Self Help - Stay Motivated
This section is specifically written for people with hoarding disorder and hoarding-related behaviour who are seeking information, help and support. We will always update this section with tips, organisations that can help you, changes in law and other useful information that may help and support you on your journey.
We are always looking out for new stories in the community that have helped you in your recovery journey, so if you had any information you would like to share with others, let us do the sharing for you.
The Self Help Guide covers the following topics:
1. WHERE CAN I GET MORE SUPPORT & ADVICE?
2. WHAT DO I NEED TO ASK MYSELF WHEN DECIDING TO LET GO?
3. WHAT ITEMS CAN I RECYCLE?
4. DO I NEED A HOME FIRE SAFETY VISIT?
5. IS MY HOME CLUTTERED?
6. CAN MY LANDLORD ENTER MY PROPERTY?
7. CAN I BE FORCED TO CLEAN UP?
8. WHAT DO THEY MEAN I LACK CAPACITY?
9. WHAT IF I ALSO HAVE OCD?
WHERE CAN I GET MORE SUPPORT & ADVICE?
Here is a list of organisations you can contact who can advise you of your position regarding getting help and support and your rights as a tenant and a homeowner, please make sure that you seek support and advice as soon as concerns or problems arise.
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Legal Advice–to find details of a housing solicitor in your area: www.lawsociety.org.uk England & Wales.
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Civil Legal Advice (CLA) 0345 345 4345 https://www.gov.uk/civil-legal-advice
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Your local Law Centre which you can find by contacting the Law Centres Federation: www.lawcentres.org.uk
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Law Works – provide free legal advice to those who meet their criteria and/or mediation. www.lawworks.org.uk
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Equality Advisory Support Service (EASS) provides advice on discrimination and equality issues 0808 800 0082 www.equalityadvisoryservice.com
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Shelter gives free advice and legal assistance about some housing issues. They may have caseworkers who can come out and visit you. www.shelter.org.uk – England & Scotland www.sheltercymru.org.uk – Wales.
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Your local Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB) www.citizensadvice.org.uk
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Hoarding UK is the national charity that supports people with hoarding disorder 07908 225511 / 020 3239 1600 / www.hoardinguk.org
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Fire Services Home Fire Safety Visits for smoke alarms and advise on escape plans www.london-fire.gov.uk/safety/the-home/home-fire-safety-visits
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Anxiety UK They work to relieve and support those living with anxiety and anxiety-based depression www.anxietyuk.org.uk
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Depression UK They try to help people by enabling them to share their thoughts and problems with fellow sufferers www.depressionuk.org
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OCD UK work in supporting people with OCD www.ocduk.org/ocd
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MIND provide talking therapies such as counselling and psychotherapy, getting the right therapy at the right time is crucial www.mind.org.uk
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Rethink leading charity provider of mental health services in England, people living with mental illness, and those who care for them www.rethink.org
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SANE is a UK-wide charity working to improve quality of life for people affected by mental illness www.sane.org.uk
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RSPCA mission is to prevent cruelty, promote kindness and to alleviate the suffering of animals www.rspca.org.uk
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Samaritans have been there for anyone who needs someone. If you need someone to talk to, they listen www.samaritans.org
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Silverline are the only free confidential helpline for older people across the UK 0800 4708090 www.thesilverline.org.uk
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OCD Action provide support and information to anybody affected by OCD www.ocdaction.org.uk
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APDO online directory helps UK clients find a local organiser to suit their organising, or decluttering needs www.apdo.co.uk
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BACP The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy is a large organisation that many counsellors around the UK are registered with www.bacp.co.uk
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Mood Swings offers support to people with mood disorders, anxiety, and depression 0161 832 3736 www.moodswings.org.uk
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Bipolar UK have over 85 peer support groups for people affected by bipolar 0333 323 3880 www.bipolaruk.org
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Befriending Networks offers supportive, reliable relationships through volunteer befrienders to people who would otherwise be socially isolated www.befriending.co.uk
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Shout UK is the UK’s first 24/7 text service, free on all major mobile networks, for anyone in crisis anytime www.giveusashout.org
WHAT DO I NEED TO ASK MYSELF WHEN DECIDING TO LET GO?
When you are deciding to let go of your items here are some key questions to consider.
