SectionA:Theorganisationsandgroupswithinthepartnership

Leadapplicant

NameofOrganisation: Care4freedomTypeofOrganisation: CICContactdetails: Contact- TonyFitzgerald

Email- tony@care4freedom.org

Phone- 07436092217Address- 2ndfloor,frontoffice,12aChequerStreetStAlbansHertfordshire,AL1

3XZSummaryoforganisation:

Care4freedom(C4F)isasocialenterpriseofferingcareandsupportwithinthecommunity.C4FhavedevelopedaservicetocombattheissueofCompulsiveHoardingDisorderinHertfordshire,C4Fhaveworkedoverthepast3yearswithotheragenciesdevelopingtheWelwynandHatfieldHoardingPartnershipandaHoardingprotocolforusebyprofessionals.C4FarethefrontlineofthepartnershipprovidingpracticalandemotionalsupporttoclientsaffectedbyCompulsiveHoardingdisorder.

Partner1NameofOrganisation: WelwynandHatfieldCommunityHousingTrust

TypeofOrganisation: HousingtrustContactdetails: Contact- TraceyCampion

Email- t.campion@welhat-cht.org.uk

Phone- 01707357072Address- TheCampus,WelwynGardenCity,Hertfordshire,AL86AE

Summaryoforganisation:

WelwynandHatfieldcommunityhousingtrustarenowpartofWelwynandHatfieldcouncil.Ourrolewithinthepartnershipisasthefoundingmembertochairmeetingsandtakeminutesetc.,providingreferralsandassistancetoC4Fduringclearances.

Partner2NameofOrganisation: HertsFireandRescueservice

TypeofOrganisation: Statutoryservice/Fireservice

Contactdetails: Contact- KarenValenciaEmail- Karen.Valencia@hertfordshire.gov.uk

Address- SFAR019GroundfloorFarnhamhouse,Sixhillsway,Stevenage,SG12FG

Summaryoforganisation:

Toprovidefiresafetyadviceandsafetychecksinhoardedsituations.

Partner3NameofOrganisation: HertfordshirePoliceConstabulary

TypeofOrganisation: StatutoryService/PoliceContactdetails: Contact- SueFoster

Email- Suzanne.Foster2@herts.pnn.police.uk

Phone- 01707638616Address- SueFoster8520OlderPersonLiaisonOfficerHertfordshireConstabulary

HQStanboroughRoadWGC,AL86XF

Summaryoforganisation:

ToprovideadviceonRoguetradinginvolvedwithhoarders.

Partner4

NameofOrganisation: WelwynHatfieldBoroughcouncil

TypeofOrganisation: EnvironmentalHealth/Statutoryservice

Contactdetails: Contact- JeanetteHollingsworthEmail- J.Hollingsworth@welhat.gov.uk

Phone- 01707357204Address- TeamLeaderPublicHealthandProtectionWelwynHatfieldBorough

Council,TheCampusCouncilOffices,WelwynGardenCity,Hertfordshire,AL86LE

Partner5NameofOrganisation: AdultCareservices

TypeofOrganisation: Statutoryservice/HCC

Contactdetails: Contact- KarenAllen

SectionB:Partnerships&StoriesWhatthepartnershipisachievingandlearning

1. Yourpartnership’sprojectorinitiative.TheWelwynandHatfieldhoardingprojectaimtotackletheproblemofcompulsivehoardingintheboroughofWelwynandHatfieldwithaHolistic,understandingandcaringapproach.Providingbothpracticalandemotionalsupporttoclientsandtheirfamilies,rebuildingrelationshipswithlocalcommunitiesandstatutoryservices.Membersoftheprojectgatheronceamonthtodiscusscasesanddecideonthebestcourseofactiontobetaken.ReferralsaretakenfromanymemberoftheprojectandonceapracticalinterventionisdecideduponareferralismadetoCare4freedomwhowillthenvisitthepropertytomakeanassessmentandthenplananyworkstocommencewiththeclient.TheprojecthasdevelopedaHoardingprotocoltobeusedbyprofessionalswhichisnowbeingrolledoutacrossthecountyandisalreadyinuseinseveraldifferentboroughs.

2. Howdidyourpartnershipcomeaboutanddevelop?

TheWelwynandHatfieldHoardingprojectbegan2yearsagowhenanumberofpropertieswereflaggedasbeingahealthandsafetyrisktobothclientsandprofessionals.WelwynandHatfieldcommunityhousingtrustandJeanetteHollingsworthapublichealthandprotectionofficerapproachedHFRSwhoagreedthatthesepropertieswereariskinbothfireandgeneralsafety,thepartnershipgrewfromherewithCare4freedombeingaskedtojoinsoonaftertoprovidethefrontlineoftheproject,WewerethenjoinedbySueFostertheolderpersonsliaisonofficerfromHertsPoliceConstabularywhowasabletoshowlinksbetweenHoardingandpeoplewhoarevictimsofroguetradinganddeceptioncrimes,soonafterKarenAllenfromAdultcareservicesjoinedwhohasbeenabletohelpwithpersonalbudgetsforclientsandotheraspectsofthesocialcaresystem,wehavegrownslowlybutsurelyandnowhaverepresentativesfromthementalhealthteamHPFT,AgeUKandHertscountycouncil.Wehavedevelopedintoamaturepartnershipwhichistacklingaproblemwhichisusuallyhiddenbuthashugesocialimpactforfamiliesandneighboursaswellasthewider

