We carried out this announced inspection on 30 May 2018 under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. We planned the inspection to check whether the registered provider was meeting the legal requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations. The inspection was led by a CQC inspector who was supported by a specialist dental adviser.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we always ask the following five questions:

• Is it safe?

• Is it effective?

• Is it caring?

• Is it responsive to people’s needs?

• Is it well-led?

These questions form the framework for the areas we look at during the inspection.

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

Family Dental Practice Dagenham is in Dagenham in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. The practice provides NHS and private treatment to patients of all ages.

The practice is located on ground level and there is step frees access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. The practice is situated close to public transport bus services.

The dental team includes the principal dentist, one foundation dentist, one dental nurse, one trainee dental nurse and one receptionist. The practice has two treatment rooms.

The practice is owned by an individual who is the principal dentist there. They have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the practice is run.

On the day of inspection we received feedback from 10 patients.

During the inspection we spoke with both dentists, one dental nurse and the receptionist. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open: Mondays to Thursdays 9.30am to 6.30pm.

The practice closes between 1pm and 2pm each for lunch

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared clean and well maintained.
• The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
• Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
• The practice had systems to help them manage risk.
• The practice had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
• The practice had thorough staff recruitment procedures.
• The clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
• Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
• The practice was providing preventive care and supporting patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system met patients’ needs.
• The practice had effective leadership and culture of continuous improvement.
• Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
• The practice asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
• The practice dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
• The practice had suitable information governance arrangements.

During our visit to the practice we spoke with two people who used the service. We also spoke with some staff working in the practice, including the registered manager, trainee dentist, dental nurse and receptionist. People said they were happy with their care and treatment. One person told us, "I like the staff here. They are very gentle as I don't like pain."

People's needs were assessed and a detailed medical history was taken from each person and discussed prior to their treatment. Care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with their individual treatment plan. People told us their treatment and any related risks and the costs were explained. One person we spoke with said, "the dentist explains everything and gives me lots of options."

We found people received care and treatment in a clean environment. There were effective systems in place to reduce the risk of infection. Staff were able to describe the decontamination process and provided evidence to show that checks were carried out on equipment used.

All staff were trained and supported to undertake their roles. People told us they felt well treated by competent professionals.

The complaints procedure was displayed in the waiting area and in the patient information leaflet. One complaint had been made in the last year and had been appropriately dealt with.