The Core Study v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Improving maternity and neonatal care in England: a formative evaluation of the implementation of the Core Competency Framework to improve multi-professional practice.
IRAS ID
337557
Contact name
Rebecca Whybrow
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN17083933
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
ISRCTN17083933, ISRCTN study registration
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 7 months, 30 days
Research summary
This study aims to explore and enhance the implementation and impact of the Core Competency Framework (CCF) in England as it seeks to reduce variation in maternity and neonatal care. It was developed by NHS England and others, in 2021, in response to concerns regarding variation in the safety and quality of maternity services in England raised by the Care Quality Commission. Since then, it has been updated and a second version was released in 2023.
The study has two work packages (WPs). WP1 is an online survey that will be administered at two timepoints among 121 English maternity and neonatal providers to understand how the CCF is implemented and the extent to which it is considered to be acceptable, feasible and appropriate. WP2 is an ethnographic study set in six NHS Trusts comprising observations of staff involved in planning and delivering training, interviews with these staff and local Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) and Local Maternity and Neonatal Systems (LMNS) representatives, and interviews or discussion groups with local service users, focusing most on service users from Black and Ethnic Minority groups and those living in socio-economically deprived areas.
We will offer participating NHS Trusts the opportunity to have the analysis of their local data presented to them at a Joint Interpretive Forum (JIF) meeting, to reflect upon the data and contribute to the interpretation of the analysis and explore how to ensure the future alignment of the CCFv3 strategy with national policies and strategies relating to improving CCF implementation and maternity care provision. We will also produce an animation based on data from service users. From our combined data analysis, we will develop a CCF v3 implementation toolkit. We will hold a national JIF, bringing together policy makers and senior managers to present our findings.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/NW/0384
Date of REC Opinion
16 Jan 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion