Offering peer support
Sussex Local Maternity and Neonatal Service procured the Motherhood Group to deliver a yearlong pilot offering peer support, with the aim of improving the mental well-being of this cohort of the population, with an aim to address some of the health inequalities identified within the MBRRACE reports. The Motherhood Group has the expertise and experience of engaging with marginalised groups. Their facilitators have lived experiences of the challenges faced.
The course is being delivered as two cohorts, each lasting six months and are facilitated by trained peer supporters on a virtual platform. Both predefined and free flowing session topics are utilised enabling the service to be user led.
The first 2 cohorts have now been completed with positive feedback. A total number of 44 mothers and pregnant people from across Sussex have accessed the service. This feedback has been used to inform the delivery of cohort two which includes the possibility of holding a face-to-face session.
The qualitative feedback of maternity service received will be shared with the maternity voices partnership, (MVP’s) to inform future co production within the maternity service and provide a greater depth of understanding of the challenges felt.
Key topics of discussion
Improving Maternity Services has been the key topic of discussion in the sessions:
This has been broken down further by greatest worry, accessing services, service improvement and the impact of race, faith, and culture, and community /volunteer services
1. Greatest Worry
is not being listened to, having to repeat concerns and patronising language used
2. Accessing Services
can feel like a mountain, not always adequate, frustrating
3. Service Improvement
be clear about procedures for receiving more specialist help, clear documentation to avoid verbal repetition, service users not to be undermined, consider personal experiences, link up services when evaluating ideas
4. Impact of Race, Faith & Culture
stereotyping, applying for healthcare roles can be difficult, must prove who you are, care needs to be culturally sensitive, greater education around culture and religion, increase awareness of diversity around ‘black culture’, e.g, ask specifically what country someone is from.
5. Community & Volunteer Services
need to specify what they are and who they support, experience should be shared with primary and secondary care, attend, listen and feedback
Summary of Recommendations
1 - Honest conversations with pregnant women and mums, that focus on their health and well-being needs in the perinatal period
2 - More open dialogues on the impact of race, faith and stigma surrounding maternal mental health.
3 - Clear signposting, clear information to all mums regarding on whether they ‘need’ mental health support
4 - Interact with other diverse services, support groups and the wider community so that mothers feel like they are being represented.
5 - Invest in antiracism training for staff to identify existing assumptions about ethnic minority women.
6 - Promote and recruit racially diverse staff within the NHS, so that mothers can feel represented in healthcare also.
