About us
HPFT supports people with mental ill health, learning disabilities and autism across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Norfolk and Waveney and Essex We employ around 4,000 people who deliver these services within the community and in inpatient settings.
We also deliver a range of nationally commissioned specialist services including Tier 4 services for children and young people, perinatal services and medium and low secure learning disabilities services.
We have operated as a NHS Foundation Trust since our authorisation in August 2007. This gives us opportunities to further build upon and improve the services for our community. Benefits include a stronger involvement with local communities through our members and Council of Governors and the ability to borrow finance to support our capital investment programme.
Our work is driven by a very strong set of values. We provide services which make a positive difference to the lives of patients, service users and their carers, underpinned by choice, independence and equality.
We offer a high quality service and in May 2019 we became one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’ from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Click here for more information.
Feedback from our staff about working for the Trust is very positive. In the 2023, national staff survey, 90 per cent of staff said their role makes a difference to our service users and 75 per cent would recommend the Trust as a place to work. More than three quarters (78%) felt they had the opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge – HPFT achieved the highest score nationally across all mental health & learning disability organisations for development opportunities.
Our partnerships with other organisations are very important to the way in which we work. We play a full part in the local health and social care economies by promoting greater integration between mental and physical health and social care. These include:
- Working with local authorities and commissioners. We work closely with our commissioners in four integrated care systems. Our largest contracts are with the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care System and Hertfordshire County Council to deliver integrated health and social care services for people with mental health needs, learning disabilities and autism
- Being a lead partner in the Hertfordshire Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Health and Care Partnership, working with a range of partner organisations from the voluntary sector, local government and the NHS to shape the future of services for people with mental health needs, learning
disabilities and autism across the County - Being the lead provider for child and adolescent mental health services in the NHS East of England Provider Collaborative, helping to join up and integrate the commissioning of specialist services across the East of England region
- Being a University Trust, with close links to the University of Hertfordshire, providing excellent learning and development opportunities for staff, as well as strengthening clinical research
- Our regulators – NHS England and the Care Quality Commission
To download a copy of our Constitution click here