Hill End was a psychiatric in-patient treatment facility for children under the age of 16 in St Albans, Hertfordshire. It operated between 1969 and 1995.

The Hill End Settlement Scheme was established in July 2024 to help former patients of the Hill End Adolescent Unit to access justice and obtain compensation for mistreatment and/or abuse that they experienced at the unit.

The settlement scheme seeks to acknowledge the harm endured by those who were unlawfully sedated, mistreated, or subjected to physical and/or sexual abuse during their time at the unit.

Although the unit was originally intended to treat psychiatric disorders and mental health conditions, very few of the children who were admitted to Hill End had a mental health diagnosis or received treatment during their admission. Most patients were vulnerable or subject to care orders. Many former patients have come forward to share deeply troubling accounts of their experiences, including being strip-searched on arrival, subjected to intimate examinations, routinely sedated as a means of punishment or control and subjected to physical and sexual abuse.

To date, Leigh Day has assisted more than 90 individuals in bringing successful claims under the settlement scheme against the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (which was responsible for the management of Hill End from 1969 to 31 March 1992) and Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (which ran the Unit from 1 April 1992 until its closure in November 1995). These claims have resulted in significant settlements, with damages obtained by Leigh Day on behalf of these individuals exceeding £5.3 million in total.

The Hill End Settlement Scheme  will be closing to new claimants in March 2026. If you believe you have a claim under the scheme, please contact Leigh Day’s specialist team via the ‘Contact Us’ button as soon as possible and by no later than Friday 27 February to ensure your claim can be filed in time.

We understand that coming forward can be a difficult and emotional decision. The specialist Hill End team at Leigh Day are here to provide a safe and supportive process for survivors to seek the justice and compensation that they deserve for their experiences at Hill End.

We are committed to handling every case with sensitivity, respect, and care.

If you or someone you know was a patient at Hill End and would like to learn more about the scheme, we encourage you to reach out. 

You are not alone, and we are here to help.

The legal team is led by Leigh Day human rights partner and solicitor Emma Jones who is assisted in this case by associate solicitor Anna Flaherty and others.

The specialist team’s collective experience in handling claims under the Hill End Settlement Scheme is extensive. The team is highly skilled at obtaining the best possible outcomes for our clients. As well as monetary compensation, clients have also expressed the importance of being believed, having their feelings validated and achieving a sense of closure on a painful chapter of their lives. 

Survivors who suffered abuse at Hill End Adolescent Unit in St. Albans, Hertfordshire between 1969 and 1995 can confidentially contact Leigh Day’s human rights team at hillend@leighday.co.uk or call Karen Buckley, team Secretary on 020 7650 1323.

IMPORTANT: after Friday 27th February 2026, we will NOT be able to process any new claims through the Scheme.