HELLO BABY

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• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

We looked for evidence that the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good.

Staff consistently demonstrated kindness, respect and attentiveness in their interactions with women. They took time to explain procedures, offer comfort and respond to individual needs, including those related to anxiety.

People were treated with dignity throughout their visit. The environment supported privacy and comfort. Staff wellbeing was promoted and there was a positive team culture.

We have not awarded this service a score for Caring.

Find out about when we will not publish a key question score and what we look at when we assess Caring.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisation’s with kindness and respect.

Staff attitudes and behaviours when interacting with women showed that they were discreet, respectful and responsive, providing women with help, emotional support and advice at the time they needed it. We observed the ultrasound technician took time to interact respectfully and considerately with women and those close to them.

We saw privacy and dignity for women was maintained throughout the scan. The door was closed during the scan and conversations could not be overheard. The ultrasound technician explained to women what would happen during the scan and allowed sufficient time in appointments to answer any concerns.

We observed simple language used by the ultrasound technician to explain to women what they are looking for in the scan images. To encourage fetal movement and improve positioning, we saw the ultrasound technician offered strategies such as taking a walk. Women were invited to return for a free rescan in 7 days if the ultrasound technician was unable to capture images or confirm gender.

We saw the ultrasound technician had completed training on breaking bad news and demonstrated a good understanding and awareness of the emotional needs of women attending the service.

Feedback from people who used the service over the past year was predominantly positive.

Women and their families gave feedback on the service and their care and staff supported them to do this. The registered manager monitored people’s feedback on their social media platforms and online reviews and used it to inform service improvement plans.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

The service made adjustments for people who had a disability or mobility needs, for example by ensuring the service was accessible, doors were widened to accommodate wheelchairs, and had assistance handles in the toilet.

The service was inclusive and responsive to individual needs. Women were asked to complete pre-booking questions to declare any adjustments required for safe and comfortable attendance for the scan. Staff made reasonable adjustments to support women to access services such as translation services when needed. The registered manager told us how the scan room had been adapted to accommodate women with a disability or sensory loss.

All staff completed equality and diversity training; this was in line with the service Equality, diversity, human rights and inclusion policy.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

The service offered a variety of scan packages which women can choose from. Information was provided on the service’s website and displayed in the clinic. The service allowed family, friends and children to attend the scan appointment. They offered evening and weekend appointments, which included Saturdays and one Sunday per month.

The service provided and promoted wellbeing by signposting women to local NHS trusts, if women had any concerns, needed further advice or required clinical intervention. Women were given choices for self-referral or referred by the registered manager where necessary.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

We observed the ultrasound technician took their time to listen to and understand women’s individual situations. The ultrasound technician responded with kindness, empathy and understanding and was prepared to support women immediately if concerns were identified on the scan. We observed that women could speak privately to the ultrasound technician in the scanning room and they were fully involved with their care. Women were given the opportunity to ask questions throughout the appointment.

The registered manager told us that when women had been referred to local early pregnancy units or hospitals using the referral pathway, they made a follow-up contact with them few days after to check on their wellbeing, if they needed further support and ascertain they attended an NHS maternity service.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff told us they enjoyed working at the service and felt valued and supported by their colleagues and service manager. Staff have had their appraisals and are up-to-date with all mandatory training.

We observed that staff were proactive in their role and worked together to offer a good service to the people using the service. Staff could speak up with concerns to the registered manager and raised anything relating to the service or their working lives in team meetings. The service had a policy that directed staff to speak to an external company if they were not happy to raise concerns with registered manager.

We saw staff had annual appraisals and a 6 month review.