INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Hello and welcome to Responding to Hoarding Behaviours in Housing and Community Settings
I’m Linda Fay, founder of hoarding academy, and previously Life-Pod CIC. I’ve spent more than a decade working with complex presentations of hoarding behaviour - in collaboration with housing officers, mental health practitioners, social workers, and multi-agency partners.
In this course, we’re not just learning what hoarding is. We’re learning how to think about it, assess it, interpret it, and intervene effectively and ethically - grounded in behavioural science and real practice.
So, if you’re here because you want clarity, confidence and competence in your work with people who hoard, you’re in the right place.
Over the next few hours, we’ll explore not just definitions and diagnostic criteria; we’ll unpack why hoarding behaviour persists, how it interacts with context and systems, and how to assess and intervene in ways that respect dignity and drive meaningful change.
This course is designed for professionals who are implementing, deciding, or advising around hoarding practice - not just for raising awareness. So expect to think, reflect, and apply what you learn.
I really hope you find the course useful and interesting. Please do let me know what you think once you have completed all the lessons.
My very best wishes
COURSE OVERVIEW
This practitioner-focused course provides a structured understanding of hoarding disorder, and practical guidance for effective, ethical intervention.
Drawing on behavioural science, differential assessment and integrated practice frameworks, the course supports professionals working across housing, health, social care and community services to better understand hoarding behaviour and respond proportionately.
Participants will learn how to distinguish hoarding disorder from other forms of clutter and disorganisation, apply a behavioural lens to assessment, and implement the Hoarding Integrated Intervention Model™ (HIIM) alongside the DESIRE Method™ operational pathway for structured intervention.
The course emphasises practical decision-making, ethical reflection and collaborative engagement to support sustainable outcomes for individuals, practitioners and communities.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this course it is expected that participants will be able to:
Explain the behavioural and psychological mechanisms underlying hoarding disorder.
Differentiate between hoarding disorder, chronic disorganisation, situational clutter and neurodivergent presentations.
Apply a behavioural lens to assess the drivers of clutter and accumulation.
Conduct proportionate environmental and risk assessments in cluttered environments.
Apply the Hoarding Integrated Intervention Model™ (HIIM) to guide structured intervention.
Use the DESIRE Method™ as an operational pathway from assessment to sustainable change.
Implement behaviourally informed practical interventions that balance safety, autonomy and dignity.
Recognise and navigate ethical dilemmas commonly encountered in hoarding-related work.