Decluttering the homes of people with hoarding behaviours: local authority commissioning, professional practices, and user experiences

People with hoarding behaviour (PwHB) are estimated to make up 2.5% of the population, and at worst their lives are severely compromised by the volume of possessions, hampering life-functions and leading to potential harm.

Risk or harm reduction, by reducing the volume of possessions in the home, is one of three main intervention approaches for PwHB. Research shows that decluttering can be less invasive than clearances or deep cleans (see Steils et al. 2022).

Apart from a very small minority of LAs, decluttering support is not provided by in-house services but commissioned from private professional decluttering (PD) individuals or companies. However, there are no specific standards or processes for the commissioning of PDs or measuring outcomes.