Picture
Caption: #MatExp stormtroopers come to Gloucester!
Picture
Picture
Caption: #FabObs Flo wrote a lovely story recently about the unloved little room.
Turning up in Gloucester, the slightly dark, slightly colourless little room felt as though it needed a similar makeover.
Picture
Caption: But it quickly came to life as we set out the colourful Whose Shoes board games and as people started to arrive.
Especially with a rabble rousing personalised Star Wars introduction! 😉
Picture
Caption: Dawn Morrall and Helen Ford, got things off to a great start, telling people about the excellent initiatives in Gloucestershire. But what could we do to improve further and build the Local Maternity System?
This was the subject of our #MatExp Whose Shoes workshop in Gloucester.
Picture
Caption: The room was packed and there was an air of anticipation as we listened to the opening speakers.
Picture
Caption: Dawn and Helen told us about some of the great stuff that was already happening in Gloucestershire – and how they really want to listen to people in order to improve further.
Picture
Picture
Caption: And Dawn had taken the time and trouble to come to our 'Star Wars special' in Bristol the previous week. This type of preparation helps people get the most out of their own sessions.
Picture
Caption: Now we were reaching for the stars!
Video
Caption: Dawn talked about the choices available in this large service – 7000 births per year. Some of the babies who had been born recently had plenty to say about it!
Picture
Picture
Caption: It seemed that all the babies were boys. It reminded me of when my youngest son was born. 'The summer of '91 gang'. 7 friends; we all had boys: Robert, Patrick, Gareth, Liam, Alex, Lee and Jamie! #memories
Picture
Caption: Mums Up and Mobile.
More good practice to share!
Picture
Caption: Ann Remmers updated us about the national Better Births programme and how it is being implemented in the South West region...
Picture
Caption: In our previous workshop in Bristol, Emma had drawn Ann while she was speaking!
Picture
Caption: Ann explained how we are using Whose Shoes to engage with local women and families, working with healthcare professionals to build the Local Maternity System.
Picture
Caption: And it was encouraging to see tweets from Somerset & Bristol, where we'd run the previous sessions. New ways of keeping the conversations alive.
Picture
Caption: Thank you for coming, Russell. It was good to know we had a paediatrician in the room. I later managed to tell Russell a bit more about the new 'Nobody's Patient' project, which looks at gaps in services, including those between maternity and neonatal care.
Picture
Caption: And an obstetrician - Maggie!
And an impromptu bit of 'bottle art' -
I must explore that further! 💡
Picture
Caption: And I think Maggie knows Sonia, another obstetrician who came along to our previous session in Bristol. Flo will be delighted – more #FabObs, a hashtag that we are using powerfully on Twitter to draw in more person-centred obstetricians.
Picture
Caption: Soon the discussions were underway.
They are different at every workshop, different on every table.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Caption: The post-it notes started to flood in!
Look out, Anna! 😘
Video
Picture
Picture
Video
Picture
Caption: There were babies everywhere! 😀
Picture
Caption: They were keen to bring us post-its too! Just in case Anna didn't have enough already!
Video
Video
Picture
Caption: And then Reuben got the post-it!
Boys! There were plenty to go around!
Picture
Caption: Jack wanted to ask me something...
Picture
Caption: Good thinking Jack!
Never too young or too old for a selfie!
#ILoveMyJob! 💜
Picture
Picture
Caption: Never too young to develop good IT skills!
#NHSCyberAttack 😰
Picture
Caption: It is always great to see the health professionals really listening to feedback from women using services
Picture
Caption: And everyone writing down the key points from the discussions, so that good practice can be shared and celebrated and improvements made where necessary.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Caption: We were delighted that Kirstie had come from the University of West of England. So important to get student midwives involved! And we had good feedback from the student midwife who attended. Hoping for lots more at future events!
Video
Picture
Picture
Picture
Caption: I had made it clear in the introduction that only the babies were allowed to yawn...
Picture
Caption: Or fall asleep!
Picture
Caption: It was wonderful to see SO many babies!
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Caption: But the discussions continued with passion and intensity. And lots of laughter. New ideas, new conversations, new friendships.
Picture
Caption: And quite a lot of tweeting!
#MatExp 🍋
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Caption: Vicky and other commissioners from the CCG were fully involved. Vicky had done a sterling job pulling the event together. 👍🏼
Video
Caption: This feels like real engagement!
Picture
Caption: The event was held at the Museum in Gloucester and this community space added to the informality. As did a very nice lunch and networking fest!
Picture
Caption: And I simply had to buy interesting merchandise from their shop! 👻
Picture
Caption: How extraordinary!
Video
Caption: Lunch break over!
I don't know how she does it...
Anna was still in full swing with the post-its; there was a bit of baby heckling. 😂 But she managed to do a brilliant summary of the key themes and inspire people further to feel that there were things they could personally do to make a difference.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Caption: Pledges.
What has the session inspired you to do differently?
I love seeing everyone relaxed, chatting, & feeling very much at home!
Picture
Caption: It is always fascinating to see how the different messages on Anna's graphic record map to pledges.
Problems translated into solutions! 😀
Picture
Picture
Caption: Caption competition:
"But surely we need to get more student midwives involved ?"
"Yes. And don't call me Surely." 😂
#Airplane ✈️
Picture
Picture
Caption: My #MatExp partner in crime #FabObs Flo @FWmaternitykhft is always here in spirit at these events. And always making a real difference with her fab maternity team in Kingston. This is wonderful and definitely needs to go in our next book of case studies.!!
Picture
Caption: Brilliant to see everyone sharing really innovative – yet often very simple things that really make a difference!
Hoping everyone will get involved through the fab #MatExp community
Picture
Caption: I love chatting to the 'Whose Shoes leaders' giving them ideas about what other people have done to build the energy and make real change.
Oh, and I think I promised to do a Steller story! 😂
Picture
Caption: Ann shared a couple of forthcoming #BetterBirths events.
There is so much happening in the Southwest and I am proud to work with this vibrant region who are finding out what their people really want and need before rushing to fill in the spreadsheets! 😉
Video
Caption: Helen collected a sackful of post-its.
I told her various different ways of using them to get added value.
This was Episode 3 of our stormtroopers #matexpontour in the South West. I can't wait for episode 4 in Swindon on June 28. Join us! 💜
@WhoseShoes nutshellcomms.co.uk