What we look for

Well-led

Shared direction and culture

• How does the maternity service's vision and strategy encompass the needs of those with protected characteristics and the local population?
• Have you implemented a local strategy based on the Local Maternity Systems Equity and Equality Action Plan?
• How does the board understand local communities’ profile, health needs, and community assets and map them against the existing services to identify gaps in service delivery? 
• What is the board oversight of the public sector equality duty?
• How have you created an enabling environment to reduce inequalities and inequities in terms of overall service model, for example community hubs?

Governance, management and sustainability

• Does the board know what the action has been by the maternity service to reduce inequality of negative outcomes for individuals?
• Is health inequality on the maternity services risk register and how does this translate to the board for monitoring?
• Are you assured that protected characteristics are taken into consideration when incidents are reviewed and reported to the board?
• How do service-level safety champions ensure women's voices are represented at board level?

Partnerships and communities

• How does the Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) work together with the trust to engage with women who represent the local population?

The importance of people's experience

• Do you receive patient stories at board from those with direct experience of the maternity service?