Goal Based Outcomes (GBO)

What is it image

What is it?

Information
  • Universal tool for setting and tracking goals.
  • Monitors progress throughout the intervention.
  • Supports personalised care.
  • Engages people in meaningful goal achievement.

Here's more detail

Published: 29/08/24

Description

The Goal Based Outcomes (GBO) tool helps people to become clearer about the specific goals or aims for an intervention, and to track progress, by showing how close you are to reaching your goals on a scale from 0 to 10. It isn’t a type of therapy but works with any therapy method. In your first appointment, you and your practitioner set goals and rate your progress, which helps you track your progress.

The GBO tool supports personalised care by helping you and your practitioner make decisions and tailor your care. By setting and tracking goals, you take an active role in your health and care journey. The GBO tool provides a clear way to monitor progress, reflect on improvements, and show evidence of achievements. While it’s a great tool, the GBO is best used alongside other methods of measuring progress and clinical feedback for the most accurate picture of your intervention’s effectiveness to help you and your practitioner understand how the intervention is meeting your needs.

Watch the video below to learn more about how GBO can be used in a therapy session.

GBO

voice

[GBOs] are a powerful tool to facilitate shared decision making and more personalised care in children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing services.

- Dr Duncan Law (Consultant Clinical Psychologist) and Dr Jenna Jacob (Research Lead, CORC)

gbo image

More info

  • What does it measure?

    GBO don’t measure for any specific disorder rather they help an individual and their practitioner to understand how well they are meeting your needs.

  • Who is it for?

    GBO can be used by anyone, of any age. Younger children may need support from their parent or carer to set goals that are meaningful for them.

  • How do you use the Goal Based Outcome tool?

    • Decide on goals early: In the first session, you and your practitioner will set the goals you want to achieve. Some might already have clear goals they would like to achieve through the intervention, while others might need more help.
    • Set up to three goals: You can set more than three goals, but it is helpful to try and focus on the top three, and these will be recorded to help monitor goal progress over time.
    • Rate your progress: Once you have set a goal, your practitioner will help you rate how close you feel to achieving it, on a scale from zero to ten. As a guide, a score of zero means you’re not close at all, five means you are halfway there, and ten means you’ve completely achieved it.

    • Check your progress: Rate your progress again with your practitioner at different points during the intervention to track your progress towards your goals. This can help you and your practitioner to understand how well the intervention is meeting your needs

  • Who completes the measure?

    GBO are created by the service user and the practitioner. They should be agreed in partnership and monitored together.

It’s a good way of focusing in and seeing the main issues.
Young Person
Setting goals makes you see where you need to go, makes you see what you are working on and what still needs to be worked on.
Young Person

You may also like...

NCL Waiting Room favicon

Early Childhood

Understand early childhood development, find essential resources and get guidance for parents and professionals.
Information
Man in a therapy session

Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes, aiming to understand and improve how individuals think, feel, and act.
Information
ACT image small

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT therapy) is a type of mindful psychotherapy that helps you stay focused on the present moment and accept thoughts and feelings without judgment.
Information
Man in a psychotherapy session

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy (also called talk therapy) refers to a variety of treatments that aim to help a person identify and change troubling emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.
Information
counselling2

Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)

Interpersonal therapy is a short-term focussed form of psychotherapy that focuses on relieving symptoms by improving interpersonal functioning.
Information
NCL Waiting Room favicon

Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD)

Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) is a mental health condition resulting from prolonged exposure to traumatic events, leading to symptoms like difficulty regulating emotions, negative self-image, and challenges in relationships. It often occurs in those who have experienced repeated trauma, such as abuse or neglect.
Information
support groups picture

Support Groups

Support groups bring together people who are going through or have gone through similar experiences.
Information
NCL Waiting Room favicon

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, leading to symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety, which can affect daily life and relationships.
Information
NCL Waiting Room favicon

Therapeutic Disciplines

Learn about professional expertise for mental health support and collaborative care to enhance wellbeing.
Information
ld image

Learning Disabilities

Learning disabilities are neurological conditions that affect how people process information, making it difficult to learn and communicate. They can impact skills like reading, writing, and maths but do not reflect a person's overall intelligence.
Information
NCL Waiting Room favicon

Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition characterised by extreme mood swings, including emotional highs (mania) and lows (depression), which can affect daily life and relationships.
Information
depression

Depression

Depression is a mental health condition that causes long-lasting feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and low energy, making daily life hard for weeks or months.
Information
What is it image

Experience of Service Questionnaire (ESQ)

The Experience of Service Questionnaire (ESQ) is a short survey designed to assess how clients aged 9 years and over feel about the quality of services they’ve received, including their satisfaction with the service, and how well their needs were met.
Information