27/01/2026
When hoarding becomes a safeguarding issue, social work intervention can be lifesaving.
Practitioners know that chronic hoarding is rarely about “mess” — it’s about mental health, trauma, self-neglect and risk.
In our latest blog, we explore:
• How hoarding disorder presents in adult social care
• The ethical role of social workers in safeguarding and capacity
• Why trust, trauma-informed practice and multi-agency working are essential
• What effective, sustainable intervention really looks like
As hoarding and self-neglect are a growing focus for local authorities, this is becoming core knowledge for social workers and mental health practitioners - particularly those working in adult safeguarding or considering agency roles.