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When was the last time I needed it?
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When was the last time I used it?
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How likely is it that I will use it in the future?
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What is my track record of using items like this?
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What is the impact of keeping the things in relation to my problem?
When you are deciding to let go of your items here are some key questions to consider.
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Recycle – Can this item be recycled and who can help me take it to a recycle site.
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Donate - What do charities and voluntary groups take and who collects stuff.
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Sell - Facebook, car boot sell, e-bay, book company, clothes banks.
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Keep - Why keep that item, making decision to keep?
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Throw Away - What to throw away, never going to get around to fixing it, cost of replacing or fixing it, have I got the money to fix it.
WHAT ITEMS CAN I RECYCLE?
PAPER & CARD
Including: cardboard boxes, newspapers, magazines, envelopes (including ones with plastic windows), shredded paper, brochures and catalogues, corrugated cardboard (e.g., delivery boxes), brown paper bags, telephone directories, white computer paper, gift wrap, food and drink cartons including Tetra Pak’s. Please break and fold any large boxes and leave them next to your green bags.
PLASTIC POTS & TRAYS
Including: margarine tubs, ice cream tubs, yoghurt pots, fruit punnets, ready meal trays.
Please remove any film lids and absorbent pads in the bottom of trays and put these in your general rubbish.
PLASTIC BOTTLES
Including: drinks bottles, shampoo, and detergent bottles. Please remove plastic tops on cartons before placing into your green bag. For hazardous chemicals, please check the bottle for disposal instructions.
TINS & CANS
Including: steel and aluminium including aerosols, drinks cans, food tins. Make sure aerosols are empty but please do not squash or pierce them.
FOIL
Including: kitchen foil and foil trays. Please rinse them clean.
GLASS BOTTLES & JARS
Including: glass bottles and jars including non-food bottles (e.g., perfume, aftershave, face creams). All coloured glass accepted. No broken glass. Please remove and rinse lids. If you in doubt about what to "RECYCLE" contact your local authorities trade waste department.
DO I NEED A HOME FIRE SAFETY VISIT?
The Fire Service believe that successful firefighting starts with prevention. The Fire Service have introduced a service where they can visit you, a loved one, or someone you care for at home to provide personalised advice about fire safety. It is totally free, available 24/7, and they will even fit free smoke alarms during the visit if you need them.
On the day
The Fire Service visit your home at the arranged time and share their expertise. The visit is friendly and informal, and there is no need to tidy up or provide refreshments – they are there to keep you safe.
After a chat about fire prevention, they will ask you to show them around your home so they can provide personalised advice on:
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Cooking and smoking.
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Heaters and heating.
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Candles and fireplaces.
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Detection systems (smoke and heat alarms).
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Bedtime checks.
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What to do if there is a fire.
IS MY HOME CLUTTERED?
Practitioners and organisation that support people with hoarding disorder and hoarding-relating behaviour will use industry standards Clutter Image Rating scale to assess and make a non-professional judgement on all rooms within the property, to assess the level of clutter.
Currently there are no picture illustrations for externally areas nor for the hallway, stairway, and landing area. Therefore, when assessing the hallway, stairway, and landing area. Officers are asked to use the picture illustrations of the living room area to make a non-professional judgement.
CAN MY LANDLORD ENTER MY PROPERTY?
Under UK law, tenants enjoy what is called “the covenant for quiet enjoyment”, which means you are entitled to live in a property without interference from your landlord, letting agent or anyone acting on their behalf.
However, there are of course times when you will need to give access to the property, if you are a tenant, you will most probably have a tenancy agreement and other contractual obligations that you might need to fulfil, to keep your tenancy.
For example, landlords have a legal responsibility to make sure that any gas heating systems or gas appliances in their properties are inspected at least once a year for gas safety, so if you are a tenant you will have to let someone who works on behalf of your landlord into your property at least once a year.
All landlords must follow special legal procedures in order to evict tenants especially when there is a mental health concern, there are laws to protect you, whether or not your landlord can evict you and how the process works will depend on the type of tenancy you have and have they followed strict protocol laid out by the courts. If your landlord does not follow the right procedure, s/he may be committing a criminal offence.
