For a PDF version of this guidance, click here.  

The clutter image rating scale can be useful in objectively describing the environment a person is living in by selecting which level of ‘clutter’ is involved. Individual perceptions will differ to what constitutes ‘clutter’ or ‘hoarding’ so this is a helpful way to ensure a consistent and proportionate understanding of the level of concern, particularly when sharing information with other professionals or making referrals.  

It should be noted the title ‘Clutter Scale’ is unlikely to reflect the feelings and values of the person who is living in the environment. People’s property is often precious to them regardless of the opinions of those who have concerns about the way they are living. Language such as ‘clutter’ may be offensive to the person at the centre of the concerns and, therefore, should be avoided.

Use the Clutter Image Rating Scale and Guidance provided below to assess the level of the customer’s hoarding problem and decide on the appropriate action you should take.  

How to use this tool:  

Using the 3 series of pictures (Bedroom, Living Room, and Kitchen), select the picture that best represents the amount of clutter in the house or individual rooms.  

• Images 1-3 indicate level 1 (Green) – Signposting 
• Images 4-6 indicate level 2 (Amber) – Escalate Concerns  
• Images 7-9 indicate level 3 (Red) – Multi-agency response and consider mental capacity assessment  

Alongside the practitioner’s assessment, it is also useful to ask the person which pictures they think represents the state of their home, and then compare their perception with that of the practitioner’s, to gain an understanding of their view of the problem and initiate discussion of changes they might like to achieve. Using the numbers that have been chosen, the practitioner and the person can look at whether they agree on the same level of clutter and if not, why not. An approach could be that they then together agree which room numbers the person would like their home to look like and how they are going to work together to achieve this. This may be done by prioritising one room at a time, or one type of item they wish to remove.

Appendix 3 of this document also includes a range of assessment tools designed to support co-production and self-evaluation with individuals who may be self-neglecting or hoarding.