Governments and companies provide a range of free services to improve the lives of vulnerable clients, yet few people take these up. Below is an overview of why this happens and how to improve take-up of life-saving services.
Vulnerable clients
Vulnerable people are those who are more likely to experience systemic disadvantages due to their race, gender, sexuality, class, disability, or age. Institutional discrimination prevents vulnerable people from accessing information, services, programs and support to improve their outcomes. Vulnerable clients include the elderly, youth, the unemployed, disabled people, low-income households, racial and ethnic minority groups, and people with no formal educational qualifications.
Much of my research is focused on vulnerable clients. I have led projects to increase recruitment and retention of disabled people. I’ve looked into the reasons why people leaving prison avoid signing up to free rehabilitation services. I’ve worked on a study about why people on social welfare who are experiencing debt don’t take up financial planning. I’ve designed a successful intervention to stop at-risk students from dropping out of their courses. I’ve led several national and state programs to support cisgender women and gender minorities in male-dominated sectors (for example, in trades). I’ve also shown how to improve racial equity in social policy.
Collectively, my research identifies how systemic barriers stop vulnerable people from taking up services that might improve their circumstances. The best way to support vulnerable people is to address systemic discrimination. At the same time, organisations can improve how they design and deliver their programs.
Here are some tips about how to increase the number of vulnerable people taking up social services.
Remove overly-complicated steps when signing-up clients
Sign-up processes for voluntary programs can be protracted and cumbersome for both clients and case workers, introducing challenges that make a program unappealing (friction costs). For example, organisations ask for excessive personal information that is not directly used to tailor services, such as gender, sexuality, and past criminal history. Some services require clients to attend face-to-face appointments that don’t enhance service delivery, not taking into consideration clients’ transport limitations, time, caring duties, and other costs.
What to do: Use default settings to make signing up easier and reduce hassle by consolidating appointments.
How to do it: In one project, we made it easier for student teachers to consider placements in remote schools by simplifying the sign-up process, putting these schools at the top of the list, and creating an opportunity to live and work with fellow students from their university. This made the unfamiliar and scary idea of working far from home more accessible.
Highlight the program’s unique benefits for specific groups
Much of my research shows that people perceive that there are too many programs that seem to be addressing similar needs. This makes new programs seem less valuable (scarcity heuristic).
What to do: Personalise invitations to join a program, by giving clients a choice for specific services tailored to their needs. Include case studies that represent different target audiences (a single parent, versus a young student). Show the impact or practical skills gained from joining the program.
How to do it: In one study, we increased the number of people signing up and completing a training program with three emails that highlighted the professional skills gained by doing the training as well as the benefits for their team.
Make decision-making easy
People have a finite level of mental energy and memory to retain new information (cognitive load). Many vulnerable people remember past negative experiences with other services more clearly than positive experiences (negativity bias). There are also too many decisions to make when considering new services (choice overload).
Vulnerable clients are overwhelmed by the bias they face and their everyday survival (scarcity mindset). The way in which programs present information is often overly detailed (information overload). Flyers and information sheets have too much jargon. Websites are hard to navigate.
These dynamics make decision-making hard. So, people put-off joining a new program.
What to do: Reducing the number of options and information presented at different points of recruitment can make a program more appealing (chunking).
How to do it: Have a look at an example of how my team created a small, multilingual, A5 postcard that increased public health compliance. Our research shows that dense information is not needed to change behaviour.
Use simple communication
Program aims are not always clear to vulnerable people, making it hard to respond to program requirements and other relevant information (salience).
What to do: Present information in language that resonates with clients (framing effect). Provide staff with a script that draws attention to important details. Use a clear call to action. Address the risks that clients might associate with seeking help (risk aversion). For example, remind them that they will not lose their entitlements or support if they miss an appointment, and show them how to ask for help.
How to do it: In our study about people receiving social welfare, we found that most people do not correctly understand debt, even when they are paying off a credit card with other credit. Financial literacy programs focus on punishments and negative outcomes of debt. It would be best to avoid negative emotions, such as fear, guilt, and shame, as it leads to people tuning out. Instead, positively target people’s ideas about debt. Communications are more effective when they encourage individuals to get help before they become bankrupt, by showing what the program involves and how it will make a material difference to the clients’ lives.
Provide positive reinforcement
Clients often have life-long negative experiences with services which have left them feeling judged, or like they are ‘failures’ (social stigma). Program screening tools and assessment can sometimes reinforce this negativity.
What to do: Positive reinforcement and culturally-meaningful approaches can reduce the stigma of seeking help.
How to do it: Use motivational interviewing and other interactive techniques to engage clients. Strengthening client’s self-worth and celebrating minor achievements throughout their program participation can also motivate them to stay.
Consider the timeliness of messages
Vulnerable clients are often exhausted at having to navigate multiple programs and services. Organisations will see better results when tapping into the desire for change at optimal times (fresh start effect).
What to do: SMART goals can help engage clients during a period of reflection. That is, setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals.
How to do it: In my study about people leaving prison, we found that the first 48 hours of being released into the community after an arrest is an especially pivotal time. This is because clients are in a period of self-reflection, and they are eager to keeping contact with children and family (where this is safe). Other research shows that people are especially open to change during special events, such as the new year.
Make it easier to stick with the program
People can delay making changes, even with the best of intentions (intention-action gap). Identifying patterns that have negatively affected the client in the past and coming up with solutions they can draw on for the future, can be useful in increasing positive behaviour.
What to do: A commitment device can help clients make useful goals to keep them motivated. Making commitments to family, friends, or other significant people increases the likelihood that people will reach their goals.
One way to overcome goal barriers is to create an if-then plan (implementation intentions). This works by considering the situations that have created trouble in the past, or that have been a temptation, or stopped the client from achieving their goals. Then, come up with a practical way to prevent this from happening in future. Goal-directed behaviour has been shown to successfully ensure people stay motivated towards future change, while also making a goal seem more accessible.
How to do it: On an online document or piece of paper, create three columns. On the left is the goal. In the middle is the “If” column: list all the barriers that your client has experienced in previous programs. On the right is the “then” column, where you can brainstorm ways to prevent each barrier. By the end, you will have a list that reads, ‘If this <barrier> happens, then I will do that <solution>.’ The client can then use the if-then plan to check in on progress periodically.
Example of an if-then plan
| Goal | If | Then |
| Identify when and where to act E.g. Time and place that may distract from the goal. | Identify the goal-directed response I.e. A specific behaviour | |
| If I find myself in [this situation] | Then I will [do this specific behaviour] | |
| I want to eat healthy (break a bad habit) | If I am invited to an event with unhealthy food | Then I will make sure to eat beforehand |
| I want to quit smoking (break a bad habit) | If I am going out with my friends who smoke | Then I will pick a non-smoking venue |
| I need to remember to take my prescription medication twice a day (establish new behaviour) | If I have finished brushing my teeth | Then I will take my medication |
| I want to improve my relationships (establish new behaviour) | If I am eating my lunch | Then I will call my sister to check-in |
| I want to stay motivated to achieve my goal (stop unhelpful thoughts and emotions) | If I feel that change will be too hard | Then I will review my list of reasons for changing |
| I want to overcome my anxiety about exercising after my knee surgery (stop unhelpful thoughts and emotions) | If I am feeling anxious | Then I will take a few minutes to control my breathing before doing some gentle exercises |
Social Science Insights 