Understanding person-centred service reforms in housing support: A new report from Government Outcomes Lab

The Labour Market Evaluation Pilot Fund is a new report led by the Government Outcomes Lab at the University of Oxford, supported by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, which evaluates the effects of person-centred service reforms in housing support.

Through a quantitative impact evaluation and cost-effectiveness analysis, the one-year study compares the impact of Kirklees Better Outcomes Partnership (KBOP), Bridges Outcomes Partnerships’ outcomes-based housing support service, versus the traditional pay-for-inputs legacy model. Overall, the evaluation found that KBOP achieves:

• Better value for money: KBOP served more people at 33% lower cost per person and delivered stronger outcomes (higher cumulative earnings & more sustained employment).
• Improved employment outcomes: KBOP participants were significantly more likely to enter or sustain work, with higher cumulative earnings and longer employment periods.
• Greater housing stability: KBOP participants showed sustained independence from housing-related benefits, with fewer transitions back into support.

KBOP’s strengths-based, person-centred model addresses housing-related needs via a broad range of support: from accommodation to health and wellbeing, from education to training/ employment. This tailored approach was found to be a significant factor in the programme’s success – ultimately, building individuals’ confidence, skills, and independence helps to create meaningful, long-term change.

The report findings add robust evidence to the effectiveness of outcomes partnerships in addressing complex, multifaceted social challenges and, crucially, in enabling services to meet people where they are at.

Read the report in full, here.