This broad research theme reflects the group's commitment to addressing contemporary challenges for women and families related to maternity or using maternity services.
Our research is carried out to inform healthcare practice and support to women from statutory and non-statutory services and to shape the way society supports women and their families during pregnancy, birth and early parenthood.
Pioneering a public health approach to modern slavery throughout maternal health systems
Project Duration
September 2022 – August 2025
Funder
University of Nottingham – Anne McLaren Fellowship
Project Staff
- Elizabeth Such
- Helen Spiby
- Habiba Aminu
Aims
The aim of this fellowship is to:
Develop, test, refine, evaluate and mobilise an evidence-informed public health approach to modern slavery, with a specific focus on preventing harm and promoting the wellbeing of women and girls in maternal health systems
The research questions being addressed are:
1. What are the systems of exploitation to which women and girls are exposed that place them, their maternal health and the health of their babies at risk?
2. What is the global evidence base for effective action on the prevention of exploitation of women and girls, particularly women and girls with maternal health needs?
3. What are the health, wellbeing and healthcare service economic costs of maternal health harms related to exploitation across a selection of countries?
4. How can a public health approach to modern slavery be best mobilised across different country and maternal health care practice contexts?
Methods
The research uses a mix of methods and adopts systems thinking to address this complex problem.
Work Package 1: A state-of-the-art synthesis of the evidence with health economics assessment
Work Package 2: Consultation, case studies and consensus (using key informant interviews, survivor engagement and Delphi methods)
Work Package 3: Knowledge mobilisation of a public health approach in maternal health systems
Stage of Development
Conceptual mapping and evidence synthesis. Survivor consultation
Evaluation of local support service provision for bereaved families following pregnancy or baby loss
Joint leads: Professor Helen Spiby and Dr Kerry Evans
Commissioned by Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Local Maternity and Neonatal System
This 14 -month project utilises a Realist Evaluation approach to inform future scale-up and sustainability of provision.
The research seeks to include the perspectives of women and families, local peer supporters and healthcare professionals in Nottinghamshire, through interviews and focus groups.
KNOW-PH (Knowledge for Public Health) The NIHR Public Health Knowledge Mobilisation team
Dr Liz Such
Liz is the Director of Knowledge for Public Health (KNOW-PH), a NIHR-funded public health knowledge mobilisation team https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR159057
This is a UK-first programme that uses coproduction and creative methods to mobilise evidence on health inequalities with local and national decision makers.
Maternity care choices, challenges and risks: sharing research and developing next steps
Georgia Clancy holds a Mildred Blaxter postdoctoral fellowship from the Foundation for the Sociology of Health and Illness.
During this time she is disseminating the findings from her PhD which explored women's childbirth choices in light of NHS England's Better Births Policy.)
Building a safe space: optimising maternity care for survivors of modern slavery by co-creating supporting resources for women and professionals
Project team
Sara Borrelli, Helen Spiby, Minh Dang, Liz Such, Nicola Wright, Matthew Young.
Partner organisations
University of Nottingham (School of Health Sciences and The Rights Lab) and Causeway
Funders
NIHR Research for Patient Benefit and The Salvation Army
Project aims
The University of Nottingham (School of Health Sciences and Rights Lab) and Causeway have been awarded NIHR and The Salvation Army funding to undertake research to understand howthe best maternity care and support can be provided for survivor mothers and their babies. The project has been developed jointly by maternity, mental health and modern slavery researchers, survivor mothers and a service supporting survivors of modern slavery.
Our project aims are:
- to explore what support and care women affected by modern slavery and their babies need during maternity and how these should be provided;
- to explore the experiences and needs of statutory and non-statutory services to support provision of excellent care during maternity;
- to produce guidance and recommendations for statutory/non-statutory services, policy + incorporate and mobilise these into existing resources, platforms and education opportunities.
The project started on 1 July 2024, and will last 15 months. We hope to include survivor mothers from varied backgrounds and cultures. We will use interviews and focus groups for data collection. We will also interview maternity professionals and staff from non-statutory services.
Using the information gathered and working with stakeholders, we will co-create resources to support women’s decision-making and guide those providing care and support during maternity. The resources will then be integrated into existing platforms and training.
Watch the project launch webinar