Jo Cooke is a Director of Hoarding Disorders UK CIC and also runs her own business Tapioca Tidy.
She is also the author of the book Understanding Hoarding which is fast becoming the “go to manual” for people with hoarding tendencies, their families and agencies that work with people exhibiting hoarding behaviours. Jo is also author of the publication Overcoming Chronic Disorganization.
Jo has appeared in the Guardian newspaper, Cosmopolitan and other publications. She has also appeared a number of times on BBC Radio, including a feature on Jeremy Vine's show in 2024, and featured on BBC Sounds, BBC Breakfast and ‘Inside Out’. Jo was selected as a finalist for the Thames Valley Venus Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award.
Jo is a professional declutterer and organiser who has a very professional, calm, non-judgemental and “makes sense” approach to helping you reclaim your space. Jo previously had a varied career in charitable organisations, human resources, project management, bookkeeping and the civil service, but realised she had a flair for decluttering and organising when she had to sell the family home that her father had lived in for more than 30 years. She has a wealth of experience and skills required when working in cluttered environments and takes a responsible and empathetic approach to the needs of people she works with.
Jo co-facilitates three hoarding support groups in Bracknell, on the telephone and on-line.
Sarah is a director of Hoarding Disorders South CIC, together with Amber. They deliver support to those with chronic disorganisation and hoarding behaviours in Reading, Wokingham, West Berkshire and surrounding areas.
Sarah has a background in social work and has worked in various related professions, since qualifying in 1994. In these roles she has come across individuals with hoarding behaviour and appreciates the very many reasons that lead people to this position.
Until recently Sarah worked in a social prescribing team, where she stayed for 7 years. In this role she was able to focus on giving individuals time to consider what was important to them and signpost them to support and services to help. She is committed to giving individuals the space they need to consider and meet their goals whilst helping to motivate them; recognising that change isn’t easy. Having worked in different settings, she recognises the complexity of navigating the right care and support and so is able to assist with this.
Alongside her work in social prescribing, during the past 18 months, Sarah has also been working with a local authority to put together a protocol and pathway for working with individuals with hoarding behaviour. This work has highlighted that there is a real gap in provision for those who need individually planned, hands-on help and support. She has also realised that working with those who need this support is something she is really committed to; be it helping individuals with one off circumstances, putting together systems to create more order with day to day tasks, or working in more complex situations, over a longer term.
Sarah works in a way that is person centred, sensitive and good humoured and is always mindful of treating people as she would like to be treated herself.
Amber is a director of Hoarding Disorders South CIC and alongside Sarah, delivers support to those with chronic disorganisation and hoarding behaviours in Reading, Wokingham, West Berkshire and surrounding areas.
Following a degree in Psychology and several years spent working in residential health and social care, Amber trained as a Social Worker in London. Working in a children and families service, she supported families in challenging situations to access support and make positive changes.
Amber has spent the last seven years working in Social Prescribing, alongside Sarah, supporting individuals with their wellbeing, accessing support in the community and building social networks to overcome social isolation. With a particular interest in person centred approaches, Amber has undertaken qualifications in counselling.
Across these various roles Amber has visited many individuals and families in their homes and gained a deeper understanding of what can lead to challenging home environments, as well as an understanding of the way professionals and systems can work together to support people.
The need to work in an individually tailored, sensitive, person centred way is at the heart of the approach Amber and Sarah take, whilst retaining a sense of humour along the way!
Paul Cooper has been working with Hoarding Disorders UK CIC since 2016 and is based in Gloucestershire.
He helps to deliver hoarding awareness training with Jo Cooke around the UK.
Previously he worked in sales and recruitment as well as 5 years in the Inclusion center of a secondary school. Paul featured in the BBC1 documentary with Jo and has written two books and featured in several others. Paul is also known for his character Martin Mucklowe in the BBC award winning comedy This Country. In his spare time, he is director of a children's charity, the National Children's Football Alliance.
Paul brings an abundance of patience, calm, and reassurance to his role within Hoarding Disorders UK CIC and also brings humour and empathy which are much needed in the world of clutter, chronic disorganisation and hoarding.
Kat Band is based in Stamford, Lincolnshire, and serves as 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.
Kat co-delivers training alongside Jo Cooke and the rest of the team across the UK. Hoarding Disorders UK training focuses on deepening understanding, increasing awareness, and providing effective support for individuals with hoarding behaviours. Chronic disorganisation is an area of particular interest for Kat, and as a late-diagnosed autistic woman with ADHD (AuDHD), she brings a valuable lived-experience perspective to her work and training approach.
With nearly 20 years of experience in the charity sector, Kat has worked with children, families, and communities, always emphasising trauma-informed practices, co-production, and addressing health inequalities. For the past 9 years, Kat served as an Assistant Director at Barnardo’s, leading a diverse portfolio that included Child and Family Centres, Family Hubs, Early Years Settings, Domestic Abuse Services, and Neuro-Development Pathways. She also served as the Regional Safeguarding Lead for high-risk service provision.
