Research on good practice
Star Impact: A Report on the Impact of the Outcomes Star on Service Delivery
Twenty-five organisations that had implemented the Outcomes Star™ (or the Rochdale Dial version) were interviewed to identify good practice in implementing the Star. The following are brief highlights of the findings:
- Those motivated by improving keywork and service delivery found implementation more successful than those motivated by external pressures.... morehide
The most common reason that organisations had chosen to use the Star was to support keywork and/or for organisational learning (internal motivations). A significant but smaller number had implemented the Star because of the need to evidence outcomes to commissioners (external motivation). The organisations that had implemented the Star for internal reasons were much more likely to report that implementation had been successful.
- Implementing the Star takes time and requires a change management process.... morehide
Several organisations, generally large ones, reported that implementing the Star required more time than initially anticipated. They had tried a number of different approaches before realising the scale of what was required to ensure effective roll-out of the Outcomes Star™. Key aspects were:
- Helping keyworkers to integrate the Star into their ways of working – this required training and making links between the Star and other models and approaches being used (eg the Cycle of Change and Motivational Interviewing)
- Adapting paperwork so that it didn’t duplicate the Star, particularly needs assessment and reviews
- Finding ways to inform service users about the Star and involve them in implementation
- Implementing appropriate IT for analysing data and designing reports and deciding what information should be reported and to who (including project managers, board and commissioners).
Many found that running a pilot was invaluable in demonstrating benefits and highlighting issues to be addressed.
- Initial resistance from workers was a common challenge but usually overcome quickly.... morehide
Two-thirds of organisations reported a level of initial resistance from keyworkers. Common themes and concerns within this were:
- It will take too long
- The perception of giving people a “score” or “judging” them
- It risks de-motivating some clients
- It is intrusive
- There is already too much paperwork.
However in three-quarters of the organisations where this was an issue, the resistance had been entirely or mainly overcome. Interviewees reported that the following were key in convincing workers of the benefits:
- Taking time to allow people to realise the benefits
- Allowing people to express reservations and ask questions
- A flexible approach at first, including encouraging people to ‘just give it a try’ in their own way and see how it goes
- Involving service users in the process (as they were often more open to the Star approach)
- Being clear that the organisation was committed to using the Star.
- Working with the more willing keyworkers first and allowing them to share positive experiences with their fellow workers.
- Ongoing input is needed to ensure that the Star is used well including training for new staff, regular reviews, and using the Star in supervision and team-meetings.... morehide
Interviewees reported that implementation was an on-going process. Key issues were:-
- Ensuring that the Star was used with all service users
- That it was used well
- That the scores chosen accurately reflected the service user's current position.
In order to address these, interviewees reported that it was important that the Stars were discussed in supervision and team-meetings so that the approach was kept alive. In addition regular reviews of how the Star was being used, training for new staff and top-up training for existing staff were seen to be important.
Download the full research report – Star Impact: A Report on the Impact of the Outcomes Star on Service Delivery which contains nine case studies including good practice examples of implementing the Star, combined with abundant evidence of its effectiveness.
