using behavioural insights to reduce homelessness applications · customer and asks them how the...
TRANSCRIPT
Using Behavioural Insights to reduce
homelessness applications
Behaviour Change Hub, 2018
Amy Jones, Atika Mohammed
Objectives
High financial, social and health costs to the council and residents
£20k public purse (Crisis) £663 million TAA 2015Why?
What?
How?
Reduce homlessness applications, inc uptake of Gateway = improve peoples
life changes
Re- shaping relationship with customers & managing expectations at the front
door
How did we approach it?
• Customer journey mapping
• Ethnographic research – e.g. shadowing staff
• Behavioural audit of communications
• Co-creation workshops
• Pilot: Test, learn and adapt
Define
Diagnose
Design
Test
May June July August September
Develop current state
understanding
Review online
messages
Conduct
workshop – 9th
June
Develop messaging Update messaging through
chosen channels
Review processes and policies
Track and monitor impact
Recommendation on
approach, comms and
process
Commence
pilot
Project plan
Pre-trial state: Customer ‘homelessness’ journey
Complete Housing
Register Application
Form and access
progress of the
application on
My account
Receive
notification of
outcome
Complete online
self help tool for
personal action
plan and eligibility
Wizard
Wha
t d
o
cu
sto
me
rs
cu
rre
ntly ‘d
o’?
1 2 3 4 5
Attend appointment
for interviewCouncil assess
online application
‘Wh
at d
o c
usto
me
rs c
urr
en
tly th
ink?
’
“I understand what is
required to be eligible
for council housing
under the law.”
“I am now waiting
for the council to
give me a house.“
“I expect you
to help me
find a house.“”I think a house
is available for
me.”
”I came to you
because I have
tried everything
else.”
”I think it is simpler
than looking for a
house on my own.
I know that
someone in the
council can do the
work for me.”
Allocation to the
Prevention Team
Allocation to the
Statutory Homeless Team
“The council
got it wrong."
“I heard that the
process does not
always provide a
positive
outcome, but this
is not going to
impact me.”
“I don’ t believe
the council
doesn’t have a
house for me."
”The agency
told me that I
am right and
the council
have to give
me a house.”
Min
d-s
et Overconfidence
biasDenialMisinformed Entitlement
What did we learn?
Lack of standardised approach
No clear communications strategy
Customer expectations were not being managed
Lack of awareness of alternative support provisions available
Customers still continued with the housing application after their first
interview with the council
What tools and insights did we apply?
Standardised the approach
Re design communications and use behavioural insights in toolkits
-aid comprehension
-enable timely feedback
-set expecations at the start
Used social proof to myth bust
Pre commitment, actions plans and implementation intentions
Prevention interview trial approach
Prevention
officer
promises to
send out next
steps and
action list in
Prevention officer
meets and greets
customer and
asks them to
review and
complete ‘what do
you want to do’
card
Ori
gin
al
1 2 3 4 5
Prevention officer starts conversation with customer based on response
to ‘what do you want to do’ card, always placing focus on how council
can help customers to help themselves. Interview to start with bus
journey explanation of council housing, then talk through Gateway
service offerings before moving to rights and eligibility for council
support and application for homelessness
Customer
“I feel supported to find and secure affordable housing for me
and my family”
Prevention officer
meets and greets
customer and
asks them how
the Council can
help them
- 5 mins
Tre
atm
en
t
Prevention officer
explains to customer
their rights and
eligibility and
examines legality of
notice to vacate
- 30 mins
Prevention officer
talks to customer
about Council’s
Gateway support
options
- 15 mins
If customer still
requests homeless
application, officer
talks through story of
facts about council
housing
- 10 mins
Customer
completes
action list and
takes it home
with them
Prevention interview trial approach
Prevention
officer
promises to
send out next
steps and
action list in
Prevention officer
meets and greets
customer and
asks them to
review and
complete ‘what do
you want to do’
card
Ori
gin
al
1 2 3 4 5
Prevention officer starts conversation with customer based on response
to ‘what do you want to do’ card, always placing focus on how council
can help customers to help themselves. Interview to start with bus
journey explanation of council housing, then talk through Gateway
service offerings before moving to rights and eligibility for council
support and application for homelessness
Customer
“I feel supported to find and secure affordable housing for me
and my family”
Prevention officer
meets and greets
customer and
asks them how
the Council can
help them
- 5 mins
Tre
atm
en
t
Prevention officer
explains to customer
their rights and
eligibility and
examines legality of
notice to vacate
- 30 mins
Prevention officer
talks to customer
about Council’s
Gateway support
options
- 15 mins
If customer still
requests homeless
application, officer
talks through story of
facts about council
housing
- 10 mins
Customer
completes
action list and
takes it home
with them
What real facts show
Most applicants end up in a private rented house close to Croydon
What families say
“Every time we move it is not good for my son, because we have moved about two or three times and it disturbs him.”
