6 May 2014
During a routine inspection
Parents told us the orthodontist gained their consent before treatment was provided to their children. A parent told us 'the orthodontist talked through everything. Time was given for reflection to make sure he (the child) understood. We agreed with the treatment plan. We trust their professional judgement. We were not forced or rushed.' Another patient told us their treatment was explained to them before it was started.
Patients felt safe with the dental staff. A child attending with their parent told us they felt safe. We were told parents were encouraged to accompany children under 18 on appointments. The staff we spoke with knew the signs of abuse and the actions they needed to take for raising concerns.
The practice was clean and there were systems in place to protect people from the risk of infection. The staff had followed infection control and the decontamination of instruments procedures to help protect patients' to reduce the risk of infection.
Parents told us the staff were good. Staff attended training to ensure they had the skills and knowledge needed to support the orthodontist. Information about the running of the practice and policy changes were discussed during staff meetings. Appraisals were annual and reviewed staff performance and development needs. One to one supervisions were not taking place regularly. The provider and practice manager told us supervision was to take place and explained the arrangements to provide individual supervision.
Effective systems to assess the quality of the service were in place. Parents told us their views about the service had been sought by the provider. They told us they felt confident to raise concerns with the practice manager.