Cuckooing in social care: what we’re seeing and why it matters
Gary* has a learning disability and mental health needs. We supported Gary in our specialist mental health supported living where he had his own flat and we were supporting him to build his independence.
What we didn’t know was that Gary had experienced cuckooing in the past. His social worker did not share that information with us, so we were not able to be proactive and put in extra measures to support his safety.
Cuckooing – also known as home takeover – is something we are becoming more aware of in social care.
For Gary, things developed quickly. He was befriended by members of a criminal gang who gave him drugs, leading to his addiction and dependency. Once he was in debt to them, his flat was no longer his home, it was being used by the gang to store drugs and weapons.
Why cuckooing is often missed in social care
What makes cuckooing difficult to spot early by social care providers is that it can look like genuine friendship.
For many people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs, loneliness is more common and their opportunities to build relationships can be limited. Sometimes, any friendship can feel better than none and that is where the risk arises.
You might have heard of the term ‘mate crime’, but cuckooing goes much further than that, it can lead to homelessness or people’s lives being put in danger.
In Gary’s case, once the risks were clear, his support team moved quickly.
The team involved the police, brought in private security and supported Gary with his addiction. Importantly, they were able to help Gary regain control of his home and his life.
We’ve seen situations like this more than once, where people’s home and lives are in danger.
In Gary’s case, information about his past experiences wasn’t shared. That isn’t unusual – gaps in information sharing between services are an ongoing issue.
When we spoke to others across social care, policing and housing, we kept hearing the same things.
- Awareness varies widely, and many professionals are still not familiar with how cuckooing unfolds or how to spot it early.
- Responses are also inconsistent, often depending on where someone lives and which services are involved.
- Most responses still happen late, once risks are already high. There is far less focus on how we prevent situations like this in the first place, or how we respond at a community level.
Our new White Paper – in partnership with KeyRing and supported by Cordis Bright, looks at this in more detail.
The social care sector needs to recognise that when people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs are supported to live in their own homes, we need to remain alert to the signs of cuckooing and build a robust response in collaboration with the police, local authorities, landlords and other partners.
If someone is in danger in their own home because of cuckooing, we’ve already got there too late.
*Gary wanted to remain anonymous to protect his privacy, so his name has been changed.