What real facts show
Most families have spent months or years in temporary accommodation.
What national reports say
Half of all families reported visiting their doctor more frequently since the lack of stability increased depression and anxiety.
What are your roads?
If you satisfy the criteria you may…
Stop1: Emergency Accommodation
Stop2: Temporary Accommodation
10
Prevention interview trial approach
Prevention
officer
promises to
send out next
steps and
action list in
Prevention officer
meets and greets
customer and
asks them to
review and
complete ‘what do
you want to do’
card
Ori
gin
al
1 2 3 4 5
Prevention officer starts conversation with customer based on response
to ‘what do you want to do’ card, always placing focus on how council
can help customers to help themselves. Interview to start with bus
journey explanation of council housing, then talk through Gateway
service offerings before moving to rights and eligibility for council
support and application for homelessness
Customer
“I feel supported to find and secure affordable housing for me
and my family”
Prevention officer
meets and greets
customer and
asks them how
the Council can
help them
- 5 mins
Tre
atm
en
t
Prevention officer
explains to customer
their rights and
eligibility and
examines legality of
notice to vacate
- 30 mins
Prevention officer
talks to customer
about Council’s
Gateway support
options
- 15 mins
If customer still
requests homeless
application, officer
talks through story of
facts about council
housing
- 10 mins
Customer
completes
action list and
takes it home
with them
IMPACT
132 new
placements
per month at
cost of
£6,750 each
Increase in
number of
cases
prevented
25-61%
No change in the number of customers re-presenting later, showing cases sustained in Private Rental Sector
Reduction in officer case work
Increased engagement between officers and customer
Increased comprehension of customers and timely feedback for officers
Standardised procedure
Pre-intervention
47
placements
prevented =
saving of
£317,250 per
month =
£3.8m p.a.
Intervention Return on Investment
Future considerations
34% 33%42%
Control Group Information Information &Auto-submission
% Attending University
19% 23%
Webpage Direct to Form
% Responding to Letter
Case Study 1. Auto-application for financial support
Auto-submitting a form requesting financial support for
eligible university applicants, as part of the application
process, resulted in 8% more pupils attending university.
- Bettinger, Long, Oreopoulos, & Sanbonmatsu (2012).
Case Study 2. Removing hassle factor of clicks
Directing users to the form they are required to
complete, instead of the web page containing the form,
increased response rates to a HMRC tax collection
letter. – MINDSPACE, Behavioural Insights Team
Missing: Reduce the hassle factor of required action
Current State:
Homelessness Bus Infographic & Script
Simplifies the information
Fails to reduce complexity of action (user is required to
subsequently fill in forms)
Desired state:
Take the intervention further and minimise hassle-
Complete application for third party support with the user as
information is being collected (e.g., Zoopla)
Minimise chance of indefinitely delaying
Minimise the chance the user will lose the link
Use the third party as a ‘prompt’ as they email or text options
that become available
Activity: Behavioural audit of communications material
Setting the scene
You are tasked with applying behavioural insights to reduce the level of council house rent
arrears
The challenge
The current approach is framed as a legal, contractual arrangement and the associated
documentation and communication style reflects and reinforces this
Step 1: Understand your customers: See the challenge from someone else's
shoes….by identifying who needs to do what differently, when, where and how.
Customers who CAN’T pay
The great majority of customers fall into arrears
because they are in financial difficulty. Typically
they are on low income (usually receiving
benefits) and prime reasons for not being able to
pay would include items of large unexpected
expenditure, a sudden fall in income (e.g. from
loss of job, illness, change in benefit payments),
mental health issues, relationship breakdown.
Can’t pay
Needs Current behaviours Challenges Target behaviours (Who/
when/ where and how)
Support: unaware of support
services
Do not access support services Pre existing relationship with
council has been
authoritarian. Customer
doesn’t trust officers.
Identify eligible groups (cant
pay) and increase uptake of
support services by offering
support when case is raised by
personalising a text/ letter
offering customer support with
a ‘debt support officer’ who
can create an action plan and
goals.
Won’t pay
Customers who WON’T pay
Some customers choose not to pay even though they
could. Reasons include withholding payments on
principle (e.g. believes they have not received satisfactory
service or poor value for money); dispute with creditor;
disorganised and overlook payment deadlines; ex-partner
refuses to pay; Working the system (small minority try to
exploit the need for creditors to tread softly); ducking
responsibility (e.g. running-up credit card debts and
blaming lenders for debts)
Step 2: Understand your staff
Staff come in all shapes and sizes and their
motivations, belief systems and working styles can vary
considerably.
Research on staff behaviours have shown that personal beliefs
and attitudes are likely to affect behaviour towards customers.
