Pioneer House

Updated 3 July 2023

Pioneer House, also known as Cheshire Tongue Tie Clinic, is operated by Mrs Jennifer Johnson. The tongue tie service is one of the services provided by Cheshire Infant Feeding and Baby Support. Pioneer House is registered with CQC to provide the regulated activity of surgical procedures. Tongue tie division will also be offered in the client’s own home if it is more convenient for them. The registered manager is a sole trader who provides the regulated activity. The tongue tie practitioner is Jennifer Johnson, an approved registered independent midwife with a master’s level qualification in tongue tie division, who offers private tongue-tie services to the community in Cheshire and the surrounding areas.

Some babies are born with the condition tongue-tie, which has the medical name ankyloglossia. The fold of skin under the tongue that connects to the tongue to the bottom of the mouth is shorter than usual, which restricts the movement of the tongue. This can cause problems with breastfeeding or bottle-fed babies and the baby may not gain weight at the normal rate. Some babies require a surgical intervention to release the tongue, which is known as a frenulotomy or frenotomy. Frenulotomy services may be offered by the NHS or independent healthcare professionals such as doctors, dentists or midwives.

The provider is qualified to provide frenulotomy divisions for babies up to the age of one year, however the provider only treats babies up to and including 6 months of age. Babies above 6 months or with complex anatomy that are not safe to treated in a home setting are referred to ENT services.

There are two ways to practice as a tongue tie specialist, to provide the surgery alone, or with the additional provision of feeding support. The practitioner considered it particularly important to look at the whole picture by getting to the root cause of the issue and works very closely with a lactation consultant.

Whilst the clinician is a sole provider the lactation consultant assists them by supporting the baby's head during the procedure, they have no other active role in providing this regulated activity. This further safeguards the quality of the service that is offered by the provider.

This was the first CQC inspection since registration in 2019.

Updated 3 July 2023

We rated it as good because:

• The practitioner had training in key skills, understood how to protect babies and their carers from abuse, and managed safety well.
• Risk assessments were completed for all babies using an evidence-based standard assessment tool. The practitioner recognised risks to babies, acted on them and kept good care records.
• From the feedback we received, the practitioner treated babies and their carers with compassion and kindness, took account of their individual needs, and helped carers understand the condition.
• The practitioner was highly motivated and enthusiastic about their service. They provided dedicated and emotional support to primary carers and babies, respected their privacy and dignity and helped them understand their individual needs.
• The practitioner provided emotional support to carers and made the process simple for them to give feedback. Carers could access the practitioner when they needed to and did not have to wait long for assessment or treatment.
• The practitioner followed national guidance and evidence-based practice to provide good care and treatment. There was evidence of quality monitoring through regular audit.
• The process of seeking and recording consent was thorough and included sufficient information to allow for informed decisions to be made by the carer.
• There was a high level of aftercare available to carers following the procedure.

Updated 3 July 2023