• The hospital always had enough staff with the right qualifications, skills, experience and training to keep women safe from avoidable harm and abuse, and to provide them with the care and treatment they needed.

• Staff had clear understanding about their safeguarding responsibilities and were confident about actions they would take if they had any concern about a woman’s well-being. Staff followed internal procedures for safeguarding women and children.

• Women had access to maternity services when they needed it, with access to telephone guidance twenty- four hours a day and prompt responses. The trust provided maternity services seven days a week.

• The service provided care and treatment that was based on national guidance and monitored its application in practice.

• Actions were taken to improve service provision in response to feedback, incidents investigations and complaints received.

• Staff told us there was good working relationship with Princess Anne Hospital and they felt well supported in delivering care to women and babies.

• The trust vision and strategy was understood by staff and staff said they were supported by their managers.

However:

• There was only one midwife on site and staff relied on support from the main hospital which may impact on care of women.

• The service treated concerns and complaints seriously, investigated them, learned lessons from the results and shared with staff. These were not completed in a timely way; detailed responses had resulted in delays for the complainants which the trust was working to improve.

• Not all staff had received annual appraisals to provide support and monitor their practice. This was below the compliance rate set by the trust.

• All staff had not completed additional training for management of women in the birthing pool.