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.
The assessment from Fire Safety is absolutely relevant and well made. Hoarding is deeply pernicious and I imagine that the hoarder is, at times, unaware of the dangers they face. However, equally, from an adult protection perspective hoarding presents a challenging proposition due to its complexity but also, due to a lack of (perhaps) will from other professionals to seek measures to resolve the situation because it does not fit in a neatly resolvable box. How do you help someone who is unwilling to be helped and has the capacity to make their own decisions, and is, in theory, not breaking any laws?
Clearly within the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 there are measures which could be taken to remove someone from their property. However, as hoarding is predominately a mental health issue, which is likely to have come about due to trauma (ACEs) or disordered thinking (dementia), it appears to me the 2007 (Act) a) does not resolve the issue longer term and b) worst still, could compound the already existing issues for the adult if legal Orders are forced upon them against their will. That is, potentially compounding their trauma.
Nonetheless, hoarding can have a negative effect upon many people, not simply the hoarder as outlined by Fire Safety Colleagues. However, it is very difficult to support someone in this situation if they do not recognise the dangers they are placing upon themselves, never mind the risk to lives of the Fire Officer forced into a burning building and/or the effects of hoarding upon the wider community, whether this is infestation and/or fire risks.
And finally...
My assessment, whilst it might seem straightforward to clean up properties for those who hoard, there remains a myriad of other sociopolitical issues (right to live your life as you choose, under the Human Rights Act – which I recognise the Fire Safety Officer rightly points out - hoarding is not a lifestyle choice). And there are socio-practical issues (the lack of services who are willing/able to help, resources, and the poor investment by the NHS and the Local Authority to support hoarders, the lack of access to health supports for people who require assistance. But also people who amass possessions in these circumstances don’t generally lack capacity and therefore, psychiatric services struggle to assist hoarders to mentally come to terms with their condition because they don’t always meet their eligibility criteria - which leaves them yet again exposed.
I agree with the Fire Safety Officer - hoarding is often subject to down tariff, but should not be ignored.
