My House

This was the first time we inspected the service. We rated it as good because it was safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well led:

• The midwife practitioner, additionally qualified as a lactation consultant, had training in key skills, understood how to protect babies and their parents from abuse, and managed safety well.
• Risk assessments were completed for all patients using an evidence-based standard assessment tool. The practitioner recognised risks to babies, acted on them and kept good care records.
• According to feedback we received, the practitioner treated babies and their parents with compassion and kindness, took account of their individual needs, and helped parents understand the condition. There was a high level of aftercare available to parents following the procedure.
• Parents could access the practitioner when they needed it and did not have to wait long for assessment or treatment. The practitioner provided emotional support to parents and made it easy for them to give feedback.
• The process of seeking and recording consent was thorough and included sufficient information to allow for informed decisions to be made by the parent.
• The practitioner followed national guidance and there was evidence of quality monitoring through audit.

However:

• The practitioner did not have a formal arrangement for safeguarding support or advice from their employing trust or local authority.