Workshops

Workshop 1: Optimal Intrapartum Care; how to safely reduce unnecessary interventions.

Workshop description

This foundation workshop will support the multi-disciplinary maternity team to provide optimal intrapartum and personalised care. It focuses on providing foundation level knowledge on the ‘10 pillars for optimal intrapartum care’ and aims to encourage a shared philosophy among the maternity care team that promotes safety and optimum birth. This workshop uses evidence-based strategies to optimise birth outcomes and includes a focus on the important value of counselling women appropriately on birth place options, thus supporting the notion of women-centred maternity services. The pillars for optimal birth can be applied in all settings including homebirth, midwifery-led and obstetric units.

This workshop is suitable for all maternity health professionals and the wider birth community (doulas / hypnobirthing teachers / service-user groups.)

Affiliated e-learning module: 3

Workshop taught hour: 6 hours, classroom-based

Affiliated workshop: Workshop 5: Advanced optimal intrapartum care

Facilitators: Midwifery Unit Network Director team and associate facilitators

Venue – various:
follow Midwifery Unit Academy tabs to view venue and availability.

Workshop 2: Waterbirth and non – pharmacological techniques as part of holistic intrapartum care

Workshop description

this workshop will support the multi-disciplinary maternity team to provide optimal intrapartum and personalised care for women who choose hydrotherapy for birthing, alongside women who include non-pharmacological and complementary therapies in their birthing plans. The workshop uses evidence-based knowledge to increase practitioner understanding of a range of techniques that optimise the support, care and safe use of hydrotherapy and complementary therapies during birth. There is a particular emphasis on the use of water for labour and birth. Please note, this workshop serves as an overview of complementary therapies and does not support a qualification in any given therapy.

This workshop is suitable for all maternity health professionals and the wider birth community (doulas / hypnobirthing teachers / service-user groups.)

Affiliated e-learning module: 2 and 3

Taught workshop hours: 6 hours, classroom based

Affiliated workshop: Workshop 3: Optimal intrapartum care

Facilitators: Midwifery Unit Network Director team and associate facilitators

Venue – various: follow Midwifery Unit Academy tabs to view venue and availability

Workshop 3: Personalised care and partnership in decision-making

Workshop description

This workshop will support the multi-disciplinary maternity team to provide optimal care that focuses on the concepts of women’s autonomy, personalised care and partnership in decision-making. The implementation of respectful maternity care is paramount when providing a collaborative and relationship-focussed approach to maternity services. This workshop will develop knowledge and understanding of the key barriers and facilitators to respectful care, including ethical and legal dimensions, clinical impact and communication skills required to fully embrace personalised care for women and their families.

This workshop is suitable for all maternity health professionals and the wider birth community (doulas / hypnobirthing teachers / service-user groups.) This workshop may appeal to practitioners / leaders involved with quality improvement projects.

Affiliated e-learning module: module 2

Taught workshop hours: 6 hours, classroom based

Facilitators: Midwifery Unit Network Director team and associate facilitators

Venue – various: follow Midwifery Unit Academy tabs to view venue and availability.

Workshop 7: How to enhance a midwifery unit

Workshop description

This workshop will support the multi-disciplinary maternity team to build-on and improve an existing midwife-led intrapartum service. Enhancing a midwifery unit involves careful strategy, innovative leadership and a firm commitment to women-centred care to have a realistic impact on the bio-psycho-social dimensions of birth and improve the quality and safety elements of a midwifery unit. The workshop aims to offer the tools and resources for service enhancement and is underpinned by the research and evidence contained within the Midwifery Unit Standards (2018), utilising a systematic and dynamic approach to lead discussions and groupwork on how to improve a midwife-led service using the 10 key themes detailed within this document.

This workshop is suitable for all maternity health professionals and the wider birth community (doulas / hypnobirthing teachers / service-user groups.) This workshop appeals to practitioners who work in or lead teams in a midwifery unit.

Affiliated e-learning module: module 1

Taught workshop hours: 6 hours, classroom based

Facilitators: Midwifery Unit Network Director team and associate facilitators

Venue – various: follow Midwifery Unit Academy tabs to view venue and availability.

Workshop 13: Train the trainer: how to facilitate an active birth workshop
(2 days)

Workshop description

This workshop is delivered over 2 days and aims to offer a robust, practical approach to both the design, implementation and facilitation of Active Birth Workshops (ABW’s) for women and their birth supporters, a specific component of women-focussed antenatal education. We believe offering a well-run and structured Active Birth Workshop should be a core component of any maternity service that puts optimal birth at the forefront of choice and quality care. The workshops will be led by an experienced midwife team who have expertise in both teaching, academia and facilitating ABW’s within hospital and community settings. Our train-the-trainer workshop uses practical techniques to build skills and confidence, not only in the facilitation of running this type of antenatal education, but in setting a vision, building a rapport with women and their families, marketing and key design aspects required to run an effective class.

This workshop is suitable for all maternity health professionals and the wider birth community (doulas / hypnobirthing teachers.) This workshop appeals to practitioners who have a special interest in antenatal education, alongside those who work in or lead community, continuity or midwifery-led teams.

Affiliated e-learning module: module 3

Taught workshop hours: 2x 6 hours, classroom based

Facilitators: Midwifery Unit Network Director team and associate facilitators

Venue – various: follow Midwifery Unit Academy tabs to view venue and availability.

Workshop 5: Advanced Optimal Intrapartum Care

Workshop description

This advanced workshop builds upon the ‘foundations in optimal intrapartum care’ course and requires learners to have a solid understanding of physiological birthing principles and effective midwifery-led intrapartum practice, alongside the ability to take a critical look at birthing care within a technocratic / industrialised maternity system and the contemporary discourse that may act as an antithesis to holistic care. During this workshop we will explore the biomechanics of birth and its relation to optimal care, evidence and midwifery practice.

This workshop will support the multi-disciplinary maternity team to provide advanced optimal intrapartum and personalised care, as well as providing tools to safely change practice within a midwifery unit.

This workshop is suitable for all maternity health professionals and the wider birth community (doulas / hypnobirthing teachers / service-user groups.) It is particularly relevant to midwifery leaders and midwives who have practical experience in midwifery-led intrapartum care.

Affiliated e-learning module: 3

Workshop taught hour: 6 hours, classroom-based

Affiliated workshop: Workshop 5: Advanced optimal intrapartum care

Facilitators: Midwifery Unit Network Director team and associate facilitators

Venue – various: follow Midwifery Unit Academy tabs to view venue and availability.