A Case Study of a Maternity Service Development Programme

The Maternity Services Development Programme was implemented to improve care for local families (service users) involved with maternity services. The aim was to improve care during the early stages of a family's development and to establish foundations for long-term well-being. One aspect of the programme worked to improve the delivery of care by facilitating collaboration and joint-planning between service providers. The programme uses local city Children's Centres to co-locate services (different agencies or professionals who are working within the same locality). The aim of co-location was to promote stronger collaboration between maternity services and other service provider agencies to develop stronger partnerships, and to help identify those who are (or who may become) vulnerable.