I am Alice Ladur, PhD student in the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences. My research topic is on uptake of health facility delivery by women in developing countries.
I attended a WHOSE SHOES workshop initiated by Professor Vanora Hundley and later met with Gill Phillips, the brain behind this great innovative approach at University College London Hospital. WHOSE SHOES is a tool designed to enhance intuitive discussions on how to improve maternity services. Different hierarchies of people are brought together round a board game in a relaxed environment to share views and experiences in a respectful manner.
From our discussions around the table, one can only highlight the importance of not just having the end user in mind but service providers who are at the forefront of delivering care to women and families. Our intended outcomes can only be as good as the people delivering the services!
It was a well-timed meeting since am in the initial stages of developing an intervention to increase uptake of skilled birth attendance as part of my PHD project. The workshop provided an essential boost to explore innovative ways in engaging with service providers and communities to improve maternity services. After the workshop, I left thinking about two things; the need to own up to our part of the bargain whilst moving away from the `blame game` characteristic of maternity services in Uganda(similar to some developing countries) and pledge to do better!
To find out more about WHOSE SHOES and Gill Phillips: http://nutshellcomms.co.uk/
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