Please note, circumstances led to Alix (pictured) needing to pass the project baton to her colleague Holly Jenkins, who writes this report.
Receiving Iolanthe funding enabled Alix and I to develop and deliver the "Growing Our Culture of Kindness" project for a group of midwives working within NHS Lothian maternity services.
The project brought together midwives from a range of clinical settings, including labour wards at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and St John’s Hospital, as well as community teams across Edinburgh, East Lothian and West Lothian.
The aim was to create a protected space where midwives could explore workplace culture, identify challenges and contribute to solutions that support a kinder, more compassionate working environment.
The project was delivered through three structured sessions focusing on workplace culture, incivility and bullying, wellbeing, and professional advocacy. A key element was the inclusion of Upstander Training, delivered by the Equality and Diversity team, which equipped participants with the skills and confidence to challenge inappropriate behaviours and support colleagues effectively. Feedback from participants highlighted the value of this training and generated strong support for wider implementation across our maternity services.
The funding has allowed midwives protected time away from clinical pressures to reflect on their experiences and contribute to meaningful discussions about cultural improvement. Through these conversations, participants identified a range of practical recommendations, including improving leadership visibility, strengthening staff recognition initiatives, enhancing access to wellbeing resources, supporting protected learning time, and improving induction and development opportunities for staff.
The project also highlighted the importance of equitable access to wellbeing initiatives across all maternity sites and raised awareness of the impact that workplace culture has on recruitment, retention and staff morale. We have been able to share these ideas with our director of midwifery so they can contribute to future service changes.
Professionally, the funding has enabled us to further develop our research, leadership, facilitation and improvement skills while meaningfully engaging with colleagues on an important area of practice. It has provided the opportunity to gather valuable insights and contribute to ongoing conversations about cultural change within maternity services, a hot topic right now with the Ockenden Maternity Review and Baroness Amos’ National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation published recently.
The project has also strengthened our understanding of the relationship between staff wellbeing and the quality of care provided to women and families. Ultimately, the benefits of this work extend beyond the midwifery workforce.
Research consistently demonstrates that positive workplace cultures support staff wellbeing, improve teamwork and enhance the quality and safety of care. By empowering midwives to contribute to cultural improvement, promoting kindness and respect, and exploring sustainable advocacy and support structures, this project has the potential to improve the experiences of women, babies and families accessing maternity services.
The findings have been shared with our senior leaders, helping to inform future developments and laying the foundations for ongoing midwifery advocacy and cultural improvement initiatives across our health board.
