Together Project - feasibility study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A feasibility study exploring the acceptability and perceived impact of Together Project resources, co-produced to support the delivery of good maternity care for people with learning disabilities
IRAS ID
296218
Contact name
Anna Cox
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Surrey
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
People with learning disabilities report a poor experience of maternity services and 40–60% of parents with learning disabilities go on to have their children removed from their care. In response to this, a team of academics, health and social care professionals and people with learning disabilities conducted the Together Project, which aimed to improve support for parents with learning disabilities within maternity services. We developed two resources: 1) the Together Toolkit for professionals working in maternity services, including practice discussions, actions to complete, and questions for reflection, and 2) a Maternity Passport, to be held by parents with learning disabilities, and to include the relevant parental information required by maternity professionals. These two resources were considered by healthcare professionals who gave feedback to further improve them.
In this next stage of the study, the Together Toolkit and Maternity Passport will be used in practice within one local maternity system. Midwives will be invited to use the Together Toolkit to support their practice and to recruit eligible parents to use the Maternity Passport during their pregnancy. Participating parents will be interviewed up to three times, we will ask for their views on the Maternity Passport, whether it was helpful, and how it could be improved. At the end of the study period (up to six months), midwives will be invited to share their experience of using the Together Toolkit and discuss the impact of the resources on their practice.
Other key stakeholders (family/informal carers, other health and social care professionals) will not be directly recruited to this study. Key stakeholders who engage with the Maternity Passport and would like to give feedback on the tool and its impact can do so in an online survey (as explained in the Maternity Passport).
This study will help us to improve the resources and make sure they are ready to be evaluated in maternity systems across the country so that parents with learning disabilities receive maternity care of equal quality to other parents.
REC name
London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/PR/0633
Date of REC Opinion
15 Jul 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion