- SERVICE PROVIDER
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
This is an organisation that runs the health and social care services we inspect
Assessment report published 2 February 2026
Contents
Ratings - Child and adolescent mental health wards
Our view of the service
Forest House is a 14-bedded unit that provides specialist inpatient care and treatment for young people living in or outside of Hertfordshire, aged 13 to 18 years. Three of the beds are specifically for young people with eating disorders. The unit is based at Radlett in Hertfordshire and the beds available are for female, male and non-binary gender young people. Forest House accepts both voluntary patients and those who are detained under the Mental Health Act. The unit has a Section 136 suite on site and a de-escalation unit.
There is also a school on site, Forest House Education Centre (FHEC), which is run by the local education authority.
We previously rated the service as requires improvement. Following this assessment, we rated the service as good.
People's experience of this service
During the assessment, we spoke to young people and carers, observed care interactions and listened to expert by experience information about young people’s experience of the service.
Young people reported feeling safe on the ward and described staff as available when they needed support. They felt involved in discussions about their care and treatment, particularly during ward rounds, and were able to share feedback in community meetings. However, young people described variability in relation to their involvement in the development of care plans.
A small number of young people highlighted environmental challenges, including noise levels and no access to a quiet space, although Forest House does have a quiet lounge.Young people also reported that while they knew how to give informal feedback, they were not aware of how to make a formal complaint, however there was information on PALS and making your voice heard processes displayed in the unit.
Carers were generally positive about the quality of care, staff professionalism and the information provided about the ward and treatment approaches. They described feeling involved in decision making, particularly around leave discussions and discharge planning. However, one carer identified some inconsistencies in communication, particularly over the weekends.