Self-Neglect
24/02/2026
The Care Act 2014 defines self-neglect as “a wide range of behaviour neglecting to care for one’s personal hygiene, health or surroundings and includes behaviour such as hoarding"
The Safeguarding Board have comissioned several safeguarding adult reviews where the person died and was experiencing self neglect. Self-neglect is also the most common type of abuse/neglect identified in Safeguarding Adult Reviews nationally.
Magpies - Hoarding Support in Sheffield
Sheffield Mind has partnered with the Sheffield Adult Safeguarding Partnership Board (SASPB) to confirm a two-year collaboration (2026 - 2028) to continue the Magpies Project. The project will continue to provide essential support to adults in Sheffield experiencing self-neglect and/or hoarding and responds to identified local need and learning from Safeguarding Adult Reviews.
For more information about Magpies, including what support they provide, and how to refer, please visit the Sheffield Mind website by following the link below:
Magpies Hoarding Support | Sheffield Mind
Multi Agency Self-Neglect Policy and Practice Guidance (Including Vulnerable Adults Risk Management (VARM) and Complex Case Management (CCM)
The purpose of this policy is to outline a multi-agency approach to support those across Sheffield Adult Safeguarding Partnership (SASP) when responding to concerns relating to adults who self-neglect. It aims to ensure that those professionals involved in working with adults who may exhibit self-neglect or hoarding behaviours, have a consistent approach to responding to concerns that are up to date, easily accessible and which promote positive outcomes for those of concern.
The practice guidance that goes alongside this policy can be used to support decision making for cases involving self-neglect, and those cases of self-neglect where there are other substantial risks, such as hoarding, drug and alcohol dependency, homelessness, and sexual exploitation and will support professionals with a framework for identifying and managing those collective risks.
Access the policy and practice guidance by following the link below to our dedicated webpage:
Sheffield Adult Safeguarding Partnership - Multi Agency Self-Neglect Policy and Practice Guidance (Including VARM and CCM)
Learning from Reviews:
Sheffield has completed several Safeguarding Adult Reviews where the person was experiencing self-neglect. To read the learning from those reviews, visit our dedicated webpage where you will find learning briefs and full reports:
Sheffield Adult Safeguarding Partnership - Learning Briefs
In October 2023, SASP conducted Multi-Agency Case Audit William. William appeared well presented to the few agencies he had contact with, he worked, and he owned his own property. However, William had been living in a severe state of self-neglect in a home that was in a derelict state, was described as uninhabitable with no source of heating and there were extremely concerning levels of hoarding. The Multi-Agency Case Audit recommended that a briefing focusing on self-neglect be produced which would cover some of the common myths around self-neglect and learning from the case. Read the briefing by clicking the link below:
Self Neglect Briefing - Learning from Multi Agency Case Audit William