Identify priorities to improve IA practice

This section will help you prioritise the actions arising from your Listen2Baby Fitness Check results and plan your next steps to improve IA practice.

By now you should:

Be familiar with the Listen2Baby Toolkit, understand its purpose, watched the video ‘Why is IA important?’ and spoken to your senior leadership about Listen2Baby.
Have completed the Listen2Baby Fitness Check for your setting.
Have reviewed your Fitness Check results and collected baseline data.

Step 1: Review Recommendations

Use the Listen2Baby Toolkit Prioritisation Grid to support your planning

Step 2: Prioritisation, Actions and Responsibilities – meeting with Listen2Baby Implementation Team

Second formal meeting with the Listen2Baby implementation team

Before the meeting:

Collate baseline information on the current status of IA monitoring in your unit. These data will also help you to monitor any change.

baseline data on the number of women arriving in your unit, the number eligible for IA; and the number monitored using IA at the start of labour.
% of births attended by a second midwife;
% of women in second stage attended by a second midwife;
information provided to women on monitoring options, format, when and by who.

Suggested meeting structure:

Share the baseline information and summarise current status of IA in your unit
Revisit the Listen2Baby Toolkit Prioritisation Grid

For each priority recommendation:

Try to define specific actions (e.g. revise protocol, run a refresher training session, trial new poster or leaflet)
Assign leads and deadlines
Agree how to monitor progress (e.g. audit, feedback, case reviews)

Use the Listen2Baby Template for Actions & Responsibilities to help guide this process.

Step 3: Build in Review and Reflection

Revisit the priorities after 3–6 months.
Celebrate progress and learning.
Adjust the plan as needed based on feedback, new evidence, or changes in context.

Resources

Listen2Baby Toolkit Prioritisation Grid

Listen2Baby Template for Actions & Responsibilities