Home Focus is a pilot project funded under the Enhancing Disability Services Project Funding (EDS) of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Home Focus provides outreach, individualised support to people with mental health difficulties who are isolated because of their inability or unwillingness to access traditional, centre-based models of service delivery.

The funding is administered by Pobal, a not-for-profit company with charitable status that manages programmes on behalf of the Irish Government and the EU.

The project is based on a collaborative approach between National Learning Network West Cork, West Cork Mental Health Services, the Irish Advocacy Network, HSE Disability Guidance Services, Work Start West Cork and West Cork Community Partnership.

This evaluation study explores the achievements and challenges of the Home Focus project and puts them in the context of a literature and policy review on mental health, community and recovery. This will allow a consideration of the wider implications of this innovative approach which, it is hoped, will contribute to a debate on how (a) to achieve the changes recommended by Vision for Change, and (b) to evaluate innovative services for people suffering with mental health difficulties.

Click the link on this page to download or read this report.