Developing new versions

If there is a version developed specifically for your client group then this is the version you should use. If there isn’t a version specifically designed for your client group one of the existing versions may still work for your project. There are two questions to consider:

a) What are the outcomes your project is intended to achieve? Look at the outcome areas for each version of the Star. Do the areas on one of the versions largely match the areas you are working on with your service users?

b) What is the journey of change for your service users? Look at the Ladder of Change for the different versions of the Star. Does one of them fit for your service users? If so you can look at the scales and see if they fit as well.

If the outcome areas, Ladder of Change and scales all seem to fit for your project, it is very likely that this version of the Outcomes Star™ will work for you. We suggest that you pilot it and then review. We would be interested to find out how it works for you.

What if none of the Stars fits for my project?

We are working hard to develop new versions of the Star so that there is a suitable version for all client groups and projects. In doing this we work in partnerships with service providers, sector bodies and funders. Please contact us if you would like to work with us to develop a new version. We may know of other service providers or funders who are also interested to work in this area.

Can I mix and match from different Star versions to create my own Star?

Each version of the Outcomes Star™ is carefully developed and tested to ensure that the outcome areas are complementary and that the ladder of change and scale point descriptions work for the intended client group. When scales from different Stars are combined, the integrity of the tool is lost so we do not allow this mix and match approach. More about the copyright terms of the Outcomes Star™.

Can I make a few changes to the wording or replace one of the scales with my own?

For similar reasons to those given above this is not permitted within the terms of the copyright – see our copyright statement and contact us with your needs. In addition, although individual agencies often want to tweak the tool for their own particular circumstances, wide consultation and discussion on this issue has indicated that allowing this would not serve the wider needs of sector as a whole. Clients are best served by one consistently applied tool as this supports the credibility and validation of the tool and the development of a sector-wide evidence base.