At our inspection in December 2013 we found the registered person did not ensure that service users were safeguarded against the risk of abuse by taking reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent it before it occurred. Regulation 11(1)(a)

At the follow up inspection we found a full safeguarding and child protection policy and that staff had been fully trained. Staff were able to demonstrate their knowledge of safeguarding.

Maple Dental surgery operated on a part-time basis and only treated private patients. At the time of the visit we were only able to speak to one patient.

We reviewed 11 patient records which showed that before people received any care or treatment, they signed a treatment plan which explained the treatment and included a section on consent. The person we spoke to said they were happy with their care. They told us the dentist “did very well. I had treatment at another dentist three years ago and felt this dentist was much more professional.”

People who use the service were not protected from the risk of abuse because dental staff had not received formal training in the safeguarding of vulnerable adults, so their knowledge of this area was limited.

There were systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection. The practice had a policy on infection control and procedures for spillages, sharps, decontamination and hand hygiene.

The practice had an effective policy and procedure for receiving and handling complaints.