When we inspected on 19 March 2013, we saw that the provider did not have a safeguarding policy for children and vulnerable adults. Our concern was that there was a risk that staff were unaware of safeguarding issues and/or how to respond appropriately to any allegation of abuse. We asked the provider to take action to address this issue. In response, the provider developed a policy for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults; and sent us a copy. Staff also attended safeguarding training and we were sent documentary evidence.

We inspected again on 6 June 2013. We saw that the provider’s safeguarding policy was centrally located for easy access by staff. We also saw that the provider had requested that staff sign the policy to confirm their understanding of its contents. Operational and managerial staff we spoke with demonstrated an understanding of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. Staff could also describe how they would report a safeguarding concern. These measures helped protect people from abuse or the risk of abuse.

People spoke positively with us about how treatment options had been explained. They told us that they understood the care and treatment choices available. One person observed that the dentist was “very good” and “explained everything.”

We selected two patient records at random. The provider was able to talk us through the records and demonstrate how patient progress was continually assessed and documented. One of the records clearly highlighted that the patient had a penicillin allergy. This meant that the provider had systems in place to help protect people against the risks of receiving inappropriate or unsafe care.

Not all staff had received safeguarding training and the provider was unable to provide contact details for the local authority safeguarding team. This meant that staff might be unaware of safeguarding issues and/or how to raise safeguarding concerns.

There were effective systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection. We saw that the waiting area, treatment room and decontamination area were clean and clutter free. One person observed that the practice had “high standards of hygiene” whilst another referred to cleanliness levels as being of an “excellent standard”.

None of the people we spoke with expressed concerns about the accuracy or confidentiality of patient records. One person referred to the practice as, “thoroughly professional”.