Co-creation workshops with resettled Arabic-speaking mothers to produce an information resource

Background

Newly settled migrant mothers in the UK typically suffer the barriers of language and culture in health service provision but are insufficiently catered for. In the ERicar co-creation workshops in 2023, Roma women co-designed an antenatal care information resource (ERicar zine) based on their stories of pregnancy and increased awareness of publicly available support. Consultation with local maternity services led to recommendations to replicate the work with the largest language group in the North East i.e., Arabic-speakers.

Methods

Recruitment of participants by community gatekeepers was facilitated by the success of ERicar. Like ERicar, ERicar2 employed storytelling, peer-to-peer sharing, collage-making, body-mapping, thematic summary of pregnancy journeying, and the use of a fictional character ‘Dila’ to imagine the needs of a migrant mother. Women’s artwork and supportive messages to Dila contributed to the content. QR codes linked to NHS endorsed antenatal support. The resource was field-tested in Arabic-speaking women’s groups.

Results

Women’s stories told of teen pregnancies, pregnancy loss, birth trauma, suicidal thoughts and variable experiences of NHS care. Participants used digital and social media widely, and YouTube videos were especially helpful to those who lacked literacy skills. The co-created output was a ‘Letter to Dila’, digitally animated and voiced by participants, as a resource for both health professionals and Arabic-speaking communities. Positive feedback was received from MENA groups. Maternity providers viewed it as a ‘bridge’ to engage migrant mothers in antenatal self-management, and the better use of NHS maternity services and supporting agencies.

Conclusions

ERicar2 demonstrated the feasibility of replicating the ERicar workshops through community collaboration and participatory co-creation methods. Its use of a flexible ‘bricolage’ approach that is responsive, adaptable and inclusive works well with under-served groups.

Key messages

• Co-creation workshops with minoritized groups enables active participation, agency and inclusion.

• Tangible and digital outputs from co-creation workshops can benefit both service providers and communities.