What we are already doing and case studies
While this report highlights a number of challenges and inequalities, Kirklees also has many examples of innovative and effective practice. Across the maternity and early years system, organisations are already working alongside women and families to strengthen advocacy, reduce barriers to care and improve outcomes. The examples below demonstrate how listening to women and working in partnership with communities can lead to meaningful change.
Case study 1 - Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP)
The Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) plays a key role in ensuring the voices of women, families and communities directly shape maternity and neonatal services across Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust (MYTT) and Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT). As an independent, service-user-led forum, the MNVP amplifies lived experience, supports co-production and enables service users to influence decision-making and service improvement.
The MNVP gathers feedback from local communities and works collaboratively with service users, maternity staff and partner organisations to ensure services are responsive, inclusive and aligned with the needs of local families. Through this work, the MNVP has helped shape a range of improvements, including extended visiting arrangements, opportunities for partners to stay overnight, improved information resources for families and changes to care environments.
In addition to influencing service development, the MNVP helps connect women to appropriate support services, including perinatal mental health services, personalised care clinics, birth debriefs and infant feeding support. By championing the voices of local families, the MNVP helps ensure maternity and neonatal services are continually improving and better meet the needs of the communities they serve.
A first-time mother who was anxious about accessing maternity services due to a previous traumatic family experience of hospital care.
The woman attended an MNVP engagement event in Dewsbury and spoke about her concerns regarding labour and birth. She was subsequently referred to the personalised care team at MYTT and received a trauma-informed care plan that helped reduce her anxiety throughout pregnancy.
Following the birth of her baby, she reported that aspects of her care during labour and birth had not been delivered in line with the agreed care plan, resulting in a negative experience and missed opportunities for personalised care.
The MNVP worked alongside the woman and colleagues from MYTT, including a clinical educator, perinatal mental health midwife and communications lead, to co-produce a staff training module based on her experience.
The training module has been incorporated into mandatory midwifery training and supports staff to reflect on the importance of trauma-informed and personalised care.
The woman reported feeling listened to and supported throughout the process. She described contributing to the training as meaningful and cathartic and was also supported to access a positive debrief with the Consultant Midwife.
This case demonstrates how lived experience can be transformed into practical service improvement.
Trauma-informed care is particularly important for women who have experienced adverse life events, including domestic abuse, homelessness, mental ill health, sexual violence or other forms of trauma. Supporting these women to have their voices heard helps reduce inequalities in experience and outcomes.
Case study 2 - Auntie Pam's
Auntie Pam's was established in 2009 to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for women, babies and families. The service is community-based, volunteer-led and founded on principles of co-production, with families at the heart of the service design and delivery. Volunteers reflect the communities they serve, often bringing lived experience and building compassionate, trusting relationships with families.
The service provides a time-rich, person-centred model of support, enabling women and families to identify their own priorities and make informed choices to improve their health and wellbeing. A core element of the approach is building confidence and capability, supporting women to engage with wider services and advocate for themselves throughout pregnancy and into early parenthood.
Support includes information and advice, signposting, baby bank provision, baby weighing facilities, feeding support, smoking cessation support, mental health advice, and wider support relating to housing, benefits and finances.
The service takes a holistic approach, recognising that broader social and economic circumstances influence health and wellbeing. By offering practical, emotional and social support, Auntie Pam's helps women and families navigate challenges, access appropriate services and improve outcomes for themselves and their children.
A woman aged 18-25 from Huddersfield of African ethnicity, together with her baby and wider family.
The woman attended Auntie Pam's following the birth of her daughter. She had experienced an emergency caesarean section under general anaesthetic and described difficulties with bonding, separation anxiety and feelings of failure about not having the birth she had planned.
The family were also experiencing housing instability and were staying with friends and family while waiting to move into a new home. As first-time parents within their friendship group, they were also feeling socially isolated.
An Auntie Pam's volunteer provided time-rich support, listening to the woman's concerns and sharing reassurance based on lived experience.
The volunteer provided information about West Yorkshire Paths and explored suitable support groups through Talkthru helping the woman access additional emotional and peer support.
The woman continued to engage with Auntie Pam's and reported improvements in her mental health and confidence.
She attended baby massage sessions, became involved in local stay-and-play groups, met other parents and subsequently returned to part-time employment.
Auntie Pam's supports women who may face barriers to accessing maternity and community services. By providing community-based, trusted and accessible support, the service helps reduce social isolation and improves access to wider health and support services.
Engagement data shows strong reach into deprived communities and diverse ethnic populations who are more likely to experience poorer outcomes.
SWANS (Support for Women in Antenatal Service)
SWANS (Support for Women in Antenatal Service) is a specialist multi-agency service that supports vulnerable pregnant women with complex social needs, including women affected by substance use, domestic abuse, poor mental health, involvement in the criminal justice system, sex work, or previous children being removed from their care. The service provides targeted, relationship-based support aligned to health inclusion principles, recognising the significant barriers many women face in accessing and engaging with services.
