Home Straight Service
Supporting people with hoarding behaviour and needs associated clutter
Service overview:
Home Straight provides a service commissioned to improve the safety and living conditions of individuals within specified local authority areas who struggle with managing their possessions due to hoarding behaviours or other existing needs. Our interventions are designed to create safer and more functional living spaces, while fostering sustainable behavioural change.
Referral pathway (for Professionals):
Home Straight operates on a referral basis only. Referrals are accepted from social workers, healthcare professionals, mental health teams, and other relevant support agencies catering for people residing in the following local authority areas:
- Tunbridge Wells
- Tonbridge & Malling
- Sevenoaks
- Dover
- Folkestone & Hythe
- Thanet
Referral acceptance is subject to a case-by-case assessment, considering the referred person’s individual needs, the level and nature of the clutter present and how these interact to create risk.
Eligibility requirements:
- Residency: The referred person must live within the commissioning borough or district.
- Consent: Informed consent from the referred person to engage with Home Straight is essential.
- Existing Needs: The referred person must have existing needs (mental illness, physical disability, neurodiversity, learning disability, frailty, or advanced age) that significantly hinder their ability to address the situation independently.
- Clutter Rating: Generally, a clutter rating of 4 or higher in active living spaces is required for engagement. However, a rating of 3 may be considered if additional needs or clutter characteristics pose significant safety risks (e.g., history of falls, unhygienic conditions, vermin). If you'd like to know more or see examples of the different scale levels, view the clutter image rating scale guide.
- Scope: Our engagement is limited to active living spaces within the home, excluding gardens, storage units, and sheds (though clearance of the latter may contribute to overall solutions).
- Care Needs: If our engagement is to facilitate care, a care needs assessment must be completed before our involvement. A confirmed start date for care services is required before contractor-led decluttering or deep cleaning begins to prevent wasted time and resources.
Service delivery:
- Collaborative approach: We prioritise establishing trust and obtaining informed consent, providing respectful support tailored to the client's individual tolerances and needs.
- Comprehensive support: Our interventions range from guided self-decluttering through regular home visits, focusing on motivational strategies and barrier resolution, to comprehensive decluttering and deep cleaning services for people requiring more intensive support.
- Behavioural intervention: Beyond immediate hazard mitigation, Home Straight focuses on promoting positive and lasting change. We support people to make informed decisions regarding their possessions and address underlying behaviours contributing to excessive acquisition and the retention of possessions.
- Resource connection: We facilitate connections with relevant local resources to address the root causes of hoarding or clutter and support the establishment of healthy maintenance habits.
Service costs and funding:
Home Straight's core support services, which include assessment, personalised planning, and guided self-decluttering assistance, are provided at no direct cost to the client.
However, where extensive decluttering and/or deep cleaning are required, these services incur separate costs. To ensure the sustainability of our service and to make these services accessible to those who need them in the future, we will explore various funding options. This may include seeking contributions:
- Directly from the client, based on their ability to contribute.
- From the referring agency or local authority.
- From relevant charities or grant-making organisations.
- From other available funding streams.
Please note that council funding for decluttering services through Home Straight varies by borough or district. Folkestone and Hythe District Council has provided detailed funding guidelines. We request that referring agencies review and discuss these guidelines with their clients prior to making a referral for extensive decluttering or deep cleaning services in that area.
We are committed to working with clients and referring agencies to identify and secure appropriate funding to cover the costs of these necessary services.
Funding for decluttering services through Home Straight varies by borough or district. Folkestone and Hythe District Council has provided specific funding guidelines to assist referrers in advising their clients. Please ensure these guidelines are discussed with clients before submitting a referral to Home Straight within the Folkestone and Hythe area.
Key considerations for Professionals:
- When making referrals, please provide detailed information regarding the client's needs, existing support network, and any relevant risk assessments.
- It is essential that the referrer has either visited the property, or the client is able to instruct the referrer about the level of the clutter by using the Clutter Image Rating Scale
- It is vital that the client is willing to engage with the service.
- We aim to work in conjunction with existing professional and informal support networks to provide a ‘team around the person.’
Make a referral:
If you would like to proceed and make a referral for your client, please following the link to the form below:
Following acceptance of a referral to address clutter, these issues can also be addressed:
- Remedial environmental assessment (e.g., door thresholds, cables, rugs) to prevent slips, trips, and falls.
- Assessment of minor equipment (e.g., grab rails, chair raisers).
- Telecare suitability assessment and installation.
- Arrangement of key safes for emergency access or domiciliary care.
- Addressing critical home amenities (e.g., heating, water).
Contact us:
If you would like to speak to us ahead of making a referral or to find out more about how we can support you get in touch by calling us on 0800 028 3172, emailing HIA@TCH.org.uk.