Nurturing Naturally Limited

Updated 16 June 2022

Frenulotomy is the division of ankyloglossia (tongue-tie) a condition where the strip of skin connecting the babies’ tongue to the floor of their mouth is shorter than usual which sometimes needs surgical intervention in order to release the tongue. The provider only carried out procedures on babies under six months and did not use any general or local anaesthesia.

Other services provided include breastfeeding support clinics and craniosacral therapy; however, we did not inspect these as they are not within our scope of registration. Nurturing Naturally Limited is solely owned by the registered manager who is also a registered midwife.

The registered manager provided a service for both breast and bottle fed infants up to the age of six months, who were experiencing difficulty with feeding because of a tongue-tie. The registered manager was qualified to provide a frenulotomy service for babies up to the age of nine months; however babies older than six months were referred to the NHS or other private practitioners. This was the first time the service had been inspected. The service had a registered manager but did not employ any other staff.

The provider was registered for the following regulated activity

• Surgical procedures

Please note that throughout the report the term primary care giver is used and refers to the person who holds parental responsibility for the baby. Persons who may have parental responsibility include-

• The child’s mother.
• The child’s father, if he was married to the mother at the time of the birth.
• Unmarried fathers if they have registered the child’s birth jointly with the mother at the time of the birth of if they have married the mother of their child or obtain a parental responsibility order from the court.
• The child’s legal guardian.

Updated 16 June 2022

We carried out an inspection of Nurturing Naturally Limited using our comprehensive methodology on the 26 April 2022. The service had not previously been inspected.

We rated this service as good overall because it was good in safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led.

• The registered manager had training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well. The service-controlled infection risk well. The registered manager assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records.
• The registered manager provided good care and treatment. The registered manager monitored the effectiveness of the service. Key services were available five days a week.
• The registered manager treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions; they also provided emotional support.
• The service planned care to meet the needs of local people, took account of patients’ individual needs, and made it easy for people to give feedback. People could access the service when they needed it and did not have to wait long for treatment.
• The registered manager ran services well using reliable information systems. Patients felt respected, supported and valued. The registered manager focused on the needs of patients receiving care and was clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with patients to plan and manage services and the registered manager was committed to improving services continually.

However

• The risk register did not clearly define the need to complete and record a dynamic risk assessment when visiting people in their own homes.

Updated 16 June 2022

We rated it as good see the summary above for details.