3.6 Training and mentoring for Maternity Voices Partnership (MVP) members

Identifying development needs and opportunities for staff and/or service user members of your MVP will help to ensure that your MVP runs smoothly.

National Maternity Voices (NMV) offers multidisciplinary training for all members of an MVP to learn together. This could be particularly valuable if you are starting a new MVP or relaunching your MVP after a hiatus or if you have new participants.

Staff members may benefit from training in partnership working, coproduction and acting on feedback, especially if this is a new way of working for them. Partner organisations can help by including MVP membership as part of the role description for any staff core MVP members and by including the required competencies in the person specification for their roles. NHS England and Improvement (NHSEI) runs training courses for NHS staff on working with people and communities.

The staff member(s) supporting your service user leadership team (e.g. Chair and Vice-chair) can work with the members of the service user leadership team to develop personal development plans in order to identify any training needs. Your chair and other service user members may benefit from: