Hoarding Disorder is a recognised mental health condition, often occurring after a person has experienced a traumatic or life changing event, with the excess of items being used a source of comfort or coping mechanism. 

However, the behaviour is often approached through legal or antisocial behaviour frameworks, rather than with the care and support the individual truly needs. When the focus is placed on enforcement instead of understanding it can lead too: 

• Long term recurrence of the disorder / home conditions
• Eviction of the property
• The actual cause of the hoarding being dismissed or not even picked up on
• Further trauma for the person involved

Victims of antisocial behaviour

” I am what you call a hoarder, some people call me a dirty old man, some people think of me as weird and a problem which is horrible. ” 

Ted – Hoarding Disorder sufferer

Individuals are wrongly labelled as the cause of antisocial behaviour yet they are actually often the victims of it, commonly suffering with:

• Intimidation/Harassment
• Verbal Abuse
• Vandalism
• Threats of violence

Recognising this vulnerability is vital in ensuring people with the condition are treated with compassion, dignity and have access to fair support networks.

Antisocial Behaviour & Hoarding: How to reduce the risk of cases being treated as ASB

Any organisations that make contact with a hoarded property must ensure it is flagged it as a mental health concern first and foremost and work with other agencies involved to ensure systems are in place that provide compassionate support rather than further harm, this can be achieved by:

• HOARDING AWARENESS TRAINING – Ensure those involved with hoarding cases understand the complexities of the condition 

View our CPD Accredited courses here

• SUPPORTIVE INTERVENTION – Develop a set of guidelines and compassionate strategies that work to reduce risk while avoiding further trauma

View our development support services here

• EMOTIONAL SUPPORT – Work to build trust, listen to hear rather than listen to answer and be understanding that hoarding support journeys will take time

View our CPD Accredited Trauma Informed Approaches training here

• MULTIAGENCY APPROACHES – Ensure that everybody involved is working to the same goals, understands their part in the support process and has the clients needs centred at all times

View our guide to Multi-Agency Approaches here

Organisations you can approach within your local authority or community to support individuals with hoarding disorder getting the support they need:

• Adult & Children’s Safeguarding Boards
• Community Safety Teams
• Health Practitioners
• Fire & Rescue Services
• Charitable & voluntary organisations within your locality

Impact of the Care Act 2014 on hoarding cases

Even if a case is not severe enough to be managed under Adult Safeguarding, the local authority have a duty of care to offer guidance for next steps and put you into contact with services that can help, as specified in the Care Act 2014:

Section 42 of the Care Act 2014 requires that each local authority must make enquiries (or cause others to do so) if it believes an adult is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect. When an allegation about abuse or neglect has been made, an enquiry is undertaken to find out what, if anything, has happened.

Read the full Care Act 2014 here