What Makes a Successful Partnership? Lessons from a Multi-Agency Equity-Focused Maternal and Early Childhood Health Partnership in Victoria, Australia: A Case Study

Abstract

Disparities in maternal and child health outcomes in high-income countries, including Australia, are influenced by complex social determinants of health. We formed a multi-disciplinary multi-agency partnership to improve the capacity of maternity and early childhood health workforces to identify and respond to social factors contributing to poorer perinatal outcomes for families in a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. This case study reports our experiences and reflections on working in partnership during the COVID-19 pandemic. An evaluation involving semi-structured interviews and a collaborative workshop attended by 10 partnership group members was undertaken in 2023. Recognisin..