CQC recognises many improvements in services at Forest House Adolescent Unit as rating increases to Requires Improvement

11 Nov 22

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has today, Friday 11 November, published a report on services provided at Forest House Adolescent Unit in Radlett which is run by Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT, the Trust).

Forest House is a specialist inpatient ward for adolescents who are experiencing significant mental ill health, caring for young people with complex needs, including self-harm and eating disorders. The CQC, which regulates health and social care services in England, carried out its inspection in July 2022, following up on the inspections it carried out in November and December 2021.

During the July inspection, inspectors observed improvements across Forest House and saw many examples of caring, responsive and effective care being provided to young people. Inspectors did however highlight areas for improvement.

In recognition of the improvements already made, the CQC has raised its rating of the Trust’s child and adolescent inpatient service from Inadequate to Requires Improvement. Ratings for other Trust services are not affected and the Trust’s overall rating remains Outstanding.

The Trust has already taken action to respond to the issues raised during the July 2022 inspection and is continuing with its improvement plan which is overseen by the Trust Board. Actions include:

Installing a call bell system in every bedroom in Forest House
Opening a high dependency unit (HDU) in Forest House to provide a better environment for young people when they are most unwell
Continuing to actively recruit to vacancies within the Forest House team

Karen Taylor, Chief Executive of Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“We are pleased that the work we have done to improve care and support for young people and their families has been recognised in this latest inspection report by the CQC, but we also recognise that we have further improvements to make. We have provided more training and support for staff, recruited more staff and improved how we involve and engage with young people and their families.

“We are confident we will continue to the make the changes necessary and we will continue to work closely with young people, their families and carers to make the improvements they have told us matter to them.”

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CQC recognises many improvements in services at Forest House Adolescent Unit as rating increases to Requires Improvement