Once your Maternity Voices Partnership is up and running, you will start to receive enquiries. Being the contact point for the MVP is a key responsibility of the service user leadership team (e.g. Chair and Vice-chair). Enquiries may come from:
- service users who would like to provide feedback, resolve an issue with the service or get involved in the MVP
- health professionals or other NHS staff who would like the MVP’s involvement with a particular area of work or who would like to get involved in the MVP
- external organisations (businesses, charities, media, etc) who would like to engage with the MVP.
At the start, the service user leadership team will need to work closely with MVP staff members to agree how to handle queries and to understand the boundaries of their role. For example, if someone wishes to make a complaint about the maternity service, they could be signposted to a link person in the service or to the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). The service user leadership team will also find it helpful to know about any support services available to local women and families, such as a listening clinic or Professional Midwifery Advocate.
Over time, you will develop some standard responses and processes. However, handling queries will always be a significant element of the service user leadership team role and it will be helpful to track how much time is spent on this in order to ensure it is proportionate and adequately resourced.
I think maybe a line about listening to but also directing complaints to the maternity services to a link person in the maternity service and/or PALs office. It is important that MVPs are not seen as the main route for handling complaints as opposed to general feedback
(Organisation/Role of this commenter: Consultant Midwife in Public Health)
I agree. in addition being aware of and having links to Professional Midwifery Advocate PMA support locally is important so the MVP can signpost women appropriately if contacted
(Organisation/Role of this commenter: Obstetrician KHFT)
I’ve added the following: “and to understand the boundaries of their role. For example, if someone wishes to make a complaint about the maternity service, they could be signposted to a link person in the service or to the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). The service user leadership team will also find it helpful to know about any support services available to local women and families, such as a listening clinic or Professional Midwifery Advocate.”