Resettlement Support Team Evaluation
15 July 2026
Thames Reach are looking to contract an independent evaluator to design and deliver an evaluation of the Resettlement Support Team pilot from August 2026 to July 2027.
Evaluation of the Resettlement Support Team (RST) 2.0
About the project:
Thames Reach are looking to contract an independent evaluator to design and deliver an evaluation of the Resettlement Support Team pilot from August 2026 to July 2027. The budget for the project is up to £32,863 (Including VAT).
We are looking for the evaluator to start as soon as possible, with the final report delivered by July 2027. Working hours can be flexible.
- The Resettlement Support Team pilot is funded by the GLA and delivered by Thames Reach, operating across three participating high-support hostels delivered through an embedded specialist Resettlement Support Team model.
- The intervention aims to provide intensive specialist resettlement support:
- Bring additional capacity and specialist expertise focused specifically on move on
- to improve move-on outcomes in high support hostels,
- reduce long stays in hostels,
- strengthen tenancy sustainment and
- improve hostel throughput.
- Thames Reach delivered the first successful RST pilot in 2024-25 and are keen to build on the learning from this pilot and test the effectiveness of the team in different locations and contexts. The evaluation of the service is available here.
Purpose of the evaluation:
The evaluation must generate robust, credible evidence to:
- Assess the impact of the RST model on key outcomes
- Understand how and why the model works in practice
- Provide clear recommendations on future development and scale-up
The evaluation will be overseen by Thames Reach.
Deliverables:
On completion of the project the evaluator will provide a final research report outlining the findings and analysis. Throughout the duration of the project there will be planned check in points with a more detailed update provided at the midway point.
The final report should be produced to a standard, and in a format, which would allow for external circulation. The GLA and Thames Reach may share the report with an external audience, including:
- Local Authority Rough Sleeping Commissioning Managers and Rough Sleeping Leads
- National audiences including Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
- Rough sleeping charities and other support and housing providers.
Additional to the final report a presentation should be produced to present the findings to Thames Reach and the GLA. This may be presented in partnership working groups and forums, we welcome the delivery of additional supporting resources such as infographics or other presentations.
How to express interest:
Please send no more than 2 sides of A4 to Ruth Shepherd (ruth.shepherd@thamesreach.org.uk) outlining:
- Your interest in the project
- Relevant skills and experience, including links to similar or relevant research
- A brief outline of how you would structure the evaluation, including key milestones, research methodologies, specific project activities, risks and mitigations.
- A brief outline on the final product you would deliver
***The deadline for submitting expressions of interest is 3rd August 2026***
Objectives of the Evaluation
To assess impact
Determine the extent to which RST improves:
- Positive move-on outcomes from hostels
- Length of stay in supported accommodation
- Throughput within participating services
- Sustained accommodation outcomes (3–6 months)
- Reduction in repeat rough sleeping
- Staff practice and organisational culture
To examine delivery and implementation
Develop a clear understanding of:
- How the RST model operates in practice
- Differences in delivery across sites
- Factors that enable or constrain effectiveness
- The role of co-location and specialist expertise
To understand lived experience
The evaluation will need to:
- Understand the impact of RST on individuals’ experiences, outcomes, and journeys through supported accommodation.
- Collate client case studies that include the clients background, support received from RST, their move-on journey, outcomes and reflections from the client where possible.
- Collate light touch feedback such as a short survey or feedback form to understand how the RST helped, what was most useful and what could be improved.
To inform scalability:
Identify:
- The key components required for successful replication
- Contextual factors influencing outcomes
- Recommendations for expansion across London
To assess value for money:
Provide an assessment of the cost-effectiveness of the intervention, including:
- Cost per move-on outcome
- Cost per sustained tenancy (where feasible)
- Consideration of system-level efficiencies (e.g. reduced length of stay)
N.B
Potential evaluators are invited to propose the most appropriate design, outcome framework and hierarchy of outcomes for this study, with a clear rationale. The sponsor (Thames Reach and GLA) would like the work to address the objectives set out above, though there is flexibility to define and recommend specific primary and secondary outcomes, or an alternative hierarchy, where this would strengthen the study. Proposals should explain how the selected outcomes align with the objectives, the intervention logic, available data, and the proposed approach.
Evaluators should also set out their chosen methodology, including the rationale behind it, any key assumptions, feasibility considerations, and implications for the strength of evidence generated. The sponsor is open to different approaches, provided these are proportionate, feasible and capable of meeting the study’s aims.
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