Kat is passionate about peer support and co-facilitates the very first peer support group for individuals with hoarding behaviours in Stamford. Recently, she received funding to research effective methods of group-based support and is passionate about furthering understanding of “what works”. In addition, she co-facilitates online listening spaces for the loved ones of those with hoarding tendencies on behalf of Hoarding Disorders UK.
Known for her sensitive and compassionate approach, Kat is calm, collected, and clear-thinking in crisis situations. As an empath, she has a unique ability to help people feel "seen, heard, and held." While Kat would readily admit that she isn't naturally organised, she has developed strategies over the years to manage her home, work, and life. This personal journey makes her especially empathetic and well-suited to support others who struggle with executive function or the challenges of "just doing the thing."
Dom lives in Stamford, Lincolnshire, and is a co-director of Hoarding Disorders UK East. He also works as a behaviour training manager and as a consultant for children and adults with special educational needs and their families. Dom works closely alongside Kat and Vicky to deliver local support and information around hoarding behaviours.
Dom's background is in education, with nearly twenty three years’ experience working in mainstream and SEND schools He is a qualified headteacher and has held a multitude of roles such as teacher, safeguarding lead, exams officer and deputy principal. This has allowed Dom to work with children, families and the local community.
Dom has spoken at national conferences about the importance of values, ethos and shared culture and has worked with students from a range of UK universities supporting students wanting to learn more about teaching and special educational needs.
More recently Dom has been volunteering at a local charity working with parents whose children have SEND and adults with late ADHD and ASD diagnosis.
Vicki has recently joined Hoarding Disorder UK as an Associate Trainer.
Based in the North of the UK, Vicki is a qualified Social Worker currently specialising in Adult Services. Vicki continues to be a practicing Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) and Practice Educator at level 1 and 2 supporting student social workers through their academic studies and placements.
Whilst Vicki now specialises in mental health often undertaking crisis work, Vicki’s professional experience and background also covers work in the Criminal Justice System, Youth Offending Team’s and children’s social care.
Owing to her long-standing interest and passion around hoarding behaviours, Vicki has recently focused on developing clearer pathways within organisations for identifying, assessing and supporting those who display hoarding behaviours, as well as ways in which models of reflective practice can be bolstered and utilised when working with this client group to strengthen intervention approaches, build trust and rapport, ensure that any interventions undertaken are done with the utmost compassion and sensitivity and enhance professional practice and awareness around trauma informed models of practice.
Vicki has supported in the development of work around assessments of need and eligibility under the Care Act (2014) to ensure that those who display hoarding behaviours have their needs appropriately assessed, alongside work around risk and assessing risk to ensure practice remains person centred yet effective and collaborative with multiple agencies.
Over the last 3 years, Vicki has focused heavily on developing training and awareness around the use of such legislative frameworks as the Mental Capacity Act (2005), the concept of executive functioning and how this needs to be considered when supporting those who present with hoarding behaviours, alongside how and when to consider the use of the Mental Health Act (1983) in relation to cases of high-risk hoarding. Vicki has undertaken work within the Court of Protection in relation to cases of hoarding and comes with a wealth of practical knowledge and experience alongside intervention approaches to aid and support those struggling with hoarding behaviours, as well as ways in which professional and organisational practice can be enhanced to safeguard and develop best practice.
As a co-director of Hoarding Disorders UK (East) CIC, Vicky brings both professional expertise and personal insight to supporting individuals with chronic disorganisation
and hoarding behaviours across the East Midlands. She also runs her own housekeeping business.
Her background spans project management, training, and marketing across public and private sectors. Following her own journey with chronic disorganization and late diagnosed ADHD, Vicky developed a deep understanding of how living environments reflect our internal world and impact our wellbeing.
As a professional housekeeper, she combines practical project management skills with empathetic support to help clients create sustainable, functional homes. Her approach focuses on understanding root causes - whether triggered by life events or long-term coping mechanisms - rather than simply removing items.
Through Hoarding Disorders UK (East) CIC, Vicky develops creative, person centred interventions that deliver meaningful outcomes for communities and families. Her work contributes to improving living standards, and keeping families together, while addressing one of the most visible yet historically overlooked mental health challenges in the UK.
Sasha is the Executive Assistant for Hoarding Disorders UK CIC and provides administrative, technical and marketing support.
When not working with the HDUK team, Sasha Clarke is an actress. Sasha has appeared in Holby City, Eastenders, Jack Ryan and has various other credits TV, theatre and short film credits. Furthermore, Sasha works for NHS Blood and Transplant.
We are very grateful for the range of skills and expertise Sasha brings to the team.