Our Navigation Model

Our Navigation Model

The navigation model is an approach to supporting people with multiple and complex needs (such as substance misuse, homelessness, mental health issues, and offending) by assigning them a dedicated “navigator” who coordinates all aspects of their care.

In practice its core features include:

1. Trauma-Informed and Person-Centred: Focus on the individual’s goals, strengths, and lived experience rather than rigid service pathways.
2. One-to-One Support: Each person works with a named navigator who builds trust and provides consistent, personalized support.
3. Clear Accountability: One named professional responsible for coordinating care and tracking progress.
4. Multi-Agency Coordination: The navigator brings together services like housing, health, criminal justice, and social care through case conferences and shared plans.
5. Advocacy, System Navigation and Problem-Solving: Navigators help clients overcome barriers (e.g., missed appointments, benefit issues) and ensure services don’t operate in silos.
6. Small Caseloads: Typically 10 people per navigator, allowing intensive engagement and continuity even through setbacks or relapse.
7. Personalisation Fund: A discretionary budget enabling navigators to cover essential costs (e.g., rent bonds, furnishings, travel) that help individuals move towards independence and recovery.

Why It Matters

This model was first shown to be effective during the WY-FI (Fulfilling Lives) Programme in Bradford (2013–2019), showing that people with entrenched issues can achieve stability and recovery when services are integrated around their needs. Navigation Model incorporates essential elements that promote stability, recovery, and progress for individuals facing overlapping challenges of offending, homelessness, substance use, and mental health issues (Sheffield Hallam University, 2020).

“The Navigation Model [WY-FI] has addressed a real gap for individuals with complex needs that are disengaged from services. Qualitative and quantitative evidence provides a complementary picture of how it [WI-FI] has brought about positive change for beneficiaries in ways that support recovery. On-going efforts to sustain key elements of the project are testament to the way in which they are now regarded as indispensable parts of the West Yorkshire service delivery landscape.” (Wilson et al., 2020, p55)

Carrying Forward the Wi-Fi Legacy

Bridge now has extensive experience delivering the navigation model.

1. We operate from an evidence-base in support of the navigation model offering relational support for  individuals with overlapping challenges such as homelessness, substance misuse, mental health issues, and offending.
2. We convene and participate in multi-agency collaboration: Working closely with partners like the police and housing providers to coordinate care and reduce duplication.
3. Continue to adapt the model through targeted services like MARRS, Lotus, the Multiple Needs Navigator Service and Housing First, all designed to break cycles of harm and create stability, recovery, and resilience. Importantly we’ve been able to demonstrate reductions in reoffending (e.g., >85% reduction through MARRS) and cost savings across criminal justice and housing systems.