19 May 2021
During a routine inspection
Our rating of this location improved. We rated it as good because:
- The service had enough staff to care for women and keep them safe. Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect women from abuse, and managed safety well. The service controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to women, acted on them and kept good records. The service knew how to manage safety incidents. The service put safety of women before profit.
- Staff provided good care and treatment. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of women, supported them to make decisions about their care, and had access to good information. Staff were fully committed to working in partnership with people and making the experience special for each person. Women really felt cared for and that they and their baby mattered.
- People were respected and valued as individuals and are empowered as partners in their care. There was a strong person-centred culture and staff were highly motivated and inspired to offer care that is kind and promotes dignity. Staff treated women with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They provided emotional support to women and families.
- The service planned care to meet the needs of local people, took account of women’s individual needs, and made it easy for people to give feedback. Feedback from people who use the services was consistently positive about the way staff treat women. People could access the service when they needed it and were provided with a report and images to take home with them.
- Staff demonstrated shared values in their work. The service shared a philosophy of care statement with women which was made visible in the waiting area.
- Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of women receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with women to plan their care and all staff were committed to improving services continually.
However:
- Although managers and staff were aware of the vision for the service, there was no written strategy for the service, outlining plans for the next year or longer.
- The service used refillable bottles for dispensing ultrasound scan gel but did not have a protocol to ensure best practice. The service used appropriate methods and products to clean probes but did not have a protocol to outline the correct procedure. The service amended their infection control policy immediately after our inspection. This now outlines in full, the correct process for decontamination of probes and guidelines to prevent gel standing for long periods.
- Although staff understood the role of chaperone, there was no chaperone policy or protocol to guide staff in this role. The service implemented a chaperone policy immediately after our inspection.
- The service did not have a performance management policy to support staff who were underperforming. The service implemented a performance policy immediately after our inspection.
- Although the service asked all women if they were over 18 years when booking an appointment, their ID was not formally checked.