Archived: Harborne Dental Practice

We gave the provider short notice of our inspection so that any disruption to people's care and treatment were minimised. During our inspection we spoke with two people who used the service and looked at the care and treatment records of four people. We spoke with the practice manager and three members of staff. We found that the provider had made the necessary improvements.

People's care needs were assessed and documented. This meant that care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare. One person told us, 'When I came for my treatment I was given a form to complete to update my medical history".

Staff had the information they needed to act on any safeguarding concerns about children and vulnerable adults.

People were protected from the risk of infection because appropriate guidance had been followed.

Staff were trained and supported to deliver care and treatment safely. One person told us, "The staff are very polite and helpful".

The provider had an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people received.

People we spoke with were complimentary about the service they received. One person told us: "I had problems with a previous dental practice as they didn't provide a very good service. This one is much better and the staff are brilliant." Another commented: "Like most people, I don't like going to the dentist but Kirsty (the dentist) really puts you at ease.'

People told us that they were happy with the cleanliness of the practice. We saw good arrangements in place for infection control including the use of protective equipment and procedures for keeping instruments clean.

A safeguarding policy was in place at the practice and we saw certificates documenting staff training in child protection. However, the provider may wish to note that local safeguarding team contacts numbers were not available.

We found that professional qualifications and registration certificates of staff were up to date. This meant that there were good arrangements to make sure that people using the practice were safe from unsuitable staff.

The provider did not have an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people receive. There was a lack of auditing at the practice and views from people using the service were not consistently gathered or acted upon.