Hoarding

The aim of this document is to provide guidance for multi-agency staff supporting adults with care and support needs who are at risk of harm as a result of self-neglect and/or hoarding. The protocol looks, in detail, about the possible reasons for self-neglect and/or hoarding, the legal context, use of the Clutter Image Rating Scale (CIRS) and the local multi-agency process. The protocol also includes a decision-specific screening tool.

The aim of this Self Neglect and Hoarding Protocol and Toolkit is to provide practitioners in Orkney with a toolkit for assessment and intervention, where appropriate. The guidance contains information on what hoarding and self-neglect are, legal duties, and good practice principles. There are additional information and images from the Clutter Image Rating Scale (CIRS) and the practice implications of each level.

This guidance is intended to provide a concise overview of what hoarding is. It outlines some of the issues that practitioners should take into account when supporting or providing a service to people affected by hoarding disorder. The resource includes two case studies, information on the Clutter Image Rating Scale (CIRS) and a process flowchart.

This is an ASPire webinar from November 2024. Its theme is self-evaluation and it has sessions from Ann-Marie Bruce (Chair of the national sub-group on self-evaluation), the Care Inspectorate (on the Quality Improvement Framework for Adult Support and Protection), Ronan Burke (on self-evaluation and hoarding), East Ayrshire Advocacy (on the ASP Lived Experience project) and Kenny O'Brien (on the NHS Public Protection Accountability and Assurance Framework).

This is a one-page tool designed to help professionals stay on track when supporting adults with a hoarding disorder (or who display hoarding behaviour). It is a checklist that helps remind professionals of key strategies in their response. These include a trauma-informed approach, working in a multi-agency way, and building relationships. The tool is produced by Clouds End, a UK-wide social enterprise supporting positive and supportive strategies to address hoarding behaviour.

This video sets out basic knowledge on hoarding behaviour. It looks at why and how people hoard, trauma, and how hoarding behaviour can run in families (including in children). It also includes material on the Clutter Rating Scale, which helps with assessing risk. The video stresses the need for time, multi-agency working, and professional curiosity to work effectively with people who hoard.

This video, presented by Lisa Cox of Scottish Fire and Rescue, defines a hoarding disorder and its key attributes. It looks at origins, prevalence, risk, assessment, and effective working with people affected by hoarding. The video also covers Diogenes Syndrome (DS).

This informal learning review is based on a request made by the Mental Welfare Commission (MWC). Issues covered in this review include self-neglect, hoarding behaviour, multi-agency working, chronologies, and professional curiosity.

Podcast between Neil Whettam (Learning and Development Advisor, Clackmannanshire) and Paul Comley (National Adult Support and Protection Co-ordinator) about hoarding and self-neglect. Covers what hoarding and self-neglect are, choice, capacity, assessment frameworks, and research. Working in these areas can be very challenging and this podcast supports individual and team reflection on these areas of practice. 30 minutes long.

This multi-agency guidance for managing self-neglect, hoarding and non-engagement provides a framework to complement any single agency protocol or guidance. It includes material on defining the issue, assessment, information sharing, working together to find solutions, and addressing non-engagement with services. The guidance is accompanied by several appendices, including checklists, infograms and pathways.