On Friday, 19 May, Great Places hosted the Greater Manchester Regional Hoarding Conference, organised by the local group Hoarders Helping Hoarders (HHH).
The conference that took place at the West Didsbury Head Office, was part of National Hoarding Awareness Week which aims to combat the stigma associated with hoarding.
The event was attended by organisations including mental health and adult social care services, housing registered providers, as well as people who have lived experience of hoarding.
Delegates at the event listened to people talk about their experiences of hoarding, got involved in discussions around the stigma associated with it, and were also treated to a slightly adapted rendition of the Smiths song ‘Ask’.
Martine Whitehead, Head of Support Services at Great Places said: “It is so important that we raise awareness of the stigma associated with hoarding, and hosting these events helps to ensure that our staff are continuously able to improve their knowledge around hoarding behaviours.
“Our Tenancy Coach Service does fantastic work with customers to support them in a trauma informed way, helping them manage any potential risks and working with customers at their own pace, supporting them to undertake small tasks to make big changes over time.
“Great Places is committed to supporting customers with hoarding behaviours and ensuring that they can access the help that they need, at the right time. If you are a Great Places customer and want to speak to someone about hoarding behaviours, please don’t hesitate to contact your Neighbourhood Services Manager, who will be happy to signpost you to support from our Tenancy Coach Team.”
Ian Porter, Psychologist and Support Group Coordinator at Hoarders Helping Hoarders (HHH), and Lead for the GM Hoarding Improvement Partnership said: “The GM Regional Hoarding Conference was a fabulous end to an incredible week – one that we were calling ‘Live Aid for Hoarding’ as this was the third of our three Regional Hoarding Conferences!
“Given the amount of development and improvement work being undertaken by members of the GM Hoarding Improvement Partnership, it was fitting that we finished on a high note and this was certainly the case on Friday. The levels of interaction and engagement from everyone there were really impressive. HHH utilise these events to raise people’s hoarding literacy and, alongside this, help to challenge the social and self-stigma associated with hoarding.
“The event had a huge positive impact on our multi-agency audience and this was mirrored by that felt by the people with lived expertise in the room.
“The spread and reach of the HHH group-based intervention and peer support work has increased significantly across the North West within the last year and I’m hoping that our efforts during National Hoarding Awareness Week will result in a similar outcome over the coming 12 months.
“I’d like to say a huge thank you to Great Places for their expertise in both hosting and supporting the gig – outstanding and greatly appreciated by us all.”
