Best Practice: Lewisham Assessment and Recovery Centre

Service/Team: Lewisham Assessment and Recovery Centre (LARC), St Mungo’s

Overview of Service: A centre assessing support needs of vulnerable homeless adults, providing residence and support. There are high levels of need and vulnerability, and staff on-site 24hours a day.

Following a hoarding case coming to the attention of staff, attempts would be made to address things early. Staff work with the client to get an understanding of why items are being collected. Wellbeing checks are routinely conducted once a day, but this would increase depending on the level of risk and include Health and Safety visits to the client’s living space.

Staff work with clients in regular keywork sessions to address the issue. Support could involve arranging alternative, safe storage within the living space, making sure there is a Personalised Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP), working with the client to ensure there is a clear path out of the room, and work towards a personalised ‘one in, one out’ approach to items they are bringing into their space.

The organisation’s Health and Safety Team may visit to offer specialist input, and training would be accessed either internally or sourced from elsewhere. Should there be a fire safety concern, the London Fire Brigade would be contacted to conduct an assessment. If the situation cannot be handled in-house and more support is needed, a Safeguarding referral to Adult Social Care at Lewisham Council would be submitted.

Other parties involved in the support of the client would be informed as early as possible. Where there is a mental health support need not being addressed, the situation would be used to make the case for input from the community mental health team. Professionals’ Meetings are conducted with everyone involved in the client’s support. The frequency of meetings and agreed actions would depend on the seriousness of the situation but are generally held monthly. These would be in addition to monthly Safeguarding meetings.