Maternity improvement resource

Published: 19 September 2024 Page last updated: 19 September 2024

Downloads

Frontline staff

What we look for

Well-led

Shared direction and culture

  • Does the maternity service have a dedicated vision and strategy developed with you?
  • Who do you raise concerns with, and how confident are you action will be taken?

Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders

  • Can you identify your board level safety champions?
  • Describe how the service is led:
    • Is the service led by an operations director, midwifery director and clinical director for obstetrics, gynaecology and neonatology?
  • Are your leaders, at all levels, visible in the clinical areas?
  • Are the job plans clear and accurate about describing duties, responsibilities, accountabilities and objectives for medical staff, with enough time allocated to required duties and to attend meetings and training?
  • How do you hear about staff vacancy and development opportunities?

Freedom to speak up

  • Are you encouraged to speak up and are you given feedback after raising concerns?

Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion

  • Are there any actions taken in the service following the trust staff survey results? This could include people with protected characteristics or bullying and harassment.

Governance, management and sustainability

  • Describe the governance arrangements:
    • including regular meetings and who can attend, sharing of minutes and actions.
  • Describe how relevant information escalated to the leaders.
  • How are you assured policies and procedures are up to date for your use? Are you up to date with their development?
  • Are you involved with any audits?
  • How are clinical records completed and what are the arrangements for information sharing across the maternity pathway from antenatal to postnatal care?

Partnerships and communities

  • How do you hear about the input from the maternity and neonatal voices partnership (MNVP)?

Learning, improvement and innovation

  • Describe your approach to continuous quality improvement for maternity services.
  • What recent improvements have been made to the service?

The importance of people's experience

  • Do you receive feedback from women and families using the service?