For pregnant women with complex needs, there is often a sudden increase in appointments with multiple professionals. SWANS recognises that this can be overwhelming and can make engagement difficult to maintain at a time when participation in services is being closely assessed. The service therefore works collaboratively with partner agencies to provide an individualised package of care designed to improve both experience and outcomes.
The SWANS clinic is delivered from a central, accessible location, enabling women to attend a single appointment and access support from multiple professionals. The clinic includes a specialist substance misuse midwife, a perinatal recovery navigator from Change, Grow, Live (CGL), and an engagement worker from Locala Sexual Health. A prescriber from CGL is also available when required.
The clinic operates as a female-only space, providing a safe and supportive environment where women are supported to feel heard, build trusting relationships and speak openly about their circumstances and needs.
Women can also access a weekly drop-in clinic at the Princess Royal Health Centre in Huddersfield, offering antenatal and postnatal care, contraception advice, sexual health screening, substance use support and one-to-one support from engagement workers. Additional referrals can be made to wider support services, including domestic abuse services, food banks, baby banks and family support services.
By building trusted relationships and supporting women to navigate services, SWANS helps women feel heard, supported and empowered to access the care they need throughout pregnancy and beyond.
A woman aged 20-25 from Kirklees who was experiencing poor mental health and alcohol misuse during pregnancy.
The woman was referred to SWANS during pregnancy and was also receiving support from Perinatal Mental Health Services.
Initially, engagement was inconsistent and she frequently cancelled appointments. A joint home visit identified financial difficulties and transport barriers, which she had been reluctant to disclose due to concerns about how this might be perceived by professionals.
The SWANS team worked with the woman to address barriers to engagement, including providing transport support and linking her into additional community services.
She subsequently attended appointments consistently and engaged with maternity, mental health, recovery and sexual health services.
Six weeks after discharge, the woman returned to the clinic in mental health crisis. Despite no longer being open to the service, she sought support from SWANS because of the trusted relationships she had formed with the team.
The team provided immediate support, listened to her concerns and coordinated urgent mental health intervention.
The woman achieved abstinence from alcohol during pregnancy and maintained engagement with a range of support services.
Her baby remained in her care and she was able to access timely mental health support when she experienced a crisis after birth.
The woman described feeling listened to and supported, stating:
"I enjoy attending the clinic and being able to speak openly. I feel like you are listening to me and helping me understand what is happening. I know who to contact when I need advice and feel supported during my pregnancy."
Women experiencing multiple disadvantages often face additional barriers to accessing maternity care and support.
SWANS provides a coordinated, relationship-based approach that helps women navigate services, reduces practical barriers to engagement and creates a safe environment where women feel heard and supported.
The service works with women who are among the least likely to access and benefit from traditional services, including those experiencing substance misuse, domestic abuse, poor mental health, involvement in sex work and contact with the criminal justice system.
Weekly SWANS Clinic at Princess Royal Health Centre, Huddersfield.
Services include
- Antenatal and postnatal support.
- Drug and alcohol support.
- Sexual health services.
- Contraception service.
- One-to-one engagement support.
- Multi-agency coordination.
Referrals: lcp.shopt@locala.org.uk
Other examples of positive practice in Kirklees
The MYTT Maternity Befriender Model provides targeted support for women who are migrants, asylum seekers, or refugees in North Kirklees. Support is offered to those without English as a first language and who are having their first baby in the UK. Befrienders are allocated from booking and provide continuity of care, helping women navigate maternity services, attend appointments, and access wider support including benefits, housing, food banks, baby banks, and community peer groups. Support is provided antenatally and postnatally, reducing isolation, strengthening social connections, and enabling equitable access to maternity and social care services.
Colleagues from MYTT have created safe, inclusive spaces for women to share their experiences and inform service improvements, ensuring their voices are heard directly within maternity services.
In North Kirklees, targeted listening activity is currently underway, engaging women through existing community groups where they already feel comfortable and connected. These sessions focus on understanding lived experiences of maternity care - exploring both what is working well and where services can be strengthened.
Using established community settings provides a supportive starting point for conversations, helping to build trust and encourage open and honest dialogue.
Evidence from engagement activity suggests that, when engagement is approached in this way, communities are willing to participate and value the opportunity to be heard. This ongoing listening approach is a key mechanism for rebuilding trust and ensuring that maternity services are shaped by the voices of the women and families they serve.
CHFT has continued to strengthen its approach in reducing health inequalities within maternity services through a range of targeted interventions designed to improve access, experience and outcomes for women and families who may face additional barriers to care.
A key development has been the implementation of the Inequalities Flag. The flag supports the identification of women who may be at increased risk of experiencing poorer maternity outcomes. It considers factors such as deprivation, ethnicity, learning disability, serious mental illness and other wider determinants of health. By providing visibility of these factors and identifying women at greater risk of health inequalities within clinical systems, the flag enables maternity teams to consider additional support, tailored interventions and personalised care planning throughout the maternity pathway.
