This is a scoping study carried out in Ireland to identify initiatives which support people with disabilities and mental health difficulties in ways that are person-centred and encourage self-determination as part of the exploratory work undertaken in the establishment of Genio. On the basis of wide-ranging consultation, a set of criteria was developed to assess to what extent the practice of these initiatives was person-centred and cost-effective. Twenty-one projects were assessed using the criteria. Overall, the findings demonstrate that there is considerable variability across the projects, with some representing more strongly developed examples of person-centred working than others.

The following key point emerged from the scoping study;

• Each project demonstrated particular strengths and innovations, pointing to significant potential for transferring learning to other services which are trying to move to a more person-centred way of working.
• Factors that facilitate and hinder the development of person-centred work were identified. Strong leadership, a clear understanding of the person-centred approach, committed staff with the necessary competencies, adequate and flexible funding and an ability to work positively with families and others were some of the factors which facilitate person-centred working.
• A piecemeal implementation of person-centred approaches, along with a lack of understanding of this approach and inadequate and inflexible funding were cited as factors which hinder this work.
• The learning from these examples and international models can inform the development of solutions to the challenge of making person-centred services and supports more widely available in Ireland.