On the 27th of November 2025, we hosted a BSL-friendly Listening Event for Deaf and Hard of Hearing parents across East London as part of our work delivering the Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP). We aimed to create a welcoming, BSL-accessible space where parents could share their maternity and neonatal experiences, and where staff and partners could listen, learn and reflect. 

The session began with a short introduction to MNVP's work and some of the communication barriers Deaf and Hard of Hearing parents may face. Parents then joined BSL-supported group discussions with staff, sharing their experiences and suggestions for improving care.  

Learning From Families

Maternity and neonatal staff attended a session to better understand the experiences of Deaf and hard-of-hearing parents. Families who attended helped them reflect on how communication feels at different points in care, particularly in time-sensitive or high-pressure situations. As one clinician said: 

“Often we never get to hear what families truly thought about their care, so coming to an event like this is really valuable.” 

The conversations encouraged staff to think about how services can improve accessibility, identify communication needs earlier and make it easier for families to express what they need. Another clinician reflected: 

 “It really struck me that our booking forms don’t even ask whether someone needs BSL support. It feels like such a simple thing that could make a big difference. It’s made me want to go right back to the start and look at how we identify communication needs.” 

Staff members shared that they would take these insights back to their teams to support ongoing improvements. 

Why This Event Matters

MNVP plays a key role across Newham, Waltham Forest and Tower Hamlets, ensuring parents’ voices guide improvements in maternity and neonatal care. This event offered an important opportunity to highlight the experiences of Deaf and Hard of Hearing families and strengthen understanding of their communication needs. Hosting events like this is a core part of our work at CB Plus. 

Bringing families, staff, and community partners together helps build trust, deepen understanding and ensure lived experience remains central to service improvement. Parents told us they valued learning about available support, speaking openly with staff and connecting with other families in a friendly, inclusive setting. 

The event closed with a Q&A panel with representatives from Barts Health NHS Trust and MNVP, who reflected on the themes raised and the next steps. 

Thank You

Thank you to every parent who attended and shared their experiences. Your voices are essential in shaping more inclusive maternity and neonatal services across East London. We are also grateful to our partners, MNVP, Barts Health NHS Trust, Healthwatch Tower Hamlets and Healthwatch Waltham Forest for their support. 

CB Plus looks forward to continuing this work and creating more opportunities for families’ voices to be heard.