TL;DR: The Outcomes Star is a family of validated outcome measurement tools developed by Triangle Consulting Social Enterprise. Each version uses a star-shaped visual with scales of 1 to 10 across several life domains — such as housing, health, and relationships — structured around a five-stage theory of change called the Journey of Change. Over 1,000 organisations globally are licensed to use it. Organisations must hold a licence from Triangle and ensure staff have completed approved training before using any version of the Star.

What the Outcomes Star is and where it came from

The Outcomes Star was first developed in 2003 by Sara Burns and Joy MacKeith of Triangle Consulting, in collaboration with St Mungo's — a London homelessness charity — as part of the London Housing Foundation's Impact through Outcomes programme. The original prototype was created as a way to measure outcomes for people experiencing homelessness. Subsequent work with other homelessness charities revealed that the tool also had potential as a keywork instrument, supporting conversations between practitioners and service users rather than simply recording data for funders.

The first version, now known as the Homelessness Star, was published online in December 2006. Triangle Consulting — which became employee-owned in March 2023 — has since developed over 50 versions of the Star, each co-designed with service users and frontline practitioners for a specific sector or population.

The family of Stars now includes tools for a wide range of contexts:

Homelessness Star (now updated as the Home Star) — for people in housing or homelessness services
Recovery Star — for mental health and recovery services, published in 2007–08
Family Star and Family Star Plus — for family support services
Work Star — for employment and skills programmes
Young Person's Star — for young people moving towards independent living
Wellbeing Star — for general health and wellbeing services
Carers Star — for unpaid carers
Independent Living Star — for adults supported to live independently

Triangle Consulting reports that more than 1,000 organisations worldwide are licensed to use the Outcomes Star, and approximately 1.5 million Star completions have been recorded on its Star Online digital platform. Over 60 research studies have examined the tool's validity.

How the star model works

Each version of the Outcomes Star covers between five and ten life areas relevant to the population it serves. A typical version might include domains such as housing, physical health, mental and emotional health, relationships, work and learning, money and budgeting, and drug and alcohol use. The specific domains vary by version and are selected to reflect the most significant factors affecting progress for that group.

Within each domain, the service user and their worker jointly agree on a score between 1 and 10. A score of 1 reflects a state of high need, crisis, or dependence; a score of 10 reflects stability, self-reliance, or full management of that area of life. The scores are plotted on a spider diagram — the star shape that gives the tool its name — creating a visual representation of someone's current situation across all the domains at once.

The scoring is not a subjective guess. Each point on each scale corresponds to a specific description drawn from the Star's underlying theory of change, known as the Journey of Change (described below). This makes it possible for different workers, in different organisations, to score the same situation consistently and to track meaningful progress over time.

The process is designed to be completed as a conversation between the worker and service user, not as a form filled in by the worker alone. This joint completion is central to the Star's philosophy: it is intended to be a tool that supports the working relationship, not just an administrative record.

Triangle Consulting states that 87% of Star users report that their keywork is more effective as a result of using the Star.

Because the same Star can be completed at different points in time — typically at the start of a programme, at regular intervals, and at exit — it functions as a distance travelled measure, showing how far someone has moved across each domain over the course of a service. Aggregated across a cohort, this data can be used to demonstrate programme impact to funders and commissioners. Impact Reporting tools such as Plinth can accept Star data alongside other outcome measures and generate funder-ready reports automatically.

The Journey of Change

The Journey of Change is the theoretical model underlying every version of the Outcomes Star. It describes five stages that people move through as they progress from a position of crisis or dependency towards self-reliance:

Stuck — The person is not yet engaged with the idea of change. They may be in crisis, resistant, or overwhelmed. The worker typically needs to create impetus and take action on behalf of the person at this stage.
Accepting help — The person begins to recognise that support is available and starts to accept it. They are still largely dependent on the worker or service.
Believing — The person starts to believe that change is possible for them. They begin to look forward to what they want, not just away from what they do not want.
Learning — The person is actively trying things out, developing skills, and building confidence. Progress is not linear; some things will not work, and support is still needed through the process.
Self-reliance — The person is managing independently, with the domain area stable and sustainable without intensive support.