If you own your home, you are less likely to encounter objections to the way you live, unless the things you do are affecting others. Whether or not you own your own home, you still need to comply with public health, housing and environmental laws that apply to everyone.
CAN I BE FORCED TO CLEAN UP?
There are a variety of powers (sometimes called duties) under which local authorities require the removal of articles and the cleaning of premises.
Statutes such as the Public Health Act 1936, the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and the Housing Act 2004 all contain powers that a local authority (council) can use to deal with the results of hoarding.
These powers amount to the council insisting that an occupier tidies up or gets rid of items that the council deem to be a danger to the occupier’s or other people’s health, that may cause a nuisance or a danger or that are hazardous to health and safety.
A local authority may insist that the occupier allows or complies with works on their property. Perhaps the most used ‘power’ in England & Wales is under section 83 of the Public Health Act 1936 which deals with ‘filthy or verminous’ premises.
Councils have a duty to act in such cases to prevent disease or infestation, consequently councils can issue statutory notices which mean that you have to comply with the clean-up and if a statutory notice is issued under the Public Health Act 1936 you have no right of appeal.
Councils can have discretion as to whether to charge for these clean up works to take place, especially if you are unable to meet the costs.
Whilst the council can remove items from your home, they do not have the right to dispose of them indiscriminately and you must be given notice if this is their intention, If you feel that items are going to be disposed of without your consent, you should seek legal advice as soon as you can.
WHAT DO THEY MEAN I LACK CAPACITY?
If a public authority such as social services or the NHS believe that your mental health has deteriorated to a state where you are putting yourself (usually because of severe self-neglect) or others at serious risk of harm and you are refusing to or are assessed as lacking the capacity to make the decision to accept help and support, the Mental Health Act 1983 or the Mental Capacity Act 2005 can be used to remove you from your home or detain you elsewhere.
The Court of Protection can be asked to make best interest decisions which can include removal from your home. It is common that these powers are used in relation to people with hoarding disorder and hoarding-related behaviour especially when the person has poor or delusional insight into the problem it is causing them or others.
WHAT IF I ALSO HAVE OCD?
Some people that have hoarding-related behaviours may have other comorbid psychological condition like OCD. It may be very difficult for you to talk about your OCD (and you may not wish to disclose it) and people are unlikely to understand your condition and how it affects you.
Pressure put upon you may not only affect your OCD but may be a breach of your rights under legislation such as the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010.
The Human Rights Act 1998 contains rights that a lawyer may be able to defend for you in court, such as rights protecting your property and private or family life. The Equality Act 2010 may offer you some protection, but this protection can only apply if you have disclosed that you have OCD to your landlord/housing provider.
OCD can be recognised as a disability under the Equality Act 2010, and it is unlawful for landlords and other people connected with the selling, letting and managing of premises to treat disabled people less favourably for a reason related to their disability, unless they can show that the treatment is justified.
The Equality Act 2010 place a duty on all public authorities to:
Have due regard, when carrying out their functions by taking steps into account of a disabled person’s disabilities, even where that involves treating disabled persons more favourably than other persons.
Eliminate unlawful discrimination and unlawful harassment of disabled people.
Improve the equality of opportunity for disabled people. There is a responsibility on all landlords both public and private not to discriminate on the grounds of disability when they are disposing of accommodation e.g., making an offer of accommodation or managing that accommodation.
The Equality Act 2010 sets out a definition of discrimination arising out of disability. For landlords this means they will need to make investigations when granting tenancies or when taking any action against a tenant to make sure that they are not indirectly discriminating against them on the grounds of disability and to keep records as to why specific action has been taken.
The Act places a duty on landlords to consider making reasonable adjustments to a disabled person’s home if requested to do so by the tenant or someone acting on their behalf. There is no definition of what a reasonable adjustment is, especially in private rented accommodation the landlord may be able to argue that they do not have to carry out a reasonable adjustment where it is disproportionately expensive, where it may lead to a depreciation in the value of the property or where it may deter from the landlord being able to rent out the property in the future.
To safeguard your rights, you may need expert help and guidance to give you a clear picture of your situation. It is important that you seek advice and support as If you intend to take legal action at a future date under the Equality Act 2010, it is important that you have told your landlord or local authority about your OCD, so you give them time to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for you.