During an assessment of Diagnostic and screening services
Babysteps is operated by a single person, who is referred to as the responsible individual for the service. The service carries out pregnancy ultrasound scans for souvenir images, rather than for clinical purposes or as part of a pregnancy pathway of care. Facilities included 1 scanning room, reception area and waiting room. Both the waiting area and reception were set up for baby clothes and souvenir sales. We inspected the service on 24 February 2026. This was a scheduled, announced, comprehensive inspection. We gave the service 7 days' notice that we were coming to inspect to ensure the service was open. This assessment looked at all the key questions: safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well led. Throughout the inspection, we considered what people told us and how the provider understood and complied with these key questions.
We rated the service as Inadequate at our onsite assessment. We identified breaches of regulations in relation to Safe Care and Treatment, Safeguarding, Good Governance, and Equipment and premises.
The responsible individual was not compliant with mandatory training and there was no system to ensure mandatory training was completed when required. They did not have the relevant safeguarding training for their role as a healthcare professional. The responsible individual did not have appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service checks in place. Governance processes and relevant documentation were not implemented. The location did not have relevant environmental risk assessments in place to ensure the responsible individual and client safety. Policies and processes were not in place to refer clients to relevant services if abnormalities were identified.
The responsible individual must take prompt action to address concerns identified during the inspection in relation to the governance and risk management of the service. They must ensure accountable processes are in place for informed consent, identification of customers, data protection, monitoring and managing incidents, complaints, clinical auditing, environmental auditing, service contracts for equipment, escalation pathways, infection prevention and control and risk management. The provider did not set out clear terms and conditions around providing the service and did not consider the way in which they were triaging people using the service. This includes a process to ensure it informs all women who attend the service of their rights, including data protection, be available in different languages and in accessible formats, so informed consent can be given.
At this assessment, we identified breaches of regulations in Safe Care and Treatment, Safeguarding, Equipment and Premises, and Good Governance.
In instances where CQC has begun a process of regulatory action, we may publish this information on our website after any representations and/or appeals have been concluded, if the action has been taken forward.
We refer to women in this report, but we recognise some transgender men, non-binary people and people with variations in sex characteristics or who are intersex may also use services and experience some of the same issues.