Each numbered point on a Star scale corresponds to one of these stages, providing a structured and consistent way to locate where someone is in their journey. The model draws on established psychological theories of change but is specifically designed to be accessible to non-clinical workers and, importantly, to the people being supported themselves.

The Journey of Change is not intended to suggest that progress is always linear. People can move backwards as well as forwards, and different domains of someone's life may be at different stages simultaneously. This is precisely what the star visual makes clear: a person may score highly on housing but remain at an early stage on mental health, which can then inform what kind of support is prioritised in the working relationship.

For a broader explanation of how outcome measurement tools work and what they measure, see What are Outcomes and Outputs and What is Distance Travelled.

Collecting and managing Star data alongside case notes, referrals, and other service delivery records is straightforward when it is built into your case management system. Surveys in Plinth support structured outcome data collection at multiple time points, making it easier to record Star scores as part of routine casework without additional administrative burden.

Licensing requirements

The Outcomes Star is a trademarked and copyrighted tool. Organisations cannot use it freely without formal arrangements with Triangle Consulting. The key requirements are:

Licences: Every practitioner who completes Stars with service users must hold an individual annual licence from Triangle. Licences are not linked to how many Stars are completed or how many people a service supports — they are per worker. As of July 2025, Triangle's UK pricing for individual practitioner licences is £41 per year per person, plus an annual account fee of £255 (which includes one licence for the account lead).

Training: Holding a licence requires completion of approved training delivered by a licensed Star trainer. Training is designed to take one full day. It is not sufficient for a manager to attend training on behalf of a team — each licensed worker must complete the training individually. Training renewal and ongoing CPD is available through Triangle.

Copyright restrictions: Organisations cannot adapt, change, or edit any aspect of the Outcomes Star materials. If they wish to use Star content within their own resources — for example, incorporating a Star diagram into their own printed materials — they must seek permission from Triangle, reference Triangle as the copyright owner, and have their materials approved by Triangle before circulation.

Star Online: Triangle offers its own digital platform, Star Online, which allows organisations to record Stars electronically, generate reports, and manage their data. Using Star Online is not mandatory — some organisations record Stars on paper or within their own CRM — but it is the platform through which Triangle typically manages licences and aggregated data.

Organisations considering adopting the Outcomes Star should factor in the ongoing cost of per-worker licences and mandatory training when assessing total cost of ownership. These are separate from any software costs. For comparison of platforms that support Outcomes Star data collection alongside broader case management and reporting, see Monitoring and Evaluation Software for Charities.

Frequently asked questions

Can we use the Outcomes Star without a licence?

No. The Outcomes Star is a protected tool. Using it without a licence from Triangle Consulting — or adapting it without permission — infringes Triangle's copyright. Organisations that want to use the Star, including any of its 50-plus versions, must hold valid licences for each practitioner using it and ensure those practitioners have completed Triangle-approved training.

Which version of the Outcomes Star should we use?

Triangle publishes guidance to help organisations choose the right version. The key factors are the population you work with, the nature and length of your service, and the outcomes your funders or commissioners require. For example, the Recovery Star is appropriate for mental health and recovery services, while the Family Star Plus is suited to broad family support. Triangle's website includes a tool to help identify the most appropriate version. Some organisations working across multiple service types use more than one version.

Does the Outcomes Star constitute formal research or clinical assessment?

No. The Outcomes Star is not a clinical assessment tool and should not be used as one. It is an outcomes measurement and keywork support tool, designed to structure conversations and track change over time. It can sit alongside clinical assessments but does not replace them. Similarly, it does not constitute an academic research instrument in the formal sense, though over 60 studies have examined its psychometric properties and the evidence base for its validity is substantial.

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Published by the Plinth Team. Last updated 21 February 2026.

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