Developed by Dr. Randy Frost, the Clutter Image Rating Scale uses a set of nine images to depict nine levels of clutter in a room. It is an assessment tool that is frequently referred to by fire services and mental health and outreach professionals. It uses a series of photos to assess the level of the clutter in specific rooms. The Clutter Image Rating Scale (CIRS) is valuable in establishing the overall severity of clutter and can be used to assess the progress of decluttering work.
There are actually three different sets of nine images – one each showing a kitchen, a bedroom and a living room. Follow this link to see the full CIRS. There is also an app available. I find the app useful for showing to clients. They may be blind to their own clutter, but these anonymous images seem to cut through. You can even use the scale to assess the client’s level of insight into their own situation. Do they “see” their clutter the same way that you do?
A score of more than four is considered significant. In Victoria, a home with that amount of clutter should be registered on the Hoarding Notification System via either Fire Rescue Victoria or Country Fire Authority. Notifying the fire service will mean that if a fire occurs at that address, they will automatically send more fire appliances and firefighters, and hopefully save a life.
There are limits to the effectiveness of the CIRS. Without additional information we cannot simply look at the volume of clutter and assume that the client has a hoarding problem.
We need to know more. We need to know about how the clutter arrived there, what underlying behaviours have contributed to the accumulation of the clutter, what other hazards are present, and more.
To be able to properly assess hoarding and environmental neglect, you need a whole range of tools in your toolkit. The Clutter Image Rating Scale is just one of the assessment tools that we teach about at Hoarding Home Solutions.
Read more in the Organising by Numbers series here.
