and families we serve.
Meet The Members
Afrah Muflihi
Hello my Name is Afrah Muflihi and I am the Equality & Inclusion Lead Midwife working at Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust (City and Sandwell Hospitals). My role is to better understand where our services do not meet the needs of the families we care for due to inequalities or inequity, then put in place actions to mitigate against identified inequalities/inequity.
Therefore being involved in the MNVP is vital in enabling me to be responsive to users voices, ensuring I carry out my role effectively with the aim of improving both patient experience of using our services alongside improving outcomes for our families.
Information and Support
Sandwell Borough of Sanctuary
The Sandwell Borough of Sanctuary Partnership is a partnership between the council, local community groups and residents who want to make Sandwell a more welcoming place for all. A ‘Borough of Sanctuary’ is a borough which provides a welcoming place of safety for people who are asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants.
Refugee and Migrant Centre (RMC)
This project will provide support for children and young people who are refugees or seeking asylum across Birmingham. The aim is to relieve the children and young people of destitution, increase their self esteem and help them gain new life skills.
Hope Projects
With 13 houses around Birmingham and the Black Country, Hope offers a roof over your head, money for food and essentials and the legal advice and representation you need to overturn flawed refusals of asylum; so you can start to live a normal life in safety.
Parents Advocacy, Guidance and Empowerment (PAGE)
The PAGE project supports parents with learning disabilities and/or autism who are subject to, or at at risk of interventions from Children’s Services. We offer a range of support options that includes the provision of independent advocacy and independent living skills training.
Sandwell Family Hubs
Family Hubs will offer the right help, in the right place, at the right time by offering services and support for all families in Sandwell with children aged 0 – 19 (or 25 with SEND) and extra support is available for families during pregnancy and in your baby’s first years.