Enabling positive change
Homelessness is one of the UK's most complex social issues. Many different interconnecting factors cause or contribute to someone becoming homeless.
Systems change seeks to confront the root causes of homelessness instead of just tackling the symptoms. It means recognising the structures and processes that hinder change and identifying ways to progress in the right direction.
Strengthening collective power through collaboration of people and organisations, lived experience and insight, and co-production of resources are essential.
Systems change means:
recognising and understanding the systems that cause housing injustice
identifying and exploring the underlying conditions and beliefs that influence those systems
working together with others, including people who are directly affected, to dismantle those conditions and build better systems
How systems change can help your organisation
Shelter works with local authorities and other homelessness organisations to improve service design and delivery for people in housing need. The aim is to enhance the sector's capacity and capability in preventing homelessness.
People working in local authorities and frontline services have a difficult job. Overstretched services can struggle to meet the needs of the people they help, taking its toll on staff wellbeing.
Improving the design of services can help organisations reduce workloads and staff burnout, improve staff retention, and encourage partnership working.
We also encourage organisations to embed lived experience insight into how their services are designed and improved.
Service quality reviews
Shelter's Sector Practice Team reviews the quality of the organisation's housing options and homelessness assessment services. We recommend improvements as your 'critical friend'.
This programme offers a range of options including:
consultancy to review systems and processes
service shadowing
governance and quality assurance support
file assessments
mystery shopping
Organisations will better understand how their services operate, and start to see new opportunities to improve.
Systems change workshops
Workshops can provide you with the tools your organisation needs to ensure individual departments take a proactive approach to problems. Shelter's Systems Thinking approach to evaluating the services we work with focuses on changing cultures and addressing the root causes of problems.
Learning Pathways
Shelter works with organisations to understand their learning needs and develop tailored Learning Pathways that build their workforce's knowledge, skills and confidence.
Learning Pathways can be delivered in a range of flexible formats and might be available through funded programmes or as part of our wider training offer.
Find out more about Learning Pathways.
How systems change is funded
Systems change for eligible organisations is funded by the UK Government's Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The programme is also available through the London PLUS partnership between, Shelter and Homeless Link. London PLUS is funded by the London Councils Grant Programme 2026-2030.
Find out more about how our work is funded.
How to get in touch
Get in touch to discuss what services your organisation is eligible for, and pricing options for file assessments and mystery shopping at thinkingsystems@shelter.org.uk.