Maggie and I met in early January 2017. We first mapped the people
involved in offering and participating in peer support. This first stage
included listing all the activities or routines involved, the resources and
crucially the environments needed to support the work of Mothers
Uncovered. We then explored the different motivations, needs or
understandings of the facilitators and the women who attend, as well as
the meanings the workshops hold for those seeking peer support. Then in
stage two, we identified two areas where Mothers Uncovered might want
to bring about change and what would need to be done differently to
produce that new normal. We used practice theory thinking to zoom in
on an area where we thought Mothers Uncovered might have some
influence e.g. working with NHS practitioners or securing funding from
primary care commissioners. We then tried to work out exactly who
Maggie would need to involve in the planning and organisation of that
change and also who could help initiate or sustain the intervention or
changes. Our work is summarised below in the following case study.
Our next step will be to begin to think what Mothers Uncovered need to do
to plan and achieve positive change for Mothers Uncovered and the
women who participate.
Bodies changed, body image, size means lots of talk about eating
and cooking
Workshops involve materials like art equipment, paints, paper,
writing materials
Rooms or environment, seating and comfy chairs, floor cushions,
need a relaxed environment space for the babies, toys to play with
Space for and the organisation of workshops, need facilitators,
spacing of the sessions, the content of the sessions,
Technology involved in maintain a website, technical and financial
administration
Office space and a permanent base for both this and the
workshops/courses and drop-in sessions
2. Developing an example
Exploring how the peer support offered by Mothers Uncovered can change
or develop further using practice theory. For example, increasing activity
with and securing funding for work between the boundaries between
statutory or NHS provided and funded services and charities or voluntary
sector organisation working.