23
M E A S U R I N G C L I E N T O U TCO M E S
CLIENT SELF-RATED ABILITY TO COPE
3.78
3.66
3.43
3.1
2.8
2.4
When clients engage in a service with us, we ask
them to rate themselves on a scale of 1-5 with
certain questions (where 1 is the lowest and 5
is the highest). To get a broader picture of their
lives, clients are asked at both commencement
and completion of service. This means we can
see whether and how much clients feel their
situation has improved.
On average, clients reported an improvement of
around 1 point on the 5-point scale. Given the
complexity of some clients’ lives, even modest
improvements can mean a great deal, particularly
when achieved over fairly short periods. To put it
in perspective, a 1 point movement could mean a
client in distress:
Family functioning
Mental health and
wellbeing
On initial engagement
Personal and family
safety
On completion of service
• has a little more knowledge or confidence
• has learnt a new communication skill
• has been given the lift they need to feel an
improvement
• has moved from ‘not coping very well’ to
‘things are okay at the moment’