Mandatory Training in a Dental Practice: What Does CQC Expect?
Mandatory training in a dental practice is often treated as a list of online courses that every employee must complete once a year. In reality, the requirements are more nuanced.
There is no single CQC-approved training list that applies identically to every member of every dental team. A practice must determine what training is necessary by considering legislation, CQC regulations, professional guidance, the services it provides, individual responsibilities and identified risks.
This guide explains the key dental practice training requirements in England, how often training should be renewed and what evidence the Care Quality Commission may expect to see.
What does CQC say about dental staff training?
The central requirement is found in Regulation 18: Staffing.
It requires providers to ensure that staff receive the support, training, professional development, supervision and appraisal necessary to perform their duties safely.
CQC expects dental practices to:
provide an appropriate induction
assess training and development needs when someone starts work
review those needs at suitable intervals
provide statutory, mandatory and role-specific training
supervise staff until they can demonstrate competence
monitor training completion
take prompt action when requirements have not been met
support registered professionals to meet their professional requirements
CQC Dental Mythbuster 2 explains that inspectors may consider whether dental team members are keeping their training up to date when assessing the effective key question.
The provider should be able to demonstrate that employees and self-employed dental professionals remain up to date and comply with General Dental Council requirements.
Is there a definitive mandatory training list for dental practices?
Not quite.
Some training is required directly by law or professional standards. Other subjects become mandatory because the provider has identified them as necessary for a particular role or risk.
A dental receptionist, trainee dental nurse, dentist, decontamination lead and sedation nurse will not necessarily require the same training. Buying one generic “mandatory training bundle” for the whole team does not, by itself, demonstrate compliance.
A suitable training programme should normally address the following areas.
Medical emergencies and basic life support
Dental professionals must be able to respond appropriately if a patient becomes unwell.
The GDC’s medical emergencies guidance states that all registrants must be trained in dealing with medical emergencies, including resuscitation, and retain current evidence of capability. Registrants must also understand their particular role during an emergency.
The GDC highly recommends at least two hours of medical emergencies CPD every year and at least ten hours during each CPD cycle.
Training should be supported by practical arrangements, including:
basic life support and AED use
recognition of common medical emergencies
knowledge of emergency medicines
clearly allocated staff roles
regular scenario-based practice
induction for locums and new employees
records of training and practice drills
A certificate is useful evidence, but staff should also be able to explain what they would do during an emergency and where the relevant drugs and equipment are kept.
Safeguarding adults and children
Dental teams may identify signs of neglect, physical abuse, domestic abuse, exploitation or other safeguarding concerns. Staff must understand how to recognise and report concerns.
CQC Dental Mythbuster 29 explains the importance of effective systems for safeguarding adults, children and young people.
Safeguarding training should be appropriate to each person’s role. It should cover:
possible signs of abuse and neglect
how to respond to a disclosure
internal escalation arrangements
local authority referral processes
immediate action where someone is at risk
recording concerns accurately
confidentiality and information sharing
the practice safeguarding lead’s responsibilities
The required depth of knowledge will differ between a receptionist, clinician and safeguarding lead. Practices should use current intercollegiate guidance when determining the appropriate training level and update frequency.
Learning disability and autism training
Regulation 18 requires providers to ensure that all staff receive training in how to interact appropriately with autistic people and people with a learning disability. The training must be appropriate to the person’s role.
This requirement applies to CQC-regulated dental practices, including those that do not specialise in treating people with learning disabilities.
CQC does not require practices to purchase one particular branded course. Providers should consider the Oliver McGowan Code of Practice and ensure that training leads to meaningful improvements in communication, reasonable adjustments and person-centred care.
Evidence could include certificates, induction records, team discussions and examples of reasonable adjustments made for patients.
Infection prevention and control
Infection prevention and control training should reflect the practice’s actual arrangements and the duties performed by each team member.
Relevant guidance includes CQC Dental Mythbuster 38, HTM 01-05 and the statutory infection prevention and control code of practice.
Training may need to cover:
hand hygiene
personal protective equipment
sharps safety
inoculation injuries
instrument cleaning and sterilisation
environmental cleaning
clinical waste
waterline management
safe movement of contaminated instruments
testing and validation of decontamination equipment
Staff undertaking decontamination duties should be assessed as competent. Completion of an online course does not prove that someone can safely operate an autoclave, carry out required tests or manage a failed cycle.
The GDC highly recommends at least five hours of disinfection and decontamination CPD during each professional CPD cycle.
Dental radiography and radiation protection
Radiography training is role specific. It does not need to be completed by every employee simply because the practice has an X-ray machine.
