We spoke with seven people who used Velvet Dental Centre Limited to gain their experiences of the service they received. People we spoke with included people with a physical disability, people who had received extensive treatment, people who were very nervous about visiting the dentist and people who had attended the practice over a number of years.

People we spoke with said they were happy with the service they received and said they had recommended the practice to many of their family and friends. One person told us “I have total trust in them”. People told us they were always made very welcome and the staff knew them well. We observed this during our visit when people arrived at the practice. One person told us, "I'm very happy and confident going there, it's such a relief to find such understanding and caring staff to help keep me calm”.

Everybody said they felt respected by the staff and said their privacy was upheld.

People told us they felt fully involved in their treatment and were provided with sufficient information to make an informed decision about their treatment. They said their check ups were thorough and they were always provided with a copy of their treatment plan and an estimation of costs. One person told us that one of the things that the service did well was “to speak and talk with you and not at you”.

People with restricted mobility or physical disability told us the practice accommodated them and ensured their routine check ups and treatment were carried out effectively. They said staff were attentive to their individual needs. One person said, "they always make sure I am comfortable before they start and they keep checking me throughout my treatment and offer me a rest to relax and compose myself if needs be".

Everybody confirmed they had completed a health questionnaire and at each appointment staff asked about their health and medication. One person said, "My dentist is fully aware of the medication I need for my health. They always check to make sure there have been no changes in my medical conditions at the start of every visit”.

People said they felt safe attending the practice and had no concerns about their care and welfare. Staff confirmed they had received some training in child protection. The service acknowledged they needed to further develop staff training for safeguarding adults to better equip them to deal with concerns regarding a person's wellbeing or if they observed abuse. We saw this matter was in hand.

People told us the practice was always clean and tidy and confirmed clinical staff always wore personal protective clothing such as a short sleeved uniform, gloves and eye protection. One person said, “the staff are very well turned out. I have no issues whatsoever about the cleanliness of the practice." Staff told us they had received training in infection control and prevention to help minimise the risk of cross infection.

Quality assurance systems were in place to monitor and review the quality of the service provided. Health and safety systems were in place to make sure that people who used and worked at the practice were safe.