3. Impact.Pleasedescribewhatoutcomesyouareachieving,yourimpactorhowyouaremakingadifference.

MsCwasaHoarderofeverythingincludingallofherrubbishforseveralyears,therewasalsoaheavypresenceraturineandthepropertywascoldanddampwithvariousrepairstothepropertiesservicesandpropertyneeded,itwasalsonotedthatMsChadan11-year-olddaughterlivingattheaddress.AfullclearanceoftherubbishandadeepcleanwasdecideduponduringwhichMsCwastaughthowtokeepherhomecleanandtidy,allareaswerecleanedanddisinfected,rubbishremovedandvermincontrolwerebroughtintotackletheratproblem.Theclearancetookaround3weeksandMsCwasleftwithacleansafehomeforbothherandherdaughter.MrsSisawidowandpensionerwithhoardingissues,herhomewasfoundtobenearoverflowingwithclutterandMrsShadonly1workingplugpointwhichwasheavilyoverloaded,C4FworkedwithMrsSforabout5monthsmanagingtoclearthepropertyandseeherelectricityrestoredtothepropertyavoidingFire/accidentinthefuture.MrUisanexservicemanwhosuffersfromPTSD,apensionerandahoarder.MrUhadbecomethevictimofrepeatedcrimes/burglary’sandPoliceneededtoinstallcamerasathispropertybutwereunabletodosoduetotheclutterinside.C4FclearedthepropertyenablingcamerastobeinstalledandpreventingfurthercrimesandmakingMrUsaferandhappier.

4. Howpartnershipworkingishelpingyoutoachievemore.

Theprojecthasallowedmemberstoaccessservicesthattheymaynothavehadaccesstobefore.PoliceandTradingStandardshavebeenabletoreferpropertiesthatwereanobvioustargetforroguetradersbeforetheclearanceandtogainaccesstofitcameras/securityequipment.Fireservicehasbeenabletoreferpropertiesthatposeafireriskbothtohavebeenabletousetheservicetoclearpropertiesthatwouldbearisknotonlytooccupiers/neighbour’sbutalsotoattendingFirecrews(Firesinahoardedreachafargreatertemperaturethaninanon-hoardedhouse).TheserviceissavingmoneyforotherservicesincludingNHS,HFRS,Localcouncils/Countycouncilbypreventingslipstripsandfalls,reducingfirerisk,improvingcleanlinessinhomespreventingdiseaseandsickness.Care4freedomhavebeenabletoaccessmanymorereferralsfromawiderangeofreferrersandinturnhavebeenabletoreferclientsbacktootherservicese.g.firesafetychecksforclientsorhelpfromthepolicewhereclientsareatriskofcrime.ThedevelopmentofourhoardingprotocolhashelpedbothC4Fandreferrerstoaccuratelyassesspropertiesandtheriskinvolvedaswellasmakingthereferralprocesseasierandsmootherforprofessionals.TheHoardingprotocolisnowbeingrolledoutacrossHertfordshireandisalreadybeingusedbyseverallocalcouncilsandhousingassociations.

5. Howyouaremakingsurethatthepartnershipisworkingeffectively.

Clientinputisalwayswelcomedandqualityassuranceformsareleftwithallclientsaswellasourcomplimentsandcomplaintsprocedure.Anycommentsarereflecteduponduringmeetings.Clientsareencouragedtoplayanactiveroleintheclearance,theprocessputstheclientincontroloftheclearance.Policeserviceshavebeenaccessedonseveraloccasionswhenlargeamountsofmoneyhavebeenfoundduringaclearancetoensurethesafeguardingofbothclientandstaff.Fireservicesareregularlycalledupontoprovidehomesafetychecks.

6. Whatyouarelearningfromeachother.

Thepartnershiphasnowstartedtomatureandpartnershavelearnttoshareinformationwitheachotherwhilestillkeepingclientconfidentiality,howtoaccesseachother’sserviceandhowtodealwiththeissueofhoardingacrossthecounty.Wehaveusedeachother’sprotocols,policiesandprocedurestodevelopourownprotocolforusebyreferringprofessionals.Eachmemberoftheprojecthastheirownknowledgeandapproachtowardstheissueandtheexchangeofthisknowledgeisessentialtotheproject’ssuccess.Wehopethatastheprotocolisrolledoutacrossthecountythatthissharingofinformationcontinuestoaddstrengthtotheproject.