Northgate Dental Care Ltd

At our inspection on 13 September 2013 we found the provider did not have suitable arrangements in place to ensure effective supervision of staff.

During this inspection we spoke with five staff members including a receptionist, dental nurses, the registered manager and a compliance manager.

We found the provider had taken steps to ensure that staff underwent effective supervision. Staff we spoke with told us they felt well supported in their role. Effective arrangements were in place to ensure staff completed training appropriate to their role and to facilitate continuing professional development (CPD). We found robust procedures were in place to ensure regular clinical audits were undertaken. Dentists were provided with written and verbal feedback to enable them to improve their clinical skills. The frequency of audit was adjusted for individual dentists in response to previous audit findings.

We saw that patient's views were taken into account in the way the service was provided and delivered. For example one patient told us that the dentist 'Always explains what they are doing.' They also said they had been at the practice for years and they were 'Well satisfied with the service.'

We looked at five care records and saw that the records included details of each patient's medical history. These were updated regularly and signed by the patients. Staff told us that the dentists would always verbally check the medical history at each treatment visit.

We saw that the premises were visibly clean and tidy. Staff we spoke with spoke knowledgeably about decontamination and sterilisation processes they used. One patient we spoke with said 'The practice was always clean.'

We saw documentation which confirmed that all relevant staff employed by the service held current registrations with the General Dental Council (GDC). We also saw documents which confirmed that the service held checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for all staff. This meant that the service had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent abuse from happening.

We identified shortfalls in the way staff had been supported. The provider did not have suitable arrangements in place to ensure all staff received effective supervisions.