Ensuring move-on is available and used as an incentive to progress

In our research, the availability of move-on accommodation was cited as a key factor that motivated clients to modify their behaviour and to maintain their tenancies. Without clear move-on pathways or plans, clients can feel unmotivated and unable to see how they can progress from the service. Similarly, if clients move on in the same way regardless of their behaviour in the service, this can be a disincentive to engage with the support on offer. 

It is important that move-on is discussed from the outset so that clients can be involved in where they want to move on to, when this will be, and what they need to do in order to achieve this. This clearly involves having move-on available, and also ensuring it is communicated regularly to clients. Move-on can also be used to support positive behaviour in such ways as suspending move-on if clients are on a warning or have rent arrears.
 
 

Move-on plans protocol

The Move-on Plans Protocol (MOPP) is a toolkit designed to help local authorities and service providers address local factors preventing effective move-on.
 
 

Example of a clearly communicated move-on pathway

LB Camden has developed a hostels pathway, launched in April 2007, to ensure residents in all hostels and supported housing projects receive consistent levels of support, enabling them to move into more independent accommodation. The Pathway has 4 stages and each bed space within the Pathway falls into one of these stages:
  • Assessment - short term accommodation
  • Progress - provides residents with a period of stability
  • Specialist supported - beds which meet specific support needs eg substance misuse and mental health
  • Move through - provides residents with the skills to live independently
Residents can move both forwards and backwards through the Pathway, according to their needs.
 
In addition to the generic single homeless pathway, there is a specialist pathway for young people. For mental health services within the pathway all referrals go via a Mental Health Referral Co-ordinator.
 
 

To read about how a positive environment can reduce evictions, return to the Tackling Cross-Cutting Issues main page