Alecia Staines
Professional Summary
I bring a strong and diverse professional background in education, maternity care, stakeholder engagement, and health policy development. My career has been dedicated to improving maternity health outcomes through a combination of advocacy, strategic leadership, and system-level change. I have led some of the largest media campaigns for maternity care including "Bush Babies".
As the Founder and Director of a national nonprofit organisation in the maternal health space, I have contributed to the development and implementation of policies and strategies across federal, state, and local jurisdictions. This work has been grounded in advancing respectful, evidence-informed maternity care and supporting meaningful improvements in practice and service delivery, including continuity of midwifery carer.
Through ongoing involvement in advisory groups, steering committees, research, and community-based projects, I have developed deep expertise in analysing trends, interpreting data, and providing expert recommendations to strengthen maternity systems.
My recent contributions include co-authoring the Guidelines for the Prevention of Perinatal Trauma and developing Respectful Maternity Care training, delivered to more than 50 maternity locations across Australia. With a strong commitment to policy, advocacy, and implementation, I am focused on driving effective, sustainable improvements in maternity care and ensuring women’s experiences are valued alongside clinical outcomes.
I am currently a PhD candidate in Respectful Maternity Care, looking at RMC both in knowledge and practice across maternity service professionals, women and their partners.
Qualifications
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Bachelor of Applied Science: University of Queensland
o Awarded Dean’s Commendation for High Achievement (GPA >/=6.0)
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Postgraduate Diploma of Education: University of New England
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Cert IV in Training and Assessment
Experience
Jan 2018 – Current Implementation Liaison and Project Reference Group Member
Medicare Benefits Scheme, Department of Health
Accomplishments:
Representing varied consumer interests and supporting strategy development as an expert member
Reviewing Medicare Benefits Scheme items to ensure they deliver high value care for all consumers
Developing and disseminating strategies and education materials to promote optimal communication
Aug 2017 – Nov 2025
Advisory Group Member
National Maternity Data Development Project
Accomplishments:
Assisting with and supporting project developments as an integral member of the advisory group
Analysing and approving Maternity Data Reports upholding strict confidentiality and ethical
standards
Consulting with diverse consumers and staff at the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW)
Oct 2015
Founder and Director
Maternity Consumer Network
Accomplishments:
Founding and directing a national membership organisation, Australia’s leading advocate on
maternity care and a partner in the Living Evidence in Australian Pregnancy and Postnatal Care
Guidelines
Drafting submissions to both the NSW and Victoria Maternity Inquiries, the Federal Stillbirth Inquiry
and subsequent action plan, the recent senate inquiry into universal access to reproductive
healthcare and the NSW Birth Trauma Inquiry
Providing advice and feedback on state-based maternity strategies across ACT, NSW and Queensland
Conducting research, analysing, interpreting and utilising perinatal data and compiling reports
Applying knowledge of the Growing Deadly Families Strategy, perinatal wellbeing and culturally
appropriate care, advocating alongside Indigenous researchers, health professionals and community
Feb 2015 – Nov 2023
Steering Committee Member
Queensland Health Clinical Guidelines
Accomplishments:
Considering the voice of consumers to ensure that clinical guidelines are highly consumer focused
Approving future guidelines and providing input on strategic direction to support optimal outcomes
Reviewing and monitoring guidelines to ensure alignment with evidence-based content for clinicians
Advocating for funding and approving current budgets, applying diligence in corporate governance
Feb 2011 – Current
Consumer Representative Consultant
Queensland Health Clinical Guidelines
Accomplishments:
Functioning as a representative for the Maternity Consumer Network and providing regular input
into the development of various clinical guidelines
Reviewing, summarising and providing relevant recommendations to the Queensland Health
Guideline Development Team to support positive change
Relating and responding to the interests and needs of specific consumers within the Health Service
Jan 2007 – Current
Classroom Teacher
Education Queensland
Accomplishments:
Catering to individual differences in multi-age and multi-ability classrooms across various schools,
supporting an inclusive, respectful and collaborative learning environment
Liaising with key stakeholders to create individual learning plans and individual education programs
Developing curriculum assessments aligned with ACARA and facilitating NAPLAN testing
requirements
Overseeing budgets, ordering resources, coordinating and managing department and staff meetings
Media
Publications
Ormsby SM, Schmied VA, Staines A, Kirk M, Johnson L, Small K, Hazard B, & Dahlen HG. (2024). Maternity Service Professionals’ Perspectives of “the Good, the Bad, and the Possible” in Australian Maternity Services: A Content Analysis. International Journal of Childbirth, DOI: 10.1891/IJC-2023- 0011.
Role: Part of the public lecture and expert panel held in March 2021, titled “The Good, the Bad and the Possible,” facilitated critique and feedback on WCC Strategy and the Australian maternity system
Paper Details: Reported findings of a qualitative analysis of participants’ views regarding the current perceptions of Australian maternity care. Participants identified widespread m maternity system issues resulting in women’s needs not being met. Hierarchical power imbalances and medical privilege were suggested to be obstructions to respectful partnerships and expansion of midwifery models of care
Impact: This paper will be utilised to advocate for midwives to work across their full scope of practice and for Respectful Maternity Care Training to be implemented to improve maternity services
Dahlen HG, Ormsby S, Staines A, Kirk M, Johnson L, Small K, Hazard B., & Schmied V. (2023). A comparison of Woman-Centred Care: Strategic Directions for Australian Maternity Services (2019) National Strategy with Other International Maternity Plans. Women Birth, 36(1): 17-29.
Role: Provided advice on design of the project, reviewed the manuscript and delivered input into the history and processes behind woman-centred care strategy for inclusion in the publication
Paper Details: The aim of this paper was to examine the reasons behind reported dissatisfaction and compare the Woman-Centred Care Strategy against similar international strategies and plans. The four guiding values in the Woman-Centred Care Strategy, Safety, Respect, Choice and Access were used to facilitate comparisons and provide recommendations to government and health services
Impact: This research was utilised by the Australian Government for review into the National Maternity Strategy. It has already been cited five times with an Altmetric score of 20 (top 25% of research).