To call the police to conduct a wellness check for my hoarder neighbour?

I’ve hoarding disorder, which is now a recognised mental health condition. I’m writing this to offer perspective, nothing more and, mean no offence,

Realistically (this is my experience) they will remove everything from her property (probably during an “assessment”) without consent and send her back with zero help or support in place, she will have a list of what she can own and someone will go in and remove any item not on that list. Then end the tenancy. She won’t be allowed another or any help from council as it’s often classed as a choice by homelessness prevention, even with diagnosis (only one clinic can diagnose in the UK, waiting list years then more years for therapy, so that’s nearly impossible). This was my experience and I ended up hospitalised for weeks because of the trauma it caused and, then discharged to street.

That compounded the problem so now it’s much much worse, since then I’ve lost a friend to the disorder. This, sadly, won’t end well, and likely she’s been through similar. Right now I’m facing street homelessness again. Homelessness prevention won’t engage until everything is gone and I must be “cured” for two years (only own what I’m “allowed” with strict controls”) before I can even go on housing register. Fire brigade saying fire risk having escalated the eviction process.

For me this has been a lifetime condition. People say they understand, I don’t so no way they can, and yes I’ve had therapy, but it didn’t help.

There are now charities that can support BUT local help is essential and realistically impossible because it takes a very long time to begin to deal with the issues, which are complex before even starting. Shelter had a go at me for making myself homeless as did mind for example.

I am NOT saying you don’t have a point here, not at all, just offering it from another, perhaps more realistic, point of view in terms of “help”. The fact is no one is going to be offering help for what is considered a non issue by very stretched services who prefer to use terms like “filthy” “stupid” “out of control”. Even now when it’s actually a recognised condition.

Hoarding is far more common than most people realise. This is something the landlord should be acting on. I would contact shelter and ask for their advice on getting your landlord to take action about the smell.

You can lie and say there is vermin, but if they enter her flat and there are no signs of vermin they may do nothing else.

Thank you. I won't go into detail but I have experience of this. All the various agencies will just play ping pong with this. They don't want to commit their personnel and they don't want to spend their budget.

The OP has to emphatically that she has personally observed rats. That triggers a whole raft of immediate action from Environmental Health.

How could there be buzzards?

Don't exaggerate things just to get a police response. Adult social services are who need to deal with this lady that being said the police do still get sent to these kinds of jobs but they are just a reporting agency that will share the information with mental heath services, housing, adult social services etc.

This type of call will tie up a police response for hours because there's no quick fix. They can only do so much and if she is seen to be fit by mental health services (and by that I mean no mental heath condition putting her life in immediate danger) she will be left at home with referrals put in place for other agencies to engage and assist.
Keep pressing the landlord, environmental heath and social work for them to take action,

Buzzards? The birds?

Adult social services are your best option, but if the neighbour doesn't want their help and has mental capacity (which is extremely hard to be deemed as not having) then they aren't going to be able to do anything more than offer help.

The police will check she is alive and then share info with social services which you can do yourself without having to put on their resources. It sounds hugely frustrating but the police aren’t the correct agency. This will be joint working between housing and adult services in all likelihood. Housing are probably already be dealing but won’t be able to share info. Hoarding is notoriously difficult to deal with but you are being impacted by the smell so keep on to your landlord.

I hope it gets dealt with by the HA. It genuinely needs to be treated as a fire hazard. Especially in a block of flats or maisonettes close together.
I'm presuming you've spoken to her, and she does seem to acknowledge there's a problem and that helps is available? She will probably feel ashamed. I think once things get to a certain state someone can feel like it's a mountain they simply cannot face trying to climb.
I hope the fire service, the HA and SS between them can help her declutter, and whatever other help she might need.
I feel for you as it must be really upsetting. X

It sounds to me that her mental health may mean she is a risk to herself and others - fire risk, sanitation risk...

exaggerating the situation might get more of a response.
our local ASC has an automated call center or leave a message & emergency …. If it’s not emergency wait is 6-8 weeks due you “influx of immigrants”

You need to tell them it’s a life /death situation. Buzzards, flies potential dead body.

