4.18 Communication

“Maternity Voices Partnerships will want to promote themselves widely”

Implementing Better Births: A Resource Pack for Local Maternity Systems

An established Maternity Voices Partnership (MVP) will be using multiple communication channels in order to ensure that a wide range of women, birthing people and families are able to get involved. These could include:

  • Social media
  • Printed leaflets (see flyer template and example flyer from National Maternity Voices)
  • Word of mouth (staff and service user members telling others about the MVP)
  • Community outreach – e.g. attending events
  • Web site
  • Newsletter (see examples of MVP newsletters)
  • Media engagement (especially targeted at any minority groups within the community)
  • Notice boards, e.g. in the hospital maternity wards or children’s centres
  • Translated materials
  • Videos
  • Online Q&As or live chats
  • Communication to staff, e.g. through newsletters or notice boards.

Communication managers in provider and commissioner organisations may be able to help with MVP communication and advise on making communication accessible.

Using plain English and avoiding jargon or unnecessarily technical terms can help to ensure MVP communication is accessible. There will sometimes be different views amongst MVP members about what language is most respectful or inclusive. Discussion in an MVP meeting can help to understand these different perspectives and there may be times when it’s helpful to seek views from service users in the community or from specific community groups.

We’d like to link to some examples of communication and outreach. Does your MVP have current examples that are working well in your locality? If you’d be happy for this to be shared here, please contribute via this form. Please say if you would prefer your resource to be anonymised. Thank you.