We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 24 March 2016 to ask the practice the following key questions; Are services safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led?

Our findings were:

Are services safe?

We found that this practice was providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations

Are services effective?

We found that this practice was providing effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations

Are services caring?

We found that this practice was providing caring services in accordance with the relevant regulations

Are services responsive?

We found that this practice was providing responsive care in accordance with the relevant regulations

Are services well-led?

We found that this practice was providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations

Background

Beaufort Dental Health Centre is a mixed dental practice providing private treatment for adults and some NHS treatment for children. The practice is situated in a converted residential property. The practice had three dental treatment rooms and a separate decontamination room for cleaning, sterilising and packing dental instruments. Also included were a reception and waiting area.

The practice is open Monday 8.25am – 7.00pm, Tuesday 8.15am – 7.00pm, Wednesday 8.25am – 5.30pm, Thursday 8.15am – 7.00pm, Friday 8.25am – 5.30pm. The practice has three dentists and are supported by four dental nurses, three dental hygiene therapists and a practice manager. Other staff include a receptionist and a senior administrator who supports the practice manager.

The practice manager is the registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the practice is run.

Before the inspection we sent Care Quality Commission comment cards to the practice for patients to complete to tell us about their experience of the practice. We received feedback from 27 patients. These provided a completely positive view of the services the practice provides. Patients commented on the high quality of care, the caring nature of all staff, the cleanliness of the practice and the overall high quality of customer care.

Our key findings were:

• We found that the practice ethos was to provide patient centred dental care in a relaxed and friendly environment.
• Strong and effective leadership was provided by the principal dentists and an empowered practice manager.
• Staff had been trained to handle emergencies and appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment was readily available in accordance with current guidelines.
• The practice appeared clean and well maintained.
• Infection control procedures were robust and the practice followed published guidance.
• The practice had a safeguarding lead with effective processes in place for safeguarding adults and children living in vulnerable circumstances.
• Staff reported incidents and kept records of these which the practice used for shared learning.
• Dentists provided dental care in accordance with current professional and National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
• The practice had fully embraced the concept of skill mix to assist in the delivery of effective dental care to patients.
• The service was aware of the needs of the local population and took these into account in how the practice was run.
• Patients could access treatment and urgent and emergency care when required.
• Staff recruitment files were organised and complete.
• Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and were supported in their continued professional development (CPD) by the practice principals and practice manager.
• Staff we spoke with felt well supported by the practice principals and practice manager and were committed to providing a quality service to their patients.
• Information from 27 completed Care Quality Commission (CQC) comment cards gave us a positive picture of a friendly, caring, professional and high quality service.

We carried out this review to check on the care and welfare of people using this service. We also looked at the cleanliness of the service and the infection control systems that were in place.

Our visit was discussed and arranged three days in advance. This was to ensure that we had time to see and speak to staff working at the practice, as well as people registered with the service.

As part of our review we talked with five people on the telephone before and after our visit and one person during our visit about the service they received. Everyone we spoke with told us they were happy and would recommend the practice to family and friends. Some of these people also told us about the opinions of other people in their family and how their children were treated at the dental practice, which were also positive.

The dental practice was on the ground floor which meant the treatment rooms were accessible to all people, including those who required assistance with mobility. There was a large reception and waiting room with adequate space to manoeuvre a pushchair or for people to move in a wheelchair.

People said the staff were very gentle and considered their anxieties and how to reduce any stress. They said their examinations and treatment were thorough, and included regular checks of their teeth, gums and soft tissues areas. They were always given time away from the practice to consider their treatment options and any costs involved. People told us “The staff are very friendly and respectful.” and “I have a built a good relationship with the staff here, and we have a very good rapport. I trust them and their advice.”

The staff demonstrated an enthusiastic approach to their work. They told us they were proud of the practice, which promoted a positive approach, supported and educated people, to maintain good oral hygiene and to be proud of their smile.