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Nick Maguire on how deeper research and training can make an impact on homelessness

By Nick Maguire

Director of OutcomeHome

Nick Maguire and OutcomeHome are breaking down misconceptions around homelessness, and turning data into solutions that deliver change for real people.

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People rarely speak of homelessness and psychological interventions in the same breath. Nick Maguire and his team at OutcomeHome believe that needs to change. They are breaking down misconceptions around homelessness, turning their research and data into action plans that deliver real impact to real people.

Since their launch in 2015, they’ve grown to provide support across Southampton, Portsmouth, Basingstoke and beyond – now, they want to take their model to a national, or even global, scale.

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After qualifying as a clinical psychologist in 1999, Nick joined the NHS before an opportunity arose to join a homelessness cause in 2003. Their aim was to discover how psychological interventions could help better understand the causes of homelessness, and help prevent it.

At the same time, he’d joined the university part-time and wanted to further research and analyse the data he was collecting – and to challenge the status quo.

His vision was that he, and others, could create a social enterprise that would provide training to front-line workers, and potentially psychological interventions directly to the homeless, which was built around the data and research they were developing.

"We wanted to consider whether this wasn’t just a housing crisis – but also a mental health crisis. The main focus of our work would be to help change the narrative around homelessness and provide better training and support to those who were directly involved in working with homeless people."

Nick Maguire, Director of OutcomeHome

In 2015, OutcomeHome was born. They began providing their services to Basingstoke, then winning new contracts in Portsmouth, Southampton and Bath, as well as delivering training in Houston, Texas and for UK government special advisors.

Until 2022, they were partnering with new associate psychologists, until an opportunity to set up a Centre for Homelessness Research and Practice at the University of Southampton was enabled thanks to government funding. OutcomeHome, in collaboration with the Centre, quickly began employing staff, all with the goal of achieving the centre’s three strategic aims.

1. Deliver placement systems which allowed them access to trainee clinical psychologists from uni of Southampton, to grow the psychological workforce in the area.

2. Build a community that provides monthly webinars that offer training and connection to people, with global reach.

3. Design and deliver formal training programme that can be undertaken by front-line workers and professionals in the area nationally and internationally, to scale and sustain psychologically informed practice.

OutcomeHome’s clinical work is split into four services: direct psychological interventions, assessment formulation, individual training, and training for large groups. Staff also work systemically and provide advice on the built environment (e.g. psychological impact of the configuration of homeless hostels), addressing issues on many levels.

The team is now at 28, and looking to grow further in the coming months ahead.

"Homelessness is a political issue - and politics drives the need for simple outcomes, which in turn drives a reliance on simple solutions. These tend not to be effective in a complex area and that is why the problem continues to grow. When I started, I was thinking solely about individuals and how I could help them. But the experience taught me that it’s as much about the systems as it is about the individuals – and importantly, how the two interact. It’s only when we truly engage with the complexity of the situation that we will have a better chance of solving it."

Nick Maguire, Director of OutcomeHome

OutcomeHome intends to continue making an impact on society’s understanding and beliefs about homelessness and its causes. The centre continues to grow, delivering a bigger impact locally and nationally too.

They intend to roll out online training in Sept 2025, making their expertise and research accessible to people irrespective of their location.

Nick and the team continue to support government departments through their expertise, encouraging them to engage with their research and drive future action and policy that will deliver a life-changing impact on homeless people across the UK.

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Family is a key part of Nick’s life outside of work. But when the sun is out, his passion for motorbikes sees him hit the road.

Motorbikes aren’t only for riding – Nick has a passion for restoring old British bikes, currently working on a 1959 Royal Enfield Bullet. Ask to see the progress pictures, if you’re a biker. Bikes are the antithesis of people; you can fix them.

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“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”
– Samuel Beckett

“If you’re not failing, you’re not trying hard enough”
– Anon.

Not every endeavour can be a success. The more you embrace failure, the more it becomes familiar and tolerable and it’s no longer failure. Just an opportunity to learn.

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