The Safe & Habitable Homes Peer Forum

A Community Initiative Partnership to address self-neglect in related to health, safety, and housing standards. The Forum is made up of customer-facing practitioners from housing, health, social care, mental health, community safety, care providers, and support services: to share good practice to sustain people with self-neglect concerns in suitable and safer homes for the benefit of their health and wellbeing in order for them to remain in the community. The collaborative aim is to avoid residential care, hospital admission and loss of life. The Forum focuses particularly on hoarding or filthy and verminous conditions, and recognises that cases may be further complicated by eviction, cuckooing, substance misuse, domestic abuse, disrepair, and for some people who have been re-housed when previously homeless.

The Forum of a multi-agency of partners, provides practical advice, guidance, and innovative solutions to practitioners. This is based on a strength-based and person-centred approach. Where appropriate, bespoke packages for people that could not be achieved with a ‘usual-care’ approach may be explored. Hoarding and/or Diogenes is complex and can be related to many other concerns that impact managing a safe and suitable home.

The Forum promotes a step-by-step approach though Safe & Habitable Homes Toolkit (opens in a new window) to support partners to be consistent in practice.

Safe and Habitable Homes references the guidance provided under Safeguarding Adults Board - practice, procedures, and protocols (opens in a new window)

A Case Management Enquiry can be presented at the Forum for any person living in West Sussex who is over 18 years old and there is a professional concern of self-neglect related to suitable, safe, and habitable housing. All cases presented at the Forum will be anonymised and confidential. As a Peer Forum, membership to the meeting is open to West Sussex professional practitioners.

Email for invitation to Safe & Habitable Homes Peer Forum housing4health@westsussex.gov.uk

Safeguarding and the Self-Neglect Multi-Agency Approach

Given the emotive nature of self-neglect and the associated risks, it is natural that professionals want to raise their concerns via safeguarding.

It is recognised that self-neglect related to housing concerns is a complex situation and that a variety of agencies will come into contact with the same person. Hoarding is now also, recognised as a mental health diagnosis (DSM V). Not all those who hoard will meet criteria for support from statutory services such as Mental Health.

Research and experience shows that the best outcome for those who self-neglect, is for all agencies to work with the person at their pace, using different methods of encouragement, whilst remaining non-judgemental and exploring different options for support. The Peer Forum and the Toolkit are designed to support the team-around -the-person approach, for the multi-agency practitioners to create a joint-action-pan.

Safe & Habitable Homes Toolkit STEP-BY-STEP: INDEX

Safe & Habitable Homes Toolkit Page 2 (opens in a new window)

Safe & Habitable Homes Toolkit STEP ONE: Preparation for the visit

Your first visit to the home is an opportunity to connect with the person. The person-centred approach with personal involvement in the process is key to long-term collaboration towards a resolution. You may need to come back on several occasions before you gain access to the home, and indeed it may be some time until you may be invited to access other parts of the property.

How to talk to someone with hoarding behaviours (opens in a new window)

Respectful language involves using non-judgmental terms like "hoarding behaviours" instead of "hoarder," avoiding words like "junk" or "rubbish," and focusing on "letting go" rather than "throwing away," to acknowledge the deep emotional connection people with hoarding disorder have with their possessions, as language can trigger shame and resistance, while supportive communication focuses on the person's safety and needs.

[Edited from original source: Cristina M. Sorrentino, PhD, LCSW, Boston University School of Social Work]

Safe & Habitable Homes Toolkit STEP TWO: Home Audit Assessment Tools

The resources for reference and guidance to complete the Home Audit Assessment with the person and to record their thoughts and wishes, are presented in the Safe & Habitable Homes Toolkit and aligned together through RAG (Red/Amber/Green) RATING.

Housing Health & Safety Rating System - Clutter Rating - Safeguarding Thresholds - Fire Risk Matrix

Safe & Habitable Homes Toolkit STEP THREE: Team Around the Person & Action Plan

Using the Peer Forum & CLIO3 (community local information) database to bring together practitioners and services to create a person-centred team-around-the-person TAP. Using the Joint-Action-Plan Framework available in the Toolkit to identify needs and assign actions to the subject experts to collaborate and share resources, support hours, and funding opportunities.

Safe & Habitable Homes Toolkit STEP FOUR: Multi-Agency Partnership Review

A team-around-the-person approach to monitor and collaborate on the Joint-Action-Plan developed by the TAP Team. Meeting periodically at least every 4-6 weeks to record and re-evaluate progress for the person.

Safe & Habitable Homes Toolkit STEP FIVE: S&HH Membership and Forum Resources

A monthly on-line peer meeting opportunity to explore learning, education, and case study support.

Please direct any Safe & Habitable Homes Peer Forum case management enquires to housing4health@westsussex.gov.uk

Safe & Habitable Homes Toolkit STEP SIX: MARM and Complex Case Risk Management

MARM Application Flyer (opens in new tab)

Accessibility and alternate formats

If you require any of this information in an alternative format, then please contact us via email at WestSussexLNRS@westsussex.gov.uk(External link) or by telephone on 01243 642105 and we will do our best to assist you. If you are deaf or hard of hearing and have a BT Relay UK app (opens in new window) installed on your PC, laptop or smartphone, you can contact us on 18001 01243 642105.

For more information about the accessibility of this website, please see our Accessibility tab (opens in new window) at the foot of the page.

Please note, you can use the Google Translate function to access this project in a range of different languages. The Google Translate widget can be found at the top left-hand side of the project page, where it sits just above the black West Sussex County Council ribbon.