The police won't do a welfare check if you know she's alive. The defecating and smearing would come under anti social behaviour so I would log that. Make a nuisance of yourself with the HA.
It sounds awful I really feel for you.

The incident in the hallway would have been sufficient for police involvement alone really. Perhaps that was a missed 'opportunity'. They couldn't ignore that and wouldn't be able to accept a refusal to engage of the occupant as simple as they'd have to otherwise. For the stuff that goes on in the flat for a large part of it people have the right to live in absolute filth. It's surprisingly common. It's when it gets to the point of being an undeniable life threatening safety hazard for other residents that means action can be taken.

That's why you'll find nothing much happens - essentially people who live like this will not want to engage/change their ways. To get to the point where essentially a multi agency response will break in/evict the occupant/dispose of everything within the property (in itself hugely time consuming and expensive to do safely) - then if the person is allowed back in the property/another property the cycle quickly repeats so an attempt can be made to evict to make them homeless - which does happen but is pretty rare.

Without a shadow of a doubt if you have any opportunity to move away from this situation I would do so. Life is too short to endure something like that if you have a choice not to.

You're private renting? I'd be giving notice on property asap and looking for something else. Abhorrent your landlord and housing association have taken no real action.

Contact your local award councillors, who will have direct contacts in Social work/Health and Social Care Partnership, Environmental Health, police, wardens and fire service. Councils also have multi agency meetings regularly , whereby all those above are involved and vulnerable people are highlighted and discussed.

Smearing in a public place is surely some kind of criminal offence? So I’m thinking you call the police in the hope that this will get them involved and making welfare referrals that are less likely to be ignored

If she's smearing faeces in communal spaces then it has gone beyond her personal behaviour in her private space where she is living horribly but is an adult so unless sectioned would be classed as having capacity and making her own choices.. into a public health issue.

I imagine the actions available are slow but I would be making a lot of noise to fire, Env health, social services etc... But I really feel for you as she won't change voluntarily and there are probably few actions the authorities can take, so for you to have to try to drum up support for your situation is horrendous when you're already severely affected. 💐

Really sorry to hear you're going through this op

Horrendous - for you and for her.

I would try @Arraminta 's suggestion of mentioning vermin to environmental health in the hope they will re-engage.

I would also DEFINITELY contact social services and I would use the word 'crisis'. The woman is in crisis and so is your housing situation.

Citizens advice might have some suggestions also.

Fire brigade. It really is something they get involved with.

www.london-fire.gov.uk/news/2023/may/firefighters-offer-support-to-those-with-hoarding-tendencies-over-concerns-cost-of-living-crisis-could-increase-fire-risk/

Was the smell there when you viewed the flat? If so, did they cover the smell to get your signature on the rental document? If she’s been a hoarder for 15 years it hasn’t suddenly started to smell last week. So is there any legal action you can start against your landlord or anyone? I think you might have to make a nuisance of yourself, everyone appears to be doing very little.

Regarding @Arraminta‘s post above, I think you’ve definitely seen vermin.

Be a nuisance. And do it via the phone and in writing.

Also add that in Scotland social services will get involved. She likely has one already.

I second calling the fire service. They will visit her and tell her to clear it.

Sorry OP I posted after only reading the posts on the first page so didn't see your awful update. It is such a horrendous situation.

However, I would repeat that the magic word that gives Environmental Health some pretty impressive powers is 'vermin' (so rats, basically). It's bizarre that this will make them swing into action, when the poor woman openly defecating won't.

This is a subject I know a little bit about. The best thing you can do is contact your local Environmental Health department and tell them your concerns. But the magic word that triggers fast action is telling them you have seen vermin.

Best of luck. Hoarding is a horrible and tragic illness.

It just sounds so awful, I hope you get some resolution.