Safer together 2 – Introduction to culture, race and bias in midwifery care

Introduction

Successive annual MBRACCE reports have identified disproportionate morbidity and mortality rates amongst Black, Asian and ethnically diverse women in the UK. In response to these ongoing maternal health inequalities, All4Maternity has commissioned a committee of women representative of this beneficiary group to develop two e-learning modules that promote understanding of how to improve maternity care for women and families from marginalised ethnic communities. These modules are solution-focussed and designed to support learners to explore strategies they can use to improve the pregnancy outcomes of Black, Asian and ethnically diverse women and families. This is the second course in the series of two. Last updated 2024.

Learning aims and objectives

This module will introduce you to key anti-racism concepts and invite you to begin thinking about how they can respond to systemic racism within maternity services. This module will enable you to:

– Become aware of key terms related to systemic racism and anti-racism
– Develop an understanding of cultural safety and how it can be applied to healthcare settings
– Become aware of advocacy and allyship and how to work towards these principles
– Develop an understanding of the experiences of marginalised communities when accessing care
– Learn about strategies to challenge discriminatory practice and decolonise clinical policies and guidelines

Keywords

Marginalised communities, cultural safety, cultural sensitivity, anti-racism, racism, equity, proportional universalism, equity, intergenerational trauma

Curriculum quality standards

ICM Category 1; General Competencies

Lancet Series; Evidence informed framework for maternal and newborn care; organisation of care