MATERNAL CIRCLES: IMPROVING ACCESS, ENGAGEMENT AND OUTCOMES IN MATERNITY CARE

Summary

Maternal Circles is a community-based maternity support service in Nuneaton and  Bedworth. It supports pregnant women who face additional challenges, such as living in deprived areas, poor mental health, or difficulties accessing services. The service offers one-to-one and group peer support, free transport to antenatal appointments, and help navigating health and local services. Early findings show that women are booking maternity care earlier, missing fewer appointments, and feeling more confident and supported during pregnancy. The results suggest Maternal Circles is an effective and practical way to reduce inequalities in maternity care.

Why change was needed

Many women experience barriers that make pregnancy more difficult and increase  the  risk of poor outcomes for both mother and baby. Women from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, and those living in deprived areas, are more likely to access maternity care late, miss appointments, and experience poorer physical and mental health during pregnancy. These challenges are often linked to wider issues such as poor housing, financial stress, language barriers, lack of transport, and previous negative experiences with services.

In Warwickshire North, these issues are particularly common. The area has higher levels of deprivation than other parts of the county and poorer maternity outcomes, including higher rates of smoking during pregnancy, obesity, and low birthweight babies. Many women find it difficult to attend appointments due to transport problems, caring responsibilities, anxiety, or lack of trust in services. This can lead to late booking and missed appointments, increasing health risks.

While maternity services provide high-quality clinical care, they cannot always address these wider, non-medical challenges. There are limited opportunities for early, face-to-face, and culturally sensitive support that helps women feel confident and supported before problems escalate. As a result, some women disengage from care until concerns become more serious.

What we did

Maternal Circles was developed to address the various gaps in care. Aligned with the CORE20PLUS5 (NHS England’s national framework for reducing health inequalities in populations and clinical areas where inequities are greatest) maternity priority, it focuses on women most at risk of poor outcomes and provides early, practical and relational support. The aim is to help women engage with maternity services sooner, attend appointments, and feel supported throughout pregnancy, without adding pressure to midwifery teams.

Maternal Circles launched in February 2024 as a pilot service delivered by Barnardo’s  (children’s charity) and commissioned by Coventry and Warwickshire Local Maternity and Neonatal System and Warwickshire County Council. It was designed to sit alongside existing maternity services and focus on the practical and emotional challenges that can stop women accessing care.

The service supports pregnant women living in the most deprived areas of Nuneaton and Bedworth, as well as women with additional vulnerabilities who may live outside these areas. Most referrals come from midwives at George Eliot Hospital, with others coming from community organisations. Support is tailored to each woman’s needs, with those facing greater challenges receiving more intensive help.

Maternal Circles offers one-to-one peer support, group sessions, free transport to maternity appointments, and help accessing other services. Group sessions include antenatal parenting programmes, baby first aid, relaxation and bonding sessions, and informal coffee mornings. These groups help women build confidence, reduce isolation, and connect with others going through similar experiences. One-to-one support focuses on emotional wellbeing, preparing for parenthood, building confidence, and helping women navigate services.

Free transport to antenatal appointments is a key part of the service. Transport difficulties are a major reason women miss appointments, so providing this support helps remove a practical barrier to care. Maternal Circles also works closely with midwives, health visitors, children’s services, housing teams and voluntary organisations to make sure families receive joined-up support. The service helps identify concerns early and supports women to access the right help before issues escalate.

Results

Between March 2024 and March 2025, Maternal Circles received 213 referrals and supported 147 families, providing almost 800 transport journeys. Most women reported positive changes: 87% found it easier to access support, 72% reported better mental health, and 94% felt more confident accessing healthcare.

Wider data also showed positive trends, including more women booking maternity care early, fewer missed appointments, reduced smoking at the time of delivery, and fewer hospital readmissions after birth. These results suggest Maternal Circles is helping women engage better with maternity services and supporting improved outcomes for mothers and babies.

What’s next? 

The results show Maternal Circles is making a positive difference, particularly the transport support and one-to-one help. Next steps include extending support for families after birth where needed, strengthening links with housing and community services, and using learning from the pilot to inform expansion across Warwickshire. Maternal Circles provides a simple, flexible model that helps reduce inequalities and support women during pregnancy.