Hoarding and self neglect- law and good practice 14 October 2025

Most mental health and social work professionals have encountered a client with a serious hoarding problem – someone who has accumulated items to the point that it is impacting significantly on their life and/or upon other people, but who is resistant to any attempt to declutter their home. These problems tend to be long- standing, but because they are not generally seen as a ‘crisis’ they do not usually receive the concerted, multidisciplinary attention that they need. Even though the Care Act 2014 now includes hoarding under the heading of ‘abuse and neglect’, it still tends to be left to the case worker to try to find a way forward, often in the face of fierce resistance from the individual who claims they want to be left alone. Many professionals are unclear what they are legally able to do, and even whether they should be attempting to intervene at all.