Needs Current behaviours Challenges Target behaviours
(Who/when/where/how)
Don’t know how to segment
customer base
Treat all customers the
same
Use monetary indicators/
information to assess
financial capability
Officers need to scope and
understand customers
needs during first interaction
to develop appropriate
support/ payment plan
Might pay!
Tone: Adopt a friendly, personal tone and
invite them to ‘have a chat’ about arrears
Reciprocity and reward: send thank you text
Messages to tenants who have maintained
repayment arrangements
Consequences & Social norms: highlight numbers of
evictions (Fear) and how many fellow residents have a
clear rent account (Norm) Reciprocity: let them know you’re treating their first non-
compliance as an oversight
Segment customers: if content doesn’t respond to an individuals circumstances it can
frustrate and disengage them
Grab attention and build rapport: Introduce housing
officer to provide personalised support, complete with
photo and an offer of personal help Goal setting, motivation & feedback:
provide opportunities to let customers
know they are paying back their debt
using positive frames
Activity 2
Applying Behavioural Insights: MINDSPACE framework
Got the right Messenger?We are more likely to act on information if the messenger has authority and expertise
(either formally or through life experience) and if we can associate with them (they are
like us in some way)
Got the Incentive right?
We dislike losses more than we like gains of an equivalent amount
We live for today at the expense of tomorrow but tomorrow is not so strongly preferred
as the day after!
We overweight small probabilities, which partly explains the popularity of lotteries
Tapped into the appropriate Norms?We are influenced by what those around us doing or whose behaviour our attention is
drawn to
Thought about the Default option?We go with the status quo or default option, and will rarely opt out from whatever is
the pre-set option
Enhanced the Salience of the information?We respond better to information that grabs our attention and that we can easily
understand
Accounted for Priming effects?We are influenced by prior exposure to sights, emails and sounds, often outside our
conscious awareness
Tapped into the right Affect (feelings)? We are influenced by our emotional responses to words, images and events
Got the right Commitment devices?We try to be consistent with our commitments and promises, especially when they are
made public
Got the Ego effect right?We try to act in ways that are consistent with the images we have of ourselves, and
when beliefs and behaviour come into conflict, it is often our beliefs that get altered
Insight FeaturesScore 1-5
1=poorSuggested Improvements
grab and retain
attention?
Personalisation, graphics, key messages
highlighted
have the right tone of
voice?
Appropriate to recipient – right balance of
formality/familiarity & authority
have a simple and
clear message?
Simple, straightforward language – no
jargon; purpose understandable within 10
seconds
make actions clear
and easy to
complete?
Clear call to action, so reader knows how
and what to do next
make the
consequences
clear?
Rewards and penalties clear and emotionally
relevant; Making clear accountability for
choices
reference social
norms?
Inform that most people in same situation are
performing desired behaviour
tap into the right
emotions?
Helping people to feel emotionally connected
to their behaviour; impart a sense of urgency
to act
encourage
reciprocity?
Saying thank you tends to encourage repeat
behaviour; giving benefit of doubt/second
chance
Applying Behavioural Insights in practice: Does the letter…
Effect Rationale for inclusion
Applying Behavioural Insights: Are any insights missing?
Incentive & Ease: The requirement to pay the rent in full may deter people who cannot pay
from getting in touch.
Salience & call the action: summarise main point in the subject line and use bold font or different
colour to make it salient
Personalisation & Reciprocation: Use handwritten signature and change officers tittle
Ease & Salience: Add contact number and payment method in text where relevant
Ease: Writing amount in text is shorter than ‘amount above’
Incentive & Ease: Consequences should be more salient and in a bullet point list.
Salience: Can we use graphics, pictures or unusual formatting to get people to pay attention?
You are here
Urgent: Rent Arrears Final Reminder
Dear <full name with title>,
I contacted you on Monday 26 September 2016 to tell you that you are in arrears. You now owe
£<total balance> in rent. Up to now I have treated this as an oversight, but if you do not contact me
I will be forced to consider this as your choice.
You must pay: £85.90 (£35.90 arrears + £50 rent for this week).
Pay now
Even if you cannot pay the full amount, it is important that you contact me by phone at
<telephone>, or email (<email>) to discuss this matter as soon as possible.
If you have already paid this debt in full, please accept my apologies. No further action will be taken
provided that you keep a clear rent account.
Yours sincerely,
Face court
action Do nothing
You will get a Notice of Seeking
Possession
You will be taken to court
You will pay additional costs
You may lose your home
To stop court action Pay now at:
www.croydon.gov.uk/payOnline or contact me to make an
arrangement
www.tinyurl.com/CroydonCouncilPay
or phone 020 8726 7000 (option 1)
Do nothing
Bill sent Reminder Your
choice
RECOMMENDATIONS
Seek opportunities to apply a behavioural approach: Workshop 2.30 - how to set up a behaviour
change hub.
