Associate Professor Maxine V Chapman

I am an Associate Professor for the MSci Midwifery with Leadership programme, Equity and Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Lead for the School of Healthcare and the co-lead for EDI for the College of Life Sciences at the University of Leicester. 

My educational vision is grounded in empowering future midwives and healthcare professionals to become change leaders in the healthcare landscape to ensure that health disparities are reduced. I am committed to reducing health disparities for racially marginalised groups, actively championing and shaping inclusive practices.

I qualified midwife and nurse, and practised as a midwife for 15 years working with women and their families promoting and facilitating homebirths and advocating for informed choice before moving into full time education.

The move into education enabled me to share my passion, knowledge and expertise and to inspire and nurture students to understand the art and privilege that is midwifery practice. I am passionate about delivering a high-quality student learning experience and ensures that her teaching is informed by evidence, contemporary research and innovative pedagogical activities aimed at cultivating the ability of students to engage in critical discourse, contemporary research and make application of theory to practice at all levels of the programme.

Leicester Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Leicester, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicestershire County Council. Histories of Black Maternity and Motherhood in the Leicester/Leicestershire Region (2024).

University of Leicester Institute for Inclusivity in Higher Education (ULIHE) Evaluative research to identify inequities in student admissions process and deliver recommendations to alleviate them.

I have worked with colleagues to write about undertaking physical examinations on people with a darker skin tone to raise awareness of the typical euro-centricity focus that has existed in the education and training of health professionals over many centuries.

Raynor, M., Essat. Z., Ménage, D,. Chapman, M,. and Gregory, B., (2021) Decolonising Midwifery Education Part 1: How Colour Aware Are You When Assessing Women with Darker Skin Tones in Midwifery Practice? Open Access available at; https://www.all4maternity.com/decolonising-midwifery-education-part-1-how-colour-aware-are-you-when-assessing-women-with-darker-skin-tones-in-midwifery-practice/

Ménage, D,. Chapman, M,. Raynor, M., Essat . Z., and Wells, R. (2021) Decolonising Midwifery Education Part Two: Neonatal assessment. https://www.all4maternity.com/decolonising-midwifery-education-part-2-neonatal-assessment/

I currently teach across the midwifery and nursing MSci Leadership programmes. I am module lead for; Promoting safe midwifery from a global perspective; Practice module; Year 3 Leadership – Leading in organisations and Year 4 - Leading the management of change.

I am an external examiner for a post registration midwifery programme at Swansea University.

• Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) with current registration as nurse and registered midwife
• Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) 
• Royal College of Midwives (RCM) Steering group for decolonising midwifery education toolkit
• NHS England- Workforce, training and education directorate, South East England Region- Task and Finish Group- To Improve ethnic minority leadership representation at AfC Band 8a and above, from ward to board consultant and board level through staff engagement, empowerment and promotion of the positions 
• University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL) Terms and reference group- Improving maternity access for BME women. 
• University of Leicester (UoL) Multi ethnicity committee; UoL Women’s staff forum
• Peer reviewer for the Practising Midwife Journal

Royal College of Midwives 2023 Unsung Hero category for Midwives or Higher Education staff from a BME background, that acknowledges my effort to champion quality, diversity and inclusion alongside culturally sensitive working practices and high standards for all service users. I was among a team of people who helped to develop a ‘decolonising midwifery education toolkit’ with the RCM to address inequity in health education.

Royal College of Midwives – May 2023 Midwife from Leicester celebrated by RCM for her work to make the midwifery curriculum equal for all

University of Leicester’s Citizens Awards Inclusivity Champion 2023

• Inclusion in curriculum and practice
• Leadership in midwifery and nursing

• BBC News – May 2023 University of Leicester midwifery lecturer honoured for equality work
• BBC Radio Leicester Podcast - June 2023 It’s a privilege to be a midwife with a woman at that time
• Royal College of Midwives – May 2023 Midwife from Leicester celebrated by RCM for her work to make the midwifery curriculum equal for all
• Royal College of Midwives – Podcast April 2023. Education, education, education

• MSc Advanced Professional Practice, University of Northampton
• Nursing and Midwifery Council – Registered Teacher 
• Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy
• BSc Hons Midwifery (BSc) (Shortened course) De Montfort University 
• Diploma of Higher Education in Adult Nursing, De Montfort University