Jack Moore from Respect My Stuff will provide a session on hoarding specifically tailored for staff working in the frontline of homelessness services.

This course will provide a good understanding of the difference between hoarding and extreme clutter (both can look the same) and the reasons why hoarding or extreme clutter can build to the extent of jeopardising tenancies and resulting in homelessness.

The course provides a structured step by step process to tackle all types of hoarding (including hoarding disorder) from first visit to bringing the property back to an acceptable level (Level 3 in Clutter Image Rating), within a realistic timescale.

Key points:

Significantly increased fire risk
2-5% of population have a tendency to hoard
£35,000 – average cost of a hoarded property to social landlord
“Forced” clear-outs don’t work
Support, understanding and a structured, time-limited approach is effective

Content includes:

Hoarding disorder and hoarding as a result of other mental illness, brain injury or learning disability
Treatment options, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Understand how to use consistent hoarding assessments and photographs to identify clutter-levels
Setting overall goal and agreeing actions/pledges – within strict timescales
Explore the benefits of multi-agency responses and identify key partners

About the trainer

Trainer – Jack Moore FCIH

Jack runs Respect My Stuff Ltd, providing training and consultancy on tackling hoarding and extreme clutter. For 13 years he was principal trainer on hoarding and mental illness for the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and has been a regular speaker at safeguarding events on self-neglect and hoarding. Jack has a housing background with a professional diploma and BA Hons in Housing. He is a Fellow of the CIH.

He has researched world-wide best practice in understanding and tackling hoarding and developed a proven system of dealing with hoarding in a practical and timely manner. In 2019 Jack founded Dehoarding South West CIC; a community interest company for South West England providing teams of dehoarding practitioners and clearance operatives working long term with referred hoarding customers to greatly improve their quality of life and make their homes safe for themselves and others. He also has a respected and successful team providing a ‘dehoarding’ service in Northern Ireland.

Understanding and Tackling Hoarding