City Research Online

Abstract

Background
Group Care, here described as Pregnancy and Parenting Circles (PPC), is a holistic model of maternity care characterised by a facilitative and interactive approach. Evidence indicates positive outcomes and experiences for women who participate. Its potential to enhance women’s empowerment, health and wellbeing as well as their relationships with healthcare services positions group care as an innovative model warranting further investigation.
Research Questions
This study examined: 1). the extent to which the PPC model adhered to the core values and components of Pregnancy Circles; 2). how fidelity to the model influenced women’s experiences of care; and 3) how established mechanisms of effect operated within PPC.
Methods
We draw on UK data from an implementation study of Group Care for the First Thousand Days (GC_1000). Data were generated through observations of group sessions and semi-structured interviews with service providers and users. A UK group care randomised controlled trial, REACH (trial registration no: ISRCTN91977441), provided a framework of ‘Core Values and Components’ utilised in an abductive analytical approach for examining model fidelity.
Results
Findings highlight ‘relational continuity’ as a central component of group care. Where core components were implemented with fidelity, relational continuity functioned as a key lever, enabling mechanisms such as enhanced engagement and active participation in health. Lack of fidelity disrupted the model’s mechanisms, weakening its positive effects on women’s experiences of care.
Conclusion
Relational continuity is critical to operationalising the mechanisms underpinning group care. Attention to model fidelity is essential to optimise women’s experiences of group care.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons CC-BY license, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Publisher Keywords:	Group Care, Pregnancy & Parenting Circles, Women's Experiences, Group Care Mechanisms
Subjects:	R Medicine > RG Gynecology and obstetrics
Departments:	School of Health & Medical Sciences School of Health & Medical Sciences > Department of Nursing & Midwifery
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

Export

Downloads