At our inspection in May 2013 we found there were improvements required to meet the required standards in safeguarding people from abuse, appropriate recruitment arrangements and the monitoring of service quality. At this visit we found the service had implemented the necessary improvements.

We found that there were details of safeguarding procedures available to staff and staff were aware of how to report any cases of suspected abuse of children or vulnerable adults.

The service had improved the arrangements to ensure new staff had appropriate checks made prior to employment. We examined records of criminal records checks on all staff.

We saw that regular checks were made on health and safety of premises and equipment. The service had a system to ensure the effective cleaning of rooms and clinical areas. People were asked for their views about their care and treatment.

We spoke with four people during our inspection. They told us they had been attending this surgery between 20 to 46 years and that they were very happy with their care and treatment. One person commented, “Very efficient dentist, never had any problems, everything is explained to me”. One person told us, “The dentist is very calming, I have a history of bad dentistry, I do not feel that here”. One person told us “I am diabetic and the dentist always asks about my medication before they start any treatment”. People told us that they were consulted about the different treatment options and that they were able to make an informed choice before consenting to treatment.

We gathered evidence of people's experiences of the service by observing how they were treated during their visit and looked at records. We saw that people were seen promptly and spoken with in a polite and friendly manner. Peoples records were accurate and provided a clear audit trail of treatments planned and carried out. Systems were in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection.

We found that policies and procedures were not being reviewed and updated. Staff had not received training to ensure they knew what to do if they believed a child or vulnerable adult was at risk of abuse. Staff were not receiving appropriate training and support to carry out their designated roles. There were no systems in place to ensure the quality and safety of the service provided.