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

On this page

• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

The culture at the service was open and honest. Staff enjoyed working at the clinic and were overwhelmingly positive about their immediate leadership team. Staff felt empowered to make suggestions and felt able to contact the service Freedom to Speak Up Guardian if they had an issue or concern. All staff were aware of the services vision.

This service scored 75 (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 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service had a shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and understanding challenges and the needs of people and their communities.

Staff consistently reported high levels of motivation and positivity about their roles. They described a culture that was friendly, safety-focused, and open, and stated they received strong support from managers. Teamwork was described as effective, and the working environment as encouraging.

Staff spoke of an open and honest culture within the service and were overwhelmingly positive about their experiences. One staff member told us: “I am very happy here, we are a really close team,” another said, “I really want to make this clinic the best it can possibly be for the women and families we see.”

Although the service did not have its own set of values, staff demonstrated alignment with the ethos of the Window to the Womb franchise.

During the inspection, visible leadership was observed. Managers engaged readily with women and those accompanying them. They demonstrated a clear understanding of service-specific and wider sector challenges and priorities. Staff reported that leaders ensured managers were equipped with the necessary skills, training, and experience to fulfil their roles. Bespoke training was provided by the franchise to support this.

There was a systematic approach to monitoring and reviewing progress against strategic plans. These plans were consistently implemented and had a positive impact on service quality and sustainability. Registered managers articulated the franchise strategy and future plans clearly, including defined objectives for growth and sustainability. The clinic manager demonstrated commitment to achieving the best outcomes for women, and the service vision had been developed collaboratively with service users and external partners.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service had inclusive leaders at all levels who understood the context in which they delivered care, treatment and support and embodied the culture and values of their workforce and organisation. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

Staff spoke highly of both the registered manager and clinic manager, describing them as approachable and supportive. They reported feeling comfortable raising concerns and stated that managers supported their career development and promoted a healthy work/life balance.

Managers at all levels were described as having the appropriate skills, experience, and abilities to lead a sustainable service. Staff, including scan assistants, reported that company directors and the area manager were visible and approachable, visiting the clinic periodically to conduct audits and engage with staff.

Leadership development was embedded within the service, supported by a clearly defined leadership structure. One of the registered managers also held the role of franchise owner. The clinic manager led the Manchester clinic operationally and was responsible for day-to-day service delivery. Staff reported that this structure worked well.

Senior staff provided support across all clinics nationally and demonstrated flexibility and continuity in their approach. Staff expressed pride in working for the organisation and spoke positively about the culture. During the inspection, staff were observed to be friendly, confident, and welcoming. They expressed pride in their roles and in the quality of care provided. Staff morale was positive, and women using the service described staff as consistently friendly and helpful.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard.

The service maintained an open culture that encouraged staff to raise concerns without fear of reprisal. This was supported by clear policies and accessible leadership. Staff reported feeling confident in raising issues should these occur.

A Freedom to Speak Up (FTSU) policy and guardian were in place and accessible to all staff. The policy outlined the process for speaking up and what staff could expect in return, promoting transparency and support.

Staff stated they could approach managers with concerns and described the management team as having an “open door” approach. All staff were aware of the FTSU guardian. A corporate FTSU poster was displayed in staff areas.

An equal opportunities policy was in place to support fair decision-making and prevent discrimination. It addressed both direct and indirect discrimination.

A whistleblowing policy was up to date, although there was no evidence it had been used in the previous 12 months.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service valued diversity in their workforce. They work towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who work for them.

The service promoted a highly inclusive and fair culture, where diversity was valued and staff felt heard, supported, and respected across all roles. Its commitment to equality and inclusion was evident through its policies, support mechanisms, and proactive efforts to promote staff wellbeing and celebrate achievements.

Staff advised us they felt there was equal opportunity for career progression and promotion regardless of background or whether staff had a protected characteristic.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. They act on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and share this securely with others when appropriate.

Staff told us they attended regular monthly team meetings, which were scheduled to ensure full participation. Meeting minutes were made available, keeping staff informed of actions and updates. We saw evidence of formal meeting notes and actions from clinical governance meetings.

The clinic manager demonstrated a clear understanding of service-related risks and met regularly with the registered and area manager to review performance.

Governance arrangements were regularly reviewed and reflected best practice. The provider adopted a systematic approach to working with external organisations to improve care outcomes and ensured policies aligned with national guidance and emerging sector standards.

The registered manager held overall responsibility for clinical governance, supported by franchise directors. The governance framework enabled staff to deliver safe and effective care and was tailored to the nature of the service. Senior leaders held designated roles, including safeguarding leads and policy oversight.

The registered manager maintained oversight of recruitment, regulatory compliance, and equipment and premises maintenance. All sonographers held HCPC registration and relevant sector qualifications. Local managers worked closely with the provider’s senior team to ensure sonographers participated in a structured audit and peer review programme.

Policies were clearly indexed, comprehensive, and accessible to staff. Personnel and training files were maintained in paper format and audited monthly. Governance systems were overseen by the franchiser, who conducted a full catalogue of audits.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services work seamlessly for people. They share information and learning with partners and collaborate for improvement.

The service engaged with people through informal interactions, patient surveys, and feedback forms.

Staff emphasised the importance of delivering high-quality services for women alongside NHS provision. The registered manager described strong relationships with NHS colleagues and outlined potential future collaboration to support NHS services.

Staff participated in fundraising events for charities linked to the service, including those focused on gynaecological cancer and miscarriage. This activity was supported by the franchiser.

The provider’s social media platform was centrally managed, with oversight from the clinic manager. The team developed innovative approaches to using social media for information sharing. A user-led group was also established to provide ongoing support and share information among women using the service.

We saw evidence of the clinic organising open days and events to promote breast cancer awareness. They had also taken part in a baby show in collaboration with a well-known department store chain and had been approached to do this on a more regular basis due to the success of the event.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contribute to safe, effective practice and research.

The service worked in partnership with firstScan and was proactive in exploring new technologies to enhance women’s experiences. At the time of inspection, the provider told us they would be trialling an artificial intelligence (AI) platform aimed at improving scan safety and accuracy, enabling earlier identification of potential issues.

Staff demonstrated a strong commitment to continuous learning and service improvement.