- Independent mental health service
Emerald Place Clinic
Assessment report published 10 August 2026
Contents
Ratings - Child and adolescent mental health wards
Our view of the service
We completed an assessment of Emerald Place Clinic, Elysium Healthcare and assessed under the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services assessment service group.
The assessment followed CQC’s Single Assessment Framework (SAF) and considered all quality statements under each key question.
Onsite assessment activity took place between 24 and 25 February 2026.
Offsite assessment activity took place between 25 and 26 February 2026, when we gathered feedback from some staff and feedback from carers via telephone.
We spoke with 15 members of staff and 3 young people and 4 carers during the assessment.
This was an unannounced assessment, which means the service was not told an assessment was going to be starting beforehand.
The service is comprised of a purpose-built 12 bedded unit providing solely NHS funded care for young people. There is a school on site for the young people to attend however, this was not included in the assessment activity and is not regulated by the CQC.
The service had previously been assessed by CQC in March 2024. At that inspection, the overall rating was good.
At the 2024 assessment, it was identified although Emerald Place Clinic had been purpose built, there were a number of significant environmental safety issues that had not been picked up at the handover of the building. Due diligence checks did not appear to have been robust. This was a breach of Regulation 15, Premises and equipment. Alongside the external environmental safety concerns, further concerns were raised regarding whether the ward layout and space could safely and effectively accommodate 12 young people. As a result of the external environmental safety concerns, restrictions were placed on young people’s access to fresh air and physical exercise in the garden area. Staff placed blanket restrictions on all young people, meaning that all young people required 3 staff to escort them into the garden and only 1 young person could go in the garden at a time. This was not in line with assessed risk or care plans. This was a breach of Regulation 9 Person Centred Care.
During this assessment, it was evident that the service had taken the necessary steps to address the issues identified and the garden area was now a safe space for the young people to access with the appropriate supervision. There was also a private garden area which young people told us they enjoy using when having visits with their families.
In the last assessment in 2024, it was identified that there had been a lack of substantive, strong leadership at the service when it opened. Systems to ensure the safety of both young people and staff had not been effective, which had placed both young people and staff at risk. This was a breach of Regulation 12, Safe Care and Treatment. A further breach of Regulation 12, Safe Care and Treatment was identified in relation to young people not having a choice of staff in relation to the gender of staff involved in their restraint and where the restraints would take place; young people stated that they did not like being restrained in their rooms. Young females highlighted a preference to have female staff conduct enhanced observations and when having some of their needs met. During this assessment, we found that the service had a strong culture of learning and mechanisms to ensure that the safety of young people was not compromised. Young people we spoke with did not share concerns about the gender availability of staff and shared that they are offered a choice where possible. Young people collaborated with staff to create Positive Behaviour Support Plans (PBS plans) where this is highlighted.
At the 2024 assessment the décor in the ward was white and clinical, there was a lack of communal space, no dedicated activity space or quiet space; it did not meet the needs of neurodivergent young people or interests and choices of young people. This was a breach of Regulation 9 Person Centred Care.
We found during this assessment the environment to be welcoming and there was evidence that young people had contributed to the decoration of the building. There was a sensory room that was well utilised by young people.
People's experience of this service
There were 10 young people using the service at the time of the inspection. Young people told us staff were kind, protective and respectful. Most young people told us there were enough therapies and activities they could participate in, but some parents felt more activities away from the ward should be available and that planned activities were not always carried out.
Parents told us the regular staff were friendly, kind and patient and were genuinely interested in their children’s recovery. Parents were involved in their children’s care and “felt listed to and like their voices mattered.”