During our last inspection dated 2 July 2013 the provider was not supporting workers with regards to their professional development. There was no system to monitor clinical staff progress in regards to their five year training cycle. The practice sent us an action plan which stated what they would do to achieve compliance and declared they would be compliant by 19 July 2013. At this inspection we found the provider had taken all necessary steps and was now compliant with the regulations.

Staff we spoke with told us they felt supported by the practice and were able to raise any concerns they had with the manager. We saw evidence of regular team meetings which were also used for training purposes. Annual appraisals were up to date and staff had signed their personal development objectives. Staff told us one to one meetings had been planned and this was confirmed by the manager.

We saw evidence that clinical staff were up to date with their five year training cycle as required by the General Dental Council. Training files viewed contained completed training certificates and a summary of hours completed. The manager had an appropriate system in place to monitor clinical staff training for their core personal development.

We spoke with three patients who use the service. Patients we spoke with told us they were happy with the practice. They told us they were treated with respect and had treatment choices explained to them. One person told us, “I have been going to the surgery for many years and have no complaints.”

We viewed eight patient records and found patients’ oral health was comprehensively assessed. For example, the dentist had checked for decay, soft tissue problems, and the condition of patients’ gums, jaw and face and recorded a map of the mouth.

We toured the practice and found it to be clean and tidy. The practice had effective systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection. The cleaning of reusable instruments was in line with guidelines from the Department of Health.

None of the patients we spoke with had made a complaint. The practice had an effective complaints procedure which was available for patients.

Staff working at the practice said they felt supported by management. However we could not find evidence staff received regular annual appraisals. We viewed personnel files and found in some limited evidence of training completed. The practice manager did not monitor training undertaken by staff. Therefore the practice manager could not ensure that clinical staff Continuous Professional Development (CPD) was up to date. It is a requirement for dentists and nurses to complete CPD to maintain their registration with the General Dental Council (GDC).