Listening to women's experiences has directly informed service improvements, where feedback from women identified the requirement to telephone the Maternity Assessment Centre (MAC) before attending, was a barrier to accessing care, particularly for those who do not speak English as a first language or who may face communication challenges. In response, CHFT introduced the MAC Access Pass for women identified with the Inequalities Flag. The pass enables these women to attend the Maternity Assessment Centre directly, without the need for a prior telephone call, helping to remove barriers to access and ensuring women can receive timely assessment and support when concerns arise.
Recognising the practical barriers that can prevent women from accessing healthcare, CHFT have worked with partners to provide travel support through funded bus passes for eligible women and families. This initiative helps reduce transport related barriers to attending appointments and supports equitable access to care, particularly for women experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage.
Digital innovation has also played an important role in improving access to information and support. The JANAM app provides women with maternity information, support and resources throughout pregnancy, helping them to remain informed, engaged and connected to services. By improving access to trusted, accessible information and supporting communication between women and maternity teams, the app contributes to a more inclusive and accessible experience.
Together, these initiatives demonstrate CHFT's commitment to reducing inequalities by listening to women, identifying barriers to care and implementing practical solutions to address them. Through early identification of need, personalised support, maternity teams can continue to work towards ensuring all women receive equitable, high-quality care throughout their maternity journey.
Community champions
Third Sector Leaders (TSL) Community Champions are making a real difference to women and families by bringing trusted health conversations directly into communities.
There are 80 champions across 12 groups, speaking more than 20 languages and drawing on lived experience to connect in culturally sensitive and meaningful ways. Based within the communities most in need of support, they help break down barriers, build trust, and ensure people feel heard, supported and informed.
Champions are trained to have compassionate conversations on key women's health priorities, including cervical screening, early access to midwifery, menopause and genetics, while also supporting wider issues such as mental health, smoking and the cost of living.
With training across 25 health and welfare topics, champions provide holistic support and signposting, alongside workshops on preconception health and healthy pregnancy. Their work reaches a wide range of ethnic communities and inclusion groups, including people with disabilities, homeless communities and sex workers, helping to ensure no one is left behind.
Male champions also play an important role in encouraging open conversations with men, supporting them to better understand and support the women in their lives.
This work is centred on trust, equity and empowerment, improving access to support and enabling healthier lives across Kirklees.
Local Services 2 You (LS2Y) Community Champions play an important role in helping to reduce inequalities and strengthen women's voices through trusted relationships, early support and community-led engagement.
Through Families Together, champions support antenatal programmes, stay and play sessions, outreach events and wider family support, helping parents feel more confident accessing services and sharing their experiences in safe, welcoming spaces.
More recently, through the Preparing for Parenthood pilot programme delivered in partnership with Locala, Community Champions were trained using a Train the Trainer approach to help facilitate antenatal sessions within the community. Parents consistently reported feeling less isolated, more supported and more confident, highlighting the value of hearing from relatable people within their own communities.
The wider work of LS2Y also supports families through signposting, wellbeing support, listening to parent voice, and helping families access services they may otherwise struggle to engage with.
Kirklees Families Together and Best Start Family Hubs bring together services for families. They create accessible spaces for participation and provide opportunities for women, particularly mothers, to share concerns, needs and lived experiences with professionals and community groups.
Families Together Parent Champions, many of whom are women, help to build confidence through peer support groups and parenting programmes, creating opportunities for parents to share experiences and develop the confidence to have their voices heard. Families Together also helps to reduce isolation by connecting women with support networks, baby groups, and stay-and-play sessions.
Families Together and Best Start Family Hubs help address inequalities linked to income, gender, ethnicity, disability and geography. They are located within Kirklees' most disadvantaged communities, with additional network sites available across each locality. The aim of Families Together and Best Start Family Hubs is to provide family-centred prevention, early intervention and early identification, reducing the need for statutory and specialist services.
The wider Families Together and Best Start Family Hub offer also supports employment, education, health and wellbeing by providing access to training, employment advice and childcare information, helping women to access opportunities and return to work where appropriate.
The Kirklees Families Together parenting offer helps parents to build confidence in parenting decisions, strengthen communication and share experiences with others. Some programmes are specifically targeted at families experiencing poverty, language barriers, or emerging and diagnosed SEND needs, helping to ensure support reaches those with the greatest need.
Together, these examples demonstrate that advocacy takes many forms. Whether through peer support, Community Champions, family hubs, specialist maternity services or formal engagement mechanisms, women consistently benefit from trusted relationships, personalised support and opportunities to have their voices heard. These approaches are already making a difference in Kirklees. Building on these strengths will be essential if we are to reduce inequalities, improve women's experiences and achieve better outcomes for mothers, babies and families.
