Authors: Maria Patouna, Elaine De Gruyter, and Eleanor Carter
Organisations: Government Outcomes Lab (GO Lab), Department for Work and Pensions, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)
Location: United Kingdom
The Life Chances Fund (LCF) was the UK’s largest outcomes fund, supporting 29 locally commissioned social outcomes partnerships to address complex social issues. The Kirklees Better Outcomes Partnership (KBOP) was one of these initiatives, aiming to improve employment, housing stability, and wellbeing for adults with housing-related support needs.
This report presents findings from a one-year Labour Market Evaluation Pilot comparing KBOP’s person-centred, outcomes-based model with the traditional fee-for-service approach previously used in Kirklees. Using linked administrative data and a quasi-experimental design, the study assesses whether the outcomes-based model delivered better results and greater cost-effectiveness.
The evaluation finds that KBOP participants achieved higher rates of sustained employment, greater independence from housing benefits, and improved cost-effectiveness per outcome compared to the legacy model. These results add robust evidence on the potential of outcomes-based commissioning to improve services for people facing severe and overlapping disadvantage.