Engaging those disengaged from services

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The context

All ‘mainstream’, and especially statutory, agencies have experiences of people who don’t take up offers of a service. This may take the form of people simply not responding to contact, dropping out of touch or not ‘engaging’ with the service in the manner it deems acceptable. Services have their own definitions of ‘disengagement’ and their own processes on how to address this, with some more proactive, self-reflective and flexible than others.

But we also know people labelled as ‘dis-engagers’ are often those most in need of (especially) statutory services in the first place - a phenomenon described as the ‘inverse care law’. In a rural authority spanning an immense geographical area - such as Highland - ensuring people who most need services can access them presents even greater challenges. This is where the Move On project, jointly funded by European Social Fund (ESF) and Highland Council, comes in.

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The intervention

Move On workers take referrals from any statutory or ‘mainstream’ service (including housing, mental health, Jobcentre Plus, criminal justice) for people who have ‘not engaged’ or who have subsequently disengaged from support. Officers take an assertive, persistent approach, trying diverse means of establishing contact, then focus on building a relationship. They work on the issues a person wants to work on (which might not always be issue the referrer prioritises), with no set time limit on support. In this way, the service ethos resembles the principleslxiv of Housing First support.

Housing partners (both local authority and RSL) are primary referrers to Move On. They tend to refer tenants with arrears and/or other tenancy sustainment problems, including tenants already in the repossession process. Move On workers coordinate services which directly support people in areas such as debt, money problems, employment and social networks/activities. They aim to connect people with other services holistically. Though Council employees, Move On workers don’t ‘belong’ to any related department - which allows a more independent approach to be taken.

Whilst Move On’s purpose is to work with people other services have ‘failed to engage’, a corollary aim is to influence and improve how those services approach engagement in future. They give feedback and tips on what works, and what can lead to a better outcome. In some cases, simple changes to ways of working, such as letters with less formal language or not closing referrals after a missed appointment, is all someone may need. Mental health services initially agreed to refer to Move On after second missed appointment, rather than close a case after someone misses a third (albeit this has been a challenge to implement consistently).

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The outcome

Though not a housing or homelessness-specific service, since 2019, Move On has recorded a 44% reduction in arrears for social tenants the service has worked with, a 30% reduction in Council Tax arrears, and a 47% reduction in overall debts. That includes £71,855 in backdated benefits, including housing-related benefits, for 98 households.

Of those referred in the late stages of recovery action, Move On workers prevented eviction on 22 occasions. Many more people referred at an earlier stage were positively engaged, averting the escalation of issues which can lead to homelessness. The team has built relationships with over half of all people other services were unable to reach.

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Key insights

• support services working across multiple statutory services have a key role in preventing not only homelessness, but multiple social harms
• small changes in practice can have a big impact when engaging people deemed ‘hard to reach’
• person-centred, persistent, ‘sticky’ support works well across a whole range of services

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Find out more…

Gareth Edwards, Move On Manager, Highland Council
gareth.edwards@highland.gov.uk