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Brisbane City Council Hoarding and Squalor Reduction Initiative
Tabatha Pashen
National Hoarding and Squalor Conference
30 June 2016
Hoarding and Squalor Reduction
Initiative Cases that come to Council’s attention are the most complex and
challenging, where residents:
• experience significant impacts on health, wellbeing and quality
of life for themselves and neighbours
• have limited insight and are highly resistant to intervention
• experience a range of mental health issues and other
vulnerabilities
Hoarding and Squalor Reduction
Initiative • Innovative local government approach
• Based on international best practice
• Targets residents whose properties come to Council’s attention
• ‘One Council’ compliance and support partnership
• Two year pilot project from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2016
• One full-time Resident Liaison Officer (RLO) and brokerage budget
Hoarding and Squalor Reduction
Initiative
• Local Government has regulatory responsibilities
• Traditional compliance approaches:
• lengthy timeframes
• resource intensive and costly
• difficult to accommodate residents’ lack of capacity
• One-off enforced cleans:
• highly distressing
• unsustainable outcomes
• Complementary internal partnership
– applied sensitively, strategically and purposefully
• Compliance and Regulatory Services (CARS) create leverage and
motivation to engage
• Resident Liaison Officer
– takes referrals from CARS
– works in parallel to compliance and regulatory processes
– provides intensive outreach and engagement
– offers support to reduce public health risks
HSRI – the approach
• Provides encouragement and support
• Facilitates linkages to:
• specialist cleaning
• mental and physical health support
• financial advice
• property repairs
• ongoing in-home support
• Facilitates case coordination with internal and external
stakeholders
HSRI – the RLO role
HSRI – the tools
• Resident Needs Assessments
• Environmental Cleanliness and Clutter Scale
assessment
• Resident Recovery Action Plans – goal focussed
• Referrals to support services
• Case conferencing - internally and externally
HSRI - referrals made to
assist residents
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Services Referred to
HSRI – the benefits Council
• minimises public health issues and customer complaints
• reduces costs and lengthy compliance processes
Residents
• improved household functioning
• improved health and wellbeing
Community
• improved social cohesion and quality of life
Services / Networks
• strategic, coordinated and effective responses
HSRI – a case study Presenting Issues
• 64 year old female, 36 year old daughter and 38 year old son
• Diogenes syndrome and hoarding disorder - living in extreme squalor
• Lacking insight into personal hygiene or public health concerns
• Issues:
– financial
– mobility issues
– a range of disabilities – intellectual, physical and cognitive
impairment
– social isolation
– poor personal health and hygiene.
Public health risks / requirements
• removal of harbourage for vermin (internal and external areas
of property)
• cut-back of overgrown vegetation
• full forensic clean due to extreme squalor and vermin / animal
and human defecation
• excessive rodent activity requiring vermin eradication
HSRI – a case study
HSRI – a case study HSRI response
• Resident Needs Assessment
• Resident Recovery Action Plan
• Referrals to relevant and resident approved agencies
• Weekly communication with residents
• Regular communication with neighbouring residents
• Regular feedback to Council Officers
• Establishment and facilitation of a case coordination team
HSRI – a case study Outcomes
HSRI – a case study Outcomes
Collaboration – the key to
success • Partnership approach - applied sensitively, strategically and
purposefully.
• Coordination and maximisation of resources.
• Utilisation of Council resources across different Council
divisions and sections in order to achieve outcomes and
maximise resources available.
HSRI – internal partnerships and
collaboration The various areas that have committed to working collaboratively include:
• Brisbane Lifestyle division:
– CARS branch – City Standards, City Safety, Business
Improvement and Strategy
– Connected Communities branch – Inclusive Communities, Zero
Harm, Branch Management Office
• Brisbane Infrastructure division
• City Planning and Sustainability division
• Organisational Services division
• Office of the Lord Mayor and Chief Executive Officer
Thank you!
If you require further information please contact:
Tabatha Pashen
Resident Liaison Officer
Brisbane City Council
T: 07 3178 9739
Contact Details
HSRI – case study 2 Presenting Issues
• 57 year old female resident presenting with severe hoarding
disorder
• 17 year old female daughter with support needs
• Mental health concerns (agoraphobia, anxiety, depression)
• Issues:
– financial
– chronic physical health concerns
– lack of support networks (social isolation and family
breakdown)
– significant mental health issues.
HSRI – case study 2 Public health risks / requirements
• removal of harbourage for vermin (internal and external areas
of property)
• cut-back of overgrown vegetation
• treatment of termite nests residing in the structure (house)
• excessive rodent activity requiring vermin eradication
• repairs to the structure of the property
HSRI – case study 2 HSRI response
• Resident Needs Assessment
• Resident Recovery Action Plan
• Referrals to relevant and resident approved agencies
• Weekly communication with residents
• Regular communication with neighbouring residents
• Regular feedback to Council Officers
• Establishment and facilitation of case coordination
HSRI – case study 2 Outcomes
HSRI – case study 2 Outcomes