Signposting to support available in Darlington and additional resources

Adult Social Care

Adult social care can help address some needs that are linked to or caused by self-neglect. 

At point of contact, depending on information presented Adult Social Care will determine if this can be met through advice/guidance/signposting, initial assessment or a safeguarding enquiry.

Adult Contact Team:

Telephone 01325 406111

Minicom -01325 468504

Text- 07538 601527

Housing Support and homeless prevention

Landlord Services, Housing Associations and Registered Social Landlords play an important role in supporting people who self-neglect. Tenancy Support Officers can help build relationships with tenants in an effort to support people who are in need to help them avoid losing their tenancy and becoming homeless.

Sometimes a combination of offers of support and clear messages about the consequences of non-cooperation, for example court applications to repossess a property or the use of a temporary premises closure order to manage a property back to a state of repair can help secure the engagement of the adult at risk.

Housing can provide support and advice for people who are homeless or sleeping rough.  Help and advice on: finding a home; housing advice; social housing; sheltered housing; lodgings; supported living

Telephone: 01325 405333

Website:https://www.darlington.gov.uk/housing/finding-a-home/homelessness/ [external link]

DBC housing – (if a council tenant) 01325 405333

What Housing Plus can do?

It can help you maintain your tenancy in a number of ways. For example:

• Help you sign up to Darlington Home Online[external link] where you can manage your tenancy online
• Refer you to the council’s tenancy sustainment team if you need more help
• Help you to set up a bank account and advise you how to pay your rent
• Provide advice on how to look after your property
• Assist and manage problems you may have with neighbours
• Signpost to support services or partner agencies that may be able to offer you additional services
• Provide advice and intervention to help you manage your tenancy

There is a charge for the service which is added to rent, however if the person is in receipt of housing benefit or Universal credits they may be eligible for support towards the cost.  Please see leaflet and application form below.

Housing Plus leaflet [PDF]

Housing plus application form [PDF]

Environmental Health

Environmental Health – 01325 405111

Referrals can made if there is a significant concern in relation to the property or if there is an environmental risk to neighbouring properties.

Environmental Health tends to refer to social care or raise safeguarding concerns after being notified of properties with hoarding issues. Environmental health will check if they have a clean and workable surface in the kitchen and bathroom. They will remove any items that could attract vermin. However, will not go through personal belongings and discard these. 

Fire Safety Team - 0345 2234221

Will attend home address to assess for any fire risks, offer information and advice on how to minimise the risk of fire, they are also able to provide fire safety equipment such as smoke alarms, fire-retardant items such as blankets and sprays for carpets. The below referral form is to be completed and emailed to the team.

Free Safe and Wellbeing Visits [external link]

Community Risk Referral Form 

Online or telephone advice on a wide range of health issues, including:

• Alcohol and substance misuse
• Emotional and mental health
• Health risks
• Staying healthy and living well
• Counselling Services

Living Well Directory

Dependent on issues associated with the individual, signposting and referrals could be made to the following:

• PHD Wellbeing Service
• 700 Club
• Substance Misuse - We Are With You (Drug and Alcohol Service)
• MIND
• Darlington Citizens Advice

Darlington Living Well Directory [external link] provides information and signposting to a wide range of services.

Key Ring

Key ring:

email: kimberley.sanders@keyring.org 

Tel: 07717 894 468

Offer the following packages through Individual service funds and Direct Payments:

• Full Membership £65.50pw. This includes 2 home visits, the out of hours service and access to the hub on a Wednesday.

• Associate membership £32.75pw - This includes 1 home visit, the out of hours service and access to the hub on a Wednesday.

• Linked in membership (free of charge) hub only social interaction.

Within the home visits staff would look at how they can develop the persons skills around maintaining their home, they support them to do jobs in the home, such as cleaning and tidying, but do it with them rather than for them, taking small steps to make changes. They will also support then to manage their tenancy and benefits checks.

Creative Support

Tel: 01325 461970

Offer support with budgeting, appointments, maintaining tenancy, applying for grants and benefit checks. Although they do not offer direct support with hoarding, they will offer prompts to clients to declutter the home.

Social Prescribing

Tel: 01325 952278

Will explore signposting to services such as Mental Health services (voluntary), social groups to reduce social isolation, addressing reasons why someone may be self-neglecting/hoarding. Social prescribing will usually keep in contact with the person during this time, but my understanding the person would not be open in the long term.

Social Prescribing Referral form

Human Kind

Tel: 01325 527837

Will offer support with maintaining tenancy, or support with looking for suitable housing. If the person does not have a mental health diagnosis they can access the support for all team, to do this they have a walk in appointment from 9am – 3.30pm daily. If the person has a diagnosis of a mental health condition the referral form below should be submitted.

Humankind referral form

General Cleaning Services

This may be more considered in relation to those self-funding, or low level concerns i.e. clutter rating scale 1-3.

See list of cleaning companies (March 2024)

MAC Cleaning Specialists

Tel: Dawn Jobling 07450 883650

This is a commissioned service. Dawn will go out with social worker and speak with individual to get an idea of what is required. She will then do a breakdown of the proposed works and provide a quote.

Staff work with the individual and will sort through things with them rather than just clearing and cleaning a property, staff will aim to a build rapport with the individual.

Tidy Mind

Email: adele@atidymind.co.uk

Call/ text / WhatsApp: 07725845549

This is a commissioned therapeutic cleaning support service.

See further information on A Tidy Mind Website [external link]

The Care Act 2014 requires that the Local Authority must arrange where appropriate for an independent advocate to represent and support an adult who is the subject of safeguarding enquiry or community care assessment where the adult has ‘substantial difficulty’ in being involved in the process and where there is no other appropriate individual to support them. There is a difference between people who do not lack capacity and have substantial difficulty and people who lack capacity whereby the nature of their cognitive impairment means that they have substantial difficulty.

People who self-neglect and hoard may not agree to engage with an advocate any more than with any other professional.  However, the need for advocacy should be considered and may be particularly relevant in circumstances where the situation may lead to sanctions, for example a landlord seeking a repossession order because the property is unsafe or poses a health hazard.

Telephone: 020 3239 1600

Website: Hoardinguk.org

Telephone: 0300 1234 999

Website: https://www.rspca.org.uk