The employer must identify who acts as the employer, referrer, practitioner and operator under the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations. Each duty holder must be appropriately entitled, trained and competent.
CQC Dental Mythbuster 3 summarises the regulatory expectations for dental radiography.
The GDC recommends at least five hours of radiography and radiation protection CPD during each cycle for dental professionals who undertake radiography.
Relevant staff should also understand the Local Rules, quality assurance arrangements, equipment procedures and what to do following an incident.
Fire safety, health and safety and COSHH
All members of staff should receive fire safety information appropriate to the premises and their responsibilities. This will normally include action on discovering a fire, evacuation arrangements, assembly points and support for patients who may require assistance.
The frequency and content should be informed by the fire risk assessment, changes to the premises and practice fire drills. Induction training is especially important because a new employee cannot safely wait several months for the next scheduled course.
Health and safety training should reflect workplace risks. This may include:
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
sharps and inoculation injuries
manual handling
personal protective equipment
hazardous waste
spill management
display screen equipment
lone working
CQC’s dental mythbusters include specific guidance on fire safety, safer sharps and COSHH.
Consent, Mental Capacity and complaints
Team members should understand the aspects of consent that apply to their responsibilities.
Clinicians require a detailed understanding of valid consent, decision-making capacity, treatment options and the recording of discussions. Reception and support staff may need awareness training so they do not provide inappropriate clinical advice or assume that a relative can automatically make decisions for an adult patient.
Staff should also know:
how patients can make a complaint
who manages complaints
expected response times
how concerns are escalated
how the practice learns from complaints
when the duty of candour may apply
These subjects do not always require separate annual courses. Training may be delivered through induction, team meetings, policy reviews, case discussions and formal CPD.
Role-specific training
Additional training should be determined by the services provided and the employee’s duties.
Examples include:
conscious sedation
medicines management and prescribing
legionella and dental unit waterline management
sepsis recognition
domiciliary care and lone working
oral cancer recognition
management of patient safety alerts
information governance and cyber security
leadership and governance
equipment operation and maintenance
A sedation nurse, for example, will need competencies that are not required by someone who never participates in sedation. The person responsible for legionella controls will need more detailed training than a receptionist who only needs to understand the relevant local procedure.
How often should dental mandatory training be renewed?
CQC does not set one universal annual renewal period for all training subjects.
The frequency should be based on:
legislation and professional guidance
the practice risk assessment
the staff member’s role
manufacturer’s instructions
local policy
previous incidents or audit findings
changes to equipment, procedures or services
evidence that competence has been maintained
Where guidance specifies a frequency, the practice should follow it. In other areas, the provider should record how it decided on an appropriate interval.
Training should also be reviewed following an incident, significant policy change, audit failure or concern about an employee’s competence.
How should a dental practice monitor training?
A dental staff training matrix is usually the simplest way to maintain oversight.
The matrix should record:
employee name and role
required training subjects
completion dates
renewal dates
certificate or evidence location
competency assessment dates
outstanding actions
exemptions or reasons a course is not applicable
The registered manager or another designated person should review the matrix regularly. Waiting until immediately before a CQC inspection to identify expired training is poor governance.
Training should also be discussed during appraisals and linked to each dental professional’s personal development plan where appropriate.
What evidence might CQC inspect?
An inspector may review more than certificates. Evidence could include:
the practice training policy
staff training matrix
induction records
certificates and CPD records
competency assessments
appraisals
supervision records
personal development arrangements
emergency and fire drill records
minutes of relevant team meetings
action taken when training expires
evidence that locums and self-employed clinicians have been checked
Inspectors may speak directly to staff to test whether learning has been understood and applied. A current certificate will carry limited weight if the person cannot describe the practice procedure or perform their role safely.
Final dental practice training checklist
A well-managed practice should be able to demonstrate that:
training requirements are based on roles and risks
every new starter receives an appropriate induction
learning disability and autism training is provided
medical emergency training and practical scenarios remain current
safeguarding training reflects individual responsibilities
IPC and decontamination competence is assessed
radiography training is provided to relevant duty holders
fire and health and safety arrangements reflect risk assessments
specialist services have suitable additional training
completion and renewal dates are monitored
expired or missing training leads to prompt action
staff can apply what they have learned in practice
Mandatory training should not become a certificate-collecting exercise. The real test is whether the dental team has the knowledge, confidence and practical competence required to provide safe, effective and person-centred care.
If you need help assessing your dental practice training arrangements, preparing for a CQC inspection or reviewing your compliance evidence, CQC Consultancy can provide independent support based on practical dental and regulatory experience.
Guidance and regulatory requirements can change. Practices should check current CQC, GDC and relevant professional guidance when setting their training programme. This article provides general information and is not legal advice.
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