CQC Compliance
Meeting standards with therapy dogs
Why does CQC standards compliance matter?
Integrating therapy dogs into your dental practice can greatly enhance patient experiences, but it’s essential to meet Care Quality Commission (CQC) standards. Compliance ensures that your practice maintains high-quality care while safeguarding patients, staff, and the therapy dog. Proper adherence demonstrates professionalism and commitment to regulatory requirements.
What CQC compliance involves
Compliance covers several areas, including ensuring the welfare of the therapy dog, patient safety, and hygiene protocols. Practices must show that the presence of a therapy dog aligns with CQC regulations, such as infection control, staff training, and risk management. Documentation proving the dog’s vaccination, health checks, and behavior suitability is also required.
Steps to achieve compliance
The process begins by reviewing CQC regulations and assessing how therapy dogs can be incorporated without disrupting your current protocols. A detailed policy for therapy dog interactions is developed, covering patient consent, cleaning procedures, and emergency response plans. Staff are trained to work effectively with therapy dogs while adhering to CQC guidelines.
Therapy dogs must undergo regular health checks, and practices must maintain up-to-date documentation for inspections. An audit system is implemented to monitor compliance and ensure standards are consistently met. Adjustments are made as needed to address any feedback from CQC inspections or changes in regulations.
Tools and resources
We provide step-by-step guides and templates to simplify the certification process. Our documentation portal helps you organize and store all necessary records, ensuring you’re always prepared for HMRC reviews. If you need assistance, our team of experts is available to guide you through the process and answer any questions.
Support and guidance
We offer comprehensive resources to simplify the CQC compliance process. From templates for policies and patient consent forms to expert consultations, we ensure your practice meets every requirement. Our documentation portal makes tracking and updating compliance records seamless and stress-free.