HB Declutter - version 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Decluttering the homes of people with hoarding behaviours: Local authority commissioning, professional practices, and user experiences
IRAS ID
315606
Contact name
Jennifer Owen
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 31 days
Research summary
About 2-5% of the UK population has hoarding behaviours. The impacts of hoarding on people and where they live vary. They can include physical health, mental wellbeing, social, relationships, and environmental problems. For example, there may be increased risk of falls, depression, isolation, insect/vermin infestation, eviction, fire, and death. Many people come to the attention of local councils at ‘crisis point’ and helping them requires a lot of resources and well-organised multi-agency approaches. Research advises a ‘slow and steady’ approach to decluttering and cautions against ‘blitzing’ or ‘deep cleaning’, which can cause more distress. We know from previous research that some councils struggle to match up limited budgets and staff shortages with this approach, and sometimes pay professional decluttering services.
We will explore the activity of professional decluttering services for people with hoarding behaviours, investigating contacts with local authorities, how help is organised, and what happens. We will do this by:
1. Identifying and reading any research on the subject (WP1),
2. speaking with local authority social care staff who support people who are hoarding to understand how decluttering services are chosen, used, and managed (WP2),
3. speaking with and observing people who provide decluttering services, and those who have/are receiving this support (funded or signposted to by the local authorities), to understand their experiences and suggestions of what might improve their working with local authorities and other groups (WP3)[N.B. This application for ethical approval only concerns the activities of Work Package 3 (WP3). KCL Minimal Risk Ethical Approval has been granted for WP2.]
We shall then be able to provide new information to local authorities and practitioners, as well as voluntary groups and those supporting people using or thinking about decluttering services, including people themselves and family members.
REC name
London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/LO/0117
Date of REC Opinion
22 Mar 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion