I have to evict someone!!

[Natzer]

I'm looking for some advice please. I work in social housing and I have a tenant who is making the neighbours lives hell and will not adhere to warnings about her behaviour.

She howls and screams at all hours of the day, she stands in her front garden and tells people to fuck off, she goes around to her neighbours houses at 4-5 am and bangs on windows and doors and tells them its time to wake up. She stands on the street screaming for her mum, she is a 50 year old lady with limited mobility following a stroke.

I have offered her support from our floating support agency, she will not engage, I have spoken with her GP who states that although not right this is normal behaviour for her and that she is "naughty". She has been taken to the local mental health hospital by the police and was assessed by 2 doctors, one said she was mentally ill and needed sectioning and the other said she was fine, so they sent her home.

I am really concerned about her and her mental health, she was seen the other day by a neighbour holding a photograph of someone and pretending to push this person into her garden shed! I have informed her doctor of this but he did not seem concerned.

She will not engage with any services, she will not realise that she is a nuisance and that she needs help, even when I have stood outside her house and heard her howl and scream she denies point blank that she was making a sound.

I am at a loss and need some advice in a way to help her, i dont want to evict her but if this continues I will have no choice.

She is classed as vulnerable. Police have stated that they will continue to get her assessed if they arrest her again but have stated that they will not take any further action against her.

Her neighbour btw is traumatised and I am just as worried about her mental health too, the Police stated to me that they fear she may hang herself because of this trauma. Her doctor is aware.

Why isnt there more help out there! Why the fuck am I , a housing officer the only person prepared to actually do all I can to help?

[Showtime]

If you contact mental health team they may be able to help, but am surprised doctors can't do anything. Any relatives, do you know? Good luck.

[Natzer]

I have spoken with the mental health team who have said that she does not have a mental health condition. Now, I am no doctor but this behaviour is not right. She is unable to look after herself, she stands and wets herself, she wears the same clothes for months at a time covered in food. She has cigarette burns all over the house and even put a lit cigarette in the front of the gas fire! Good job it wasn't on!

Doctor states its normal behaviour for her.

She has an ex partner who is an alcoholic who shops for her but I have my suspicions he is taking her money as she rarely leaves the house.

She has no cooker, fridge etc.

[amillionyears]

Say to whoever you need to ,you are thinking to take it to the local press?
Or a solicitor?
Talking about either of those should hopefully get some people to act.

[Showtime]

Have never known so many problems and so many people unwilling or unable to help. Is there anyone available at work to give advice in problem cases?

[Eurostar]

Sounds a nightmare and she sounds a serious risk to herself if she is playing with cigarettes in this way. Can you try the PALS team of your local mental health trust and see if they can help you escalate it? If she has a learning disability that makes her this way rather than an illness, there should still be a team. Has she got a social worker as she is a vulnerable adult?

[ReallyTired]

Natzer,
Surely you should be discussing this with your line manager rather than posting on a forum.

It is not that easy to evict someone who is paying their rent. Surely the woman has a social worker. Prehaps she needs some kind of sheltered housing.

[Natzer]

really tired

I am posting on a forum for some advice as to where to turn next to help her. I dont desparately dont want to evict her but unless she starts engaging with some support agencies I will have no choice.

I have spoken with my line manager and all he cares about is telling the support agencies so that we cover our arses.

It is easy to evict someone who is paying their rent if they are causing a neighbourhood a severe nuisance and you have as much evidence as I have.

She is too young for sheltered housing and its only the health professionals that can get her into younger supported housing, but she wont go.

I have 2 problems, one where agencies dont want to know, and another where even if they do she wont engage.

I am writing up a long report which I will send to the various agencies and stating that unless something changes she will have to be evicted in the hope that something will change.

[Upwardandonward]

I think the thing is that people are allowed to make poor decisions as long as they have capacity.

[msrantsalot]

How are you actually going to get her physically out of the house? Surely if you keep on and on at the social they will have to section her?

[IWanders]

You need two doctors and a social worker to section someone she sounds like she needs sectioned. Can you speak to the social worker associated with your local police department.

Sorry not to help more, my mam is a mental health nurse so I know how hard sectioning someone is. If she has harmed herself or almost caused harm to herself or others and if you can prove that perhaps you will get more help getting her sectioned, hopefully then she will get the right help. Good luck.

[Natzer]

I have been working with the Police on this one and she has been assessed for sectioning but they discharged her saying she is not a danger to herself or anyone else!

I was looking for some info regarding Mental Health agencies and maybe charities that I could contact for help.

[lisaro]

Right. Other obvious issues aside. She does have other options which she is choosing to refuse. Your responsibility now lies with her neighbours who are obviously going through hell.
BTW this in no way negates the fact that maybe more could be done.

[Upwardandonward]

People can't be made to engage provided they're not sectionable and have capacity, however helpful it might be to them if they did.

[Viperidae]

I feel sorry for her and for you having to deal with her but even sorrier for the neighbours

[TheLastNameLeft]

Has this lady ever had an assessment?

I think that approaching MH services first is jumping the gun, she probably needs top be assessed by your local adult services team

[TheLastNameLeft]

*to not top ... sorry for typo

[IWanders]

I know there is a charity called MIND for mental health but I think they deal with legal problems perhaps you could approach them about the eviction and the help she needs or maybe Shelter who deal with housing issues?

Hopefully they may give you more suggestions.

[Natzer]

TheLastNameLeft
She was taken by the Police and assessed a few weeks ago but the doctors could not agree, so they discharged her.

She has had previous involvement with the Community Mental Health Team but she choses not to engage, which I agree with some of you that yes thats her decision even if it is a bad one. I have spoken with a couple of the CMH team who (and know of her) I know from other cases and they dont seem concerned.

My report will be sent to Social Services so hopefully they will contact her.

I will see what info I can find re Mind and Shelter and ensure she is given the information incase she decides to contact them.

Thanks for all your help

[Eurostar]

Do try to contact the chief exec or similar of your mental health trust. If the drs couldn't agree they should be assessing further, not discharging.

[Marne]

Do you know if she has any family you could contact? She obviously needs help and would probably be better in sheltered housing but she's not going to accept this if she doesn't even realise that she is mentaly ill, a family member could help by taking her to the gp and getting her help.

MIND are a great help, you can phone them and speak to someone who will offer advice.

I feel sorry for the poor woman but in one was evicting her may be what she needs as she will be forced into finding help and may get housed in sheltered housing with a HA.

[Showtime]

May I suggest that writing up a short report will probably be more effective than a long one, particularly as you say that various agencies don't want to know.

[cunnalingo]

Whydon't you contact the county PoVA team?

[NanaNina]

The problem is that if people have a psychotic illness (as in being out of touch with reality) they are not aware themselves that they need treatment. They think it's the people trying to help them who have the problem. I am no medic but this lady does sound like she is out of touch with reality, and I cannot understand why she is not being assessed and sectioned under the Mental Health Act if necessary. She certainly sounds like she is a danger to herself and others.

Hope that this lady can get the help she needs.

[Natzer]

cunnalingo thank you PoVA have been contacted already so hopefully they will contact her soon.

showtime thank you I will keep it brief and to the point.