Stepping Stones – Student Midwives and Social Worker Workshops

In partnership with the Centre for Health and Community Research (CHeCR) we created six engaging workshops for student midwives and social workers at Robert Gordon University, the University of the West of Scotland, and the University of Stirling. Led by our Alex, these sessions featured creative elements from Concerned Others, highlighting individual stories drawn from the Stepping Stones data and why we need to look at drug use within pregnancy with an empathetic lens.

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These workshops provided a valuable opportunity to enhance my creative understanding.
I believe this experience will remain with me, as some of the stories I heard were truly touching.
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The light boxes and text showcased during the workshops tell unique stories of experiences throughout pregnancy and the post-birth period. These stories are carefully crafted composites, ensuring anonymity while capturing the core essences of what women shared. The individual stories were developed based on vital principles and key messages that emerged from the interview data.

The Stepping Stones study is a longitudinal qualitative research project led by Louise Honeybul and Helen Cheyne that explores the experiences of women using drugs during the perinatal period and their interactions with health and social care services. Their research included 121 interviews with 36 women over a year, in various regions of England and Scotland, along with focus groups with practitioners and interviews with service leads to better understand the care delivery to this unique population. 

The research and workshops led to a public exhibition at University of Stirling in early 2025, created by Alex Bird, Val Reid and Andy Gannon.