Switching to Home Star™
Are you a Homesslesness Star user? Time to switch to the new Home Star™
The new Home Star is available for organisations using the Homelessness Star. We highly encourage all Homelessness Star users to switch. In this article we’ll walk you through how to do this and the benefits of making the switch.
“The training to switch to Home Star was some of the best training we’ve had in years. It was so informative and the feedback from the team was fantastic. The team came away fully knowing and understanding the Home Star.” – Manager, Achieving for Children
What is Home Star™?
The Home Star is the updated version of the Outcomes Star for housing and other needs. It replaces the Homelessness Star. Home Star was published in 2022, after a considerable development and consultation process, and is designed to better reflect today’s challenges and provide more trauma-informed, client-centred support for housing services.
“Home Star has transformed the way we work with clients – it’s clearer, more inclusive, and helps us have better conversations.”
Why the change?
The Homelessness Star was first published in 2006 and last updated in 2017 and has been widely used in the sector. Since then, services and client needs have evolved significantly, and the broader context has become more challenging. Feedback from service users, practitioners and organisations using the Star highlighted the need for:
- a better fit for women and people with complex needs
- language that is more trauma-informed and client-friendly
- recognition of external factors such as economic and housing challenges.
Home Star addresses these needs with updated, trauma-informed language throughout the Star. Substantial changes to some of the outcome areas better reflects today’s context and service users. Additional resources were developed to support engagement and the accessibility of the tool.
Key Improvements
- Language: More inclusive and trauma-informed
- Scales: Updated to reflect current realities and diverse needs
- Resources: Extra tools for practitioners and clients to improve accessibility
“The team loved the Home Star training. I think our trainer made the session really personal and it was nice for a group of us to do it all together.” – Manager, Achieving for Children
"The additional resources and updated language make a huge difference. It’s a real step forward for trauma-informed practice."
For users of In-Form
We’re working closely with In-Form to make switching simple and seamless. Your existing data stays safe, nothing is deleted unless you want it to be, and access can be arranged quickly to the Star in In-Form and to the resources.
Many organisations have already switched and are seeing the benefits of improved engagement, better reporting, and more meaningful conversations with clients.
Special offer for In-Form users
To make switching easy:
- Free licences for Home Star-only use in In-Form until 2030 (funded by Outcomes Star)
- Applies only to Home Star (other Stars follow standard licence terms)
- Renewal options available beyond 2030.
Training & Discounts:
Training is strongly recommended for consistency and quality, but it is not mandatory.
- 20% discount on all standard training
- Bespoke options available (half-day sessions, refreshers).
Why switch now?
- Better for clients: more accessible, trauma-informed, and relevant
- Better for practitioners: easier conversations, clearer scales, and improved resources
- Better for reporting: builds a stronger dataset for outcomes and impact
Switching options
Option 1:
Start using Home Star for all clients from a set date.
Benefits:
- Simpler for staff and reporting
- Faster to build a complete dataset.
Option 2:
Use Home Star for new clients only, keep Homelessness Star for existing clients.
Benefits:
- Easier reporting during transition
- Suitable for short-term services.
"Switching was easy with In-Form’s support. Our team feels more confident, and clients say the new Star makes sense to them."
Reporting
Data collected with Home Star is not directly comparable to Homelessness Star data. However, you can create high-level reports across both versions (e.g, percentage of clients making progress). If you’d like to learn more please get in touch with us for guidance.
Below you can access two documents to help you with more information – a guide to switching to Home Star for In-Form users and a handy switch planning document.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to have Home Star training?
No, but while it is not mandatory to have Home Star training we strongly recommend it to ensure you have consistent and accurate data.
Can we use Home Star alongside other Star versions?
Yes you can, but if you have only ever used Homelessness Star and never received training you will need to complete Core Star Training before using any other Star version.
This could be a great option as it will allow you to get the most up to date Core Star Training as well as support to implement other Star versions.
Core Star Training and licence fees remain chargeable for all other Star versions. Please see our Training and Pricing pages for more information.
My team trained in Homelessness Star – do we need new training?
If you trained in Homelessness Star then Core Star Training focusing Home Star is not required. However, if you trained over two years ago, refresher training focusing on Home Star is strongly recommended. This will help update your knowledge base and help you to understand the changes in Home Star.
Is there any help with the costs of training if we switch?
We know that budgets can be tight and so we have discounts of between 20-30% available for training in Home Star. We can also offer bespoke half-day training options which can reduce training costs. Please get in touch with us to discuss these options.
How quickly can we get access to Home Star in In-Form after we switch?
Once we know how many staff need access and any training requirements, access to In-form is usually very quick.
Next steps
There are a few steps you can take right away if you are ready to switch to Home Star:
- Read through switching options in this article and in the linked switch document which you can find here
- Consider your training needs. It is strongly recommended that you have Core Star Training in Home Star if you have never trained before, or a refresher course if you trained more than two years ago
- Start making a switch plan – you can use the switch planner to do this
- Get in touch with us to let us know you are switching and discuss the plan timescale – click below to get in touch.