Last Friday saw the launch of Swansea’s very own Maternity Stream of Sanctuary. A workshop was held to launch the work stream and the participants included representatives from Terrence Higgins Trust Cymru, BAWSO, Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board and even some second year midwifery students from Swansea University.

The workshop was very much an opportunity to bring together the key organisations working to support pregnant women seeking sanctuary in and around Swansea, and started by acknowledging the positive feedback we have received about maternity services within the city.

The aim of the day was to begin mapping the activities different organisations carry out, and ways in which we can inspire effective joint working for the future.

Many of the discussion points were about how best to drive the work stream forward and which issues should be a priority. Examples of discussions include: ensuring that women seeking sanctuary are represented, better knowledge of what women seeking sanctuary expect from the maternity services, how to navigate cultural barriers related to men’s inclusion in the group, the need to support siblings when a new child is due, the need for early care, particularly where there have been cases of FGM and the difficulties of navigating language barriers.

We also discussed how best to foster a safe space, where there is a sense of trust and security for all involved. We’re sure the Maternity work stream is going to be a great success in the coming months. If you would like to get involved please contact us to find out more information.

The two powerpoints used during the workshop can be downloaded below:
maternity 1
National Issues and Context Restraints