Window to the Womb Also known as Window to the Womb Manchester

On this page

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

We found a service that was caring, where staff understood the importance to women and their families of seeing and hearing their babies for the first time. Women felt informed and in control of the process, including understanding what their scans consisted of and pricing. All staff we spoke with loved working at the service.

This service scored 80 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

We scored the service as 4. The evidence showed an exceptional standard. The service was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Staff treated people with kindness, compassion, and respect. Feedback from people who used the service consistently described staff as caring and friendly. Comments included, “Truly amazing! The staff were friendly and chatty… so many beautiful moments captured” and ‘very grateful to the lovely ladies… they were so friendly and courteous.”

People were supported to provide feedback through various channels, including online platforms and direct communication with staff. Inspectors received positive feedback during the visit and observed further comments on the provider’s website and review platforms. Staff reviewed this feedback and used it to inform service improvement plans.

Staff demonstrated a strong commitment to compassionate care. The manager and staff emphasised the importance of treating women and families with dignity. Staff recognised the emotional significance of scan experiences and aimed to make them memorable. All staff spoken with were caring and committed to delivering safe, respectful care. They explained how they maintained privacy and dignity during procedures and understood individual needs, including cultural and religious considerations. Staff felt confident to raise concerns about inappropriate behaviour without fear of reprisal.

Women told us interactions were respectful and unhurried. Consultations were scheduled to allow time for meaningful engagement. Staff offered emotional support and advice when needed. Inspectors observed warm and kind greetings, with families guided to private areas to relax before scans. The clinic’s spacious layout supported privacy, even for larger groups. The service had considered the needs of women attending with young children.

Sonographers worked sensitively and flexibly. Staff built rapport and respected patients’ dignity. When optimal images could not be obtained due to fetal positioning, we saw sonographers offered strategies such as walking or light exercise. Women were invited to return for a free rescan if needed. We observed scan assistants explaining procedures clearly and engaged positively with patients.

We saw compassionate care throughout the patient journey. From arrival to departure, staff communicated clearly and gave families opportunities to ask questions. Thank you cards praised staff for their kindness. The service supported people receiving difficult news. A dedicated quiet room provided privacy for women and families receiving distressing information. We saw evidence that staff had completed training in breaking bad news as part of their induction, ensuring sensitive and supportive communication.

We saw evidence of regular ‘Care and Service Assessments’ carried out internally by staff, all were positive with one stating the staff member ‘made it more than just a regular scan, it was a very memorable experience for the patient and their family.’

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.

Staff delivered person-centred care that respected individual needs and preferences. We observed positive interactions between staff and people using the service. Staff took time to explain procedures and demonstrated a clear understanding of each person’s needs. Families reported that treatment packages were tailored to their preferences, including frequency and type of care.

The service was inclusive and responsive to individual needs. Staff made reasonable adjustments to support access to services. Women completed pre-scan questionnaires to declare any adjustments required for safe and comfortable attendance. Managers ensured access to interpreters and signers when needed, using third-party translation services. All staff completed equality and diversity training, supporting care delivery in line with the provider’s diversity policy. Policies were in place to ensure people with protected characteristics under the Equality Act (2010) received care free from bias.

The service promoted continuity of care and community engagement and the clinic explored ways to support women post-pregnancy, including face-to-face sessions with local groups such as paediatric first aid, baby yoga, and toddler groups. We saw evidence that these initiatives received positive feedback.

We observed staff recognising and responding to individual needs. The service signposted women to specialist pregnancy and miscarriage charities and online support groups. Referral questionnaires were reviewed regularly to ensure follow-up care met individual needs. Women were routinely asked how the service could support them after receiving difficult news. The provider sought guidance from the Miscarriage Association to ensure women were adequately supported and informed of their options.

Staff told us they provided emotional support and advice to women and their families when needed. The service proactively ensured emotional support was available throughout the care journey. It was evident during inspection that women and their families were welcomed at every stage of pregnancy and beyond.

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.

People told us they were satisfied with the range of personalised items available. Women were able to select scan images immediately after their appointment, which were printed as part of presentation packages. A variety of frames, toys, and audio keepsakes were available to customise scan photos and heartbeat recordings. Staff involved younger siblings and family members during this process to ensure inclusivity.

Managers and staff balanced commercial aspects of the service without exploiting women’s emotional vulnerability. While products were displayed at the entrance, staff did not apply sales pressure and items were removed prior to non-pregnancy scan clinics. Staff understood their role in promoting items appropriately.

Women were supported in making informed decisions about their care. Women were given referral options, and where necessary, the sonographer liaised with out-of-area NHS hospitals. The clinic maintained partnerships with multiple local NHS trusts.

We saw that communication was tailored and compassionate. The clinical lead and registered manager worked with staff to ensure communication was appropriate to each individual and situation. Staff embedded learning from national incidents and complaints to improve practice and ensure effective, caring interactions.

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.

The service was effective in meeting people’s needs and people who used the service told us it met their expectations. In addition to pregnancy scans, the service offered blood tests and hormone function assessments.

When scans indicated abnormal findings, the sonographer explained the results to the woman and her family in the scan room and arranged referrals to NHS services. Staff offered follow-up contact approximately one week later to check on the wellbeing of the parents. Patients were asked if they wished to receive this follow-up, and staff reported that most agreed.

The service was sensitive to the emotional needs of patients. Separate sessions were held for Window to the Womb scans and firstScan early pregnancy scans. This ensured that women who may have experienced miscarriage did not share waiting areas with those in later stages of pregnancy.

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 their wellbeing was prioritised to support high-quality care. The service fostered a supportive and inclusive environment, with staff reporting they felt valued and encouraged to contribute to service improvements. One staff member said, “There is an open-door policy here, any problems and we can go and speak to management straight away.”

Emotional support for staff was embedded in the service. Staff had access to an external agency offering support across financial, legal, and therapeutic topics. The registered manager conducted informal wellbeing check ins within the team and provided staff with a wellbeing survey.

Staff described manageable workloads and a collaborative team culture. Training and support were discussed weekly, and daily handovers included team briefs and shared learning. We saw evidence that staff received regular appraisals and ongoing communication from managers via multiple channels.

Staff reported a good work/life balance and felt able to raise wellbeing concerns with colleagues and managers. They also told us that directors encouraged innovation and new ideas. One staff member said, “I feel fully supported and looked after, management genuinely care, I really enjoy working here.” We heard that staff were involved in regular team building activities supported by the directors and registered managers.