Two new initiatives are being introduced across County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust’s (CDDFT) maternity services to put families’ voices at the heart of care, show how their feedback leads to improvements and celebrate colleagues who make a positive difference.
Shaping Care Together and the Making a Difference Award have been developed in partnership with the Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP), recognising the importance of listening to women, birthing people, parents and families throughout their maternity journey.
Shaping Care Together will see noticeboards introduced across maternity services, sharing families’ experiences, positive feedback and examples of changes made in response to what people have told us.
Feedback boxes and QR codes will also make it easier for families to share their views and connect with the MNVP, helping ensure their experiences continue to inform the development of maternity services.
Alongside this, the monthly Making a Difference Award will recognise maternity colleagues whose kindness, compassion and support have been highlighted by the families they care for.
Celebrating colleagues who make a difference
The first Making a Difference Award was presented on Thursday 15 October at the antenatal clinic at University Hospital of North Durham (UHND).
Vanessa McMoriss, the Trust’s infant feeding support worker, received the award in recognition of the positive feedback regularly shared by families about the support she provides.
The award celebrates the difference colleagues can make through their compassion, encouragement and commitment to supporting women and families during their maternity journey.
Turning feedback into improvements
Feedback from women, birthing people and families plays an important role in helping maternity services understand what matters most to the people who use them.
It helps teams identify where care can be improved, learn from positive experiences and recognise colleagues who go the extra mile to support families.
By sharing feedback and showing how it leads to action, Shaping Care Together aims to help women, birthing people and families feel listened to and involved in shaping their care.
Together, the two initiatives will support a culture of listening, learning and continuous improvement, while celebrating the compassion and dedication of maternity teams across CDDFT.
Ultimately, they are about making sure women, babies and their families feel supported, valued and heard throughout their maternity journey.
