Manchester Lactation Consultants

Our rating of this location was Good. We rated it as good because:

• Practitioners followed national guidance and evidence-based practice to provide good care and treatment. Practitioners 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. Practitioners recognised risks to babies, acted on them and kept good care records.
• Practitioners were highly motivated and enthusiastic about their service. They provided dedicated and emotional support to primary carers and babies and helped them understand their individual needs. Feedback we received from carers said the practitioners treated babies and their carers with compassion and kindness, took account of their individual needs, and helped carers understand the condition. There was a high level of aftercare available to carers following the procedure including QR codes via phones that could also be accessed in different languages.
• Carers could access the practitioner when they needed to and did not have to wait long for assessment or 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.

However:

• The service did not always keep the risk register updated and current.
• The service did not have a clear strategy to turn its vision into action.
• The service did not have a lone working policy or processes to ensure that staff were safe when making home visits.
• The service did not have a clear complaints process or policy on their website so carers could raise a complaint after leaving the service. Incorrect advice was also given when signposting carers for external review of their individual complaints.
• There was no visible domestic violence support information in the clinic area or toilet to support carers who may be at risk of domestic abuse.