Abbi Hilton
Senior lecturer, University of the West England
Supporting people with hoarding behaviour: a health promotion perspective
The paper highlights how important it is to bring together the wide range of professionals who have opportunities to support people living with hoarding behaviour. Nurses, environmental health practitioners, housing teams, fire and rescue services, social care and the voluntary sector often see very different parts of a person’s life, and it is only by working together that we can build a fuller picture, reduce risk and support meaningful change.
It has been a real privilege to write this article drawing on my experience of working across environmental health, housing, fire and safeguarding contexts, and now from within academia. It was also important to me to reference the collaborative work between Hoarding UK and the Gloucester Hoarding Care and Support initiative as a strong example of how partnership working can lead to more supportive, joined‑up responses. The paper explores how health‑focused, trauma‑informed approaches can move practice away from crisis‑led responses and towards earlier, more supportive intervention.
My hope is that this article helps strengthen connections between professions and supports the development of more joined‑up pathways for people affected by hoarding behaviour.
Helen’s Story
A Letter from the Chair
Resolutions.
We make them. We keep them. We break them.
In this first month of the New Year, my preference would be to resolve.
The meaning can be the same – having determination.
“Resolve,” though, has a different meaning when used to describe music. “If a note or a chord resolves or is resolved, it moves from dissonance (= a strange or unpleasant combination of sounds) to harmony (= a pleasant combination of sounds).”
A hoard may be considered dissonant both visibly and invisibly – emotionally and spatially representative of the internal rumblings of trauma and anxiety.
While resolutions can succeed or fail, resolve is a steady state of being. This year, I truly hope that we all choose to embrace consonance (harmony) and gently lessen the ‘unpleasant noise’ of trauma and anxiety by treating ourselves with kindness.
Wishing everyone a compassionate and peaceful year ahead
-Megan
Information Leaflets
We’re currently updating our information leaflets. If you have any suggestions — whether it’s changes, additions, or improvements — we’d love to hear from you.
Please get in touch with Nat at media@hoardinguk.org
Your Online Training & Communities
Choice and Control in Hoarding Behaviour Training
Chairing Postive Change
Motivational Interviewing Training
Join us for an inspiring Motivational Interviewing Open Day on Thursday, 25th September, from 10:00-16:30, and enhance your skills!
Family, Friends and Others Support Groups
At the request of many, HUK has launched an online support group for family, friends and others who are not professionals to get support, then in turn better support people who hoard. For more information about the impact we’re making, read about here in this Guardian article.
HUK Helpline
Sign up for 27 45-minute sessions on a weekly, fortnightly and then monthly basis through our Helpline. We offer the service free of charge, but are asking people to make a donation of any amount to support our important work.
Place in the Space Support Group
These monthly psychological and practical support sessions offer a safe space to anyone who hoards who wants to work on managing their space and wellbeing. Please consider joining, no one is required at any point in these sessions to let go of any item explored.
User Involvement Group Meetings
This event is intended for HoardingUK users, including people who have utilised our services or attended our training courses.
If you are a user and have suggestions about how we can improve our services, we encourage you to join us here and give your valued feedback.
Sandra
Reviewing Choice & Control in Hoarding Behaviour
“Attending this course gave me a further clinical insight to the challenges faced by hoarders.“