Guidelines for field staff to assist people living in ... - Housing NSW

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8.3 FLOWCHART 2: SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE UNWILLING TO ACCEPTASSISTANCEPEOPLE WHORESIST ASSESSMENTOR HELPDO THEY HAVECAPACITY?MEDICAL &PSYCHIATRICASSESSMENTKEY WORKER/CASE MANAGERto continue to liaise& persuade person toaccept helpApply for a guardian tobe appointed to makedecisions about healthand services, &accommodation (inconsultation with casemanager etc.)and/orUse Mental Health Actto compel treatmentApply for financialmanager to beappointedREFER TOCOUNCILGuardian can makedecisions aboutinterventionsincluding cleaningand medicaltreatmentFinancial Manager canmake decisions aboutAccess to property,services required,cleaning and paymentfor cleaningNO, lackscapacity or capacity unclearYES, hascapacityDON’T KNOWCAPACITYDETERMINEDIf unsuccessful& homeownerENVIRONMENTALHEALTH OFFICER (±FIRE BRIGADE,RSPCA, POLICE)assessment of risk toneighbours & communityINTERVENTIONSie cleaning,medical treatmentCONTINUINGFOLLOWUP &SUPERVISIONTo preventrecurrence.SUBSTANTIAL RISKeg fire risk,rodents, infestationCANNOT EVEN ASSESS CAPACITY BECAUSEPERSON REFUSES TO OPEN DOOR OR SPEAK TOPEOPLEConsider;1. Mental Health Act, Section 27 Assessment (if evidenceof likely mental illness, apply to Magistrate for order toconduct assessment of patient in presence of Police)2. Council can order inspection (with Police) under LocalGovernment Act3. DoH or Landlord can apply to conduct inspection underResidential Tenancy ActDoH orLANDLORDUSE APPROPRIATELEGISLATION/AUTHORITIESto compel owner/occupant to remove risk &permit cleaningIf unsuccessful& public/privaterentalRISKuncertainSUBSTANTIALRISKapparent26
SECTION 9: ConclusionsThe key points contained in these Guidelines can be summarised as follows:• Severe domestic squalor may develop in the homes of young, middle-aged andolder people.• The perception of squalor may be affected by the cultural perspectives of both theperson and the field staff.• Language/communication and/or cultural barriers may be impediments to gainingthe trust and cooperation of a person living in squalor.• The evidence suggests that half to two-thirds of all persons living in squalor sufferfrom one or more mental disorders.• When assisting people living in severe domestic squalor, it is important tounderstand the factors that have led to the squalor situation, and how to assesswhat needs to be done. Field workers need to be flexible in their approach butconscious of the statutory role of authorities such as the police, local council andDoCS.• The impact of squalor on the person, his/her family and the community should beassessed.• Following assessment of the person living in severe domestic squalor, urgentintervention may be required. In such cases, authorities (such as local councils)may invoke powers that are contrary to a resident’s choice.• In cases where the squalor is not assessed to be extreme or of risk to the residentor neighbours, referral to other agencies may not need to be immediate, butshould aim to prevent future problems arising.• Where more than one agency is involved, information needs to be shared toenable a coordinated approach. In these cases all agencies need to be mindful ofprivacy considerations.• There is a high risk of recurrence of severe domestic squalor, even when cleaninghas been successfully completed and there is a substantial improvement to theperson’s living conditions. Therefore, ongoing follow up of involved persons ishighly recommended.27
Page 1 and 2: Guidelines for field staff toassist
Page 3 and 4: Section 7: Strategies to help peopl
Page 5 and 6: SECTION 2: Explaining severe domest
Page 7 and 8: If such persons do agree to speak,
Page 9 and 10: 3.3 Gathering resources for use at
Page 11 and 12: • If the person is from a CALD ba
Page 13 and 14: availability of essential services,
Page 15 and 16: 4.6 Initiate referrals to address c
Page 17 and 18: SECTION 5: Interagency cooperationF
Page 19 and 20: 5.3 FLOWCHART 1: ASSESSMENT & SUPPO
Page 21 and 22: • placing a lien on the property,
Page 23 and 24: SECTION 7: Strategies to help peopl
Page 25: SECTION 8: Strategies to assist peo
Page 29 and 30: ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANLINESS AND CLUTT
Page 31 and 32: J.SLEEPING AREA:0 1 2 3Reasonablycl
Page 33 and 34: APPENDIX 3: Impact of Squalor Check
Page 35 and 36: APPENDIX 5:living in severe domesti
Page 37 and 38: Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACATs)A
Page 39 and 40: Department of Ageing, Disability an
Page 41 and 42: Department of Community Services (D
Page 43 and 44: APPENDIX 6:Organisations that can a
Page 45 and 46: NSW PoliceThe Police are often the
Page 47 and 48: • must have a disability within t
Page 49 and 50: APPENDIX 8: Case studiesCASE 1An el
Page 51 and 52: CASE 3Ms D, who had been living in
Page 53 and 54: CASE 6Mr A. is a 70-year-old man wh
Page 55 and 56: would permit a psychiatrist to ente
Page 57 and 58: Non-GovernmentAssistance with Care
Page 59 and 60: APPENDIX 11:Further readingClark AN

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