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WEBINAR

Supporting People who Hoard at Christmas

Date: Thursday, 8 October 2026

Time: 1pm-3pm (London, UK) with a ten-minute break

Price: Free

Speakers: Kat Band, Director for Hoarding Disorders UK (East) CIC

Christmas puts a sharp focus on the home and family, with expectations and traditions that are difficult to negotiate for people who hoard and those living in hoarded homes. 

This timely webinar creates space for practitioners to listen to thought-provoking conversations that will deepen appreciation and understanding of how the pressures of Christmas can affect people who hoard.

We'll ask what we can understand now that might enable us to approach people with greater sensitivity, kindness and confidence in the coming weeks, and what we can do to ensure interventions are thoughtful, proportionate and genuinely helpful, without losing sight the need to manage risk and keep people safe.

We'll consider what Christmas might feel like when your home is already a source of anxiety and shame, and how we respond to the psychological and physical risks Christmas presents. And, we'll explore what kindness and compassion looks like in practice at this difficult time of year. 

This webinar will challenge assumptions and encourage reflection that can be used in the run up to Christmas to support people who may be feeling greater stigma, shame and anxiety. 

Whether you work directly with people who hoard, support family members affected by hoarding, or encounter hoarding through social care, housing, fire and rescue services, health, or other services, this webinar will create space to deepen understanding and think carefully about how to respond. 

 

Learning outcomes:

  • Understand the many potential challenges facing people who hoard during Christmas
  • Appreciate the impact hoarding behaviours may have on the wider family, during a time which is meant to bring them together
  • Deepen your understanding of the need for thoughtful practice when working with people who hoard
  • Appreciate the need to respond with kindness and compassion during an increased time of stress and anxiety

 

Who should attend?

  • Social Workers (students and newly qualified to Principal Social Workers)
  • Team and Service Managers
  • Housing professionals
  • Fire and rescue personnel
  • Emergency service workers
  • Mental Health professionals
  • Occupational Therapists
  • Health professionals
  • Professionals from relevant charity and third sector organisations

 

 


Meet the speakers

 

Kat Band

Director for Hoarding Disorders UK (East) CIC

Kat Band is a Director for Hoarding Disorders UK (East) CIC, where she leads strategic and service development initiatives. She is dedicated to raising awareness of hoarding disorders across the East of the UK. Additionally, Kat runs The Hummingbird Effect, a social purpose business that specialises in professional decluttering and organisational strategies, with a particular focus on chronic disorganisation and hoarding behaviours.