HOME Advice Evaluation

In late 2005 the Australian Government Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaCSIA) contracted a research team headed by David MacKenzie and Kathy Desmond from the Institute for Social Research at Swinburne University of Technology in Victoria, to conduct the national evaluation of the HOME Advice Program. The evaluation is due to be completed by September 2007 with an interim report due by the end of 2006.

The evaluation will examine the outcomes and cost-effectiveness of early intervention for families at risk of homelessness over a 5 to 6 year period using data from the FHPP (July 2002 – June 2004) and data from the HOME Advice Program. Specifically, the evaluation aims to:

• Measure the appropriateness of the program in meeting its objectives and meeting individual family’s outcomes. This includes an analysis of outcomes achieved by families over 5-6 years during and after support, the community development component and the use of brokerage funds components of the program and the community service agency/Centrelink partnership model;

• Provide an analysis of the effectiveness of the program in meeting its outcomes and an analysis of service use by families at risk of homelessness and changes in service use over the longer 5-6 years term;

• Provide an assessment of the efficiency of the program over 5-6 years including:

• the cost effectiveness of the program overall, the community development element, and the community service agency/Centrelink partnership model;

• the use of brokerage funds;

• the cost effectiveness of early intervention in preventing family homelessness; and

• the cost of service use by families at risk of homelessness and changes in service use and the cost over 5-6 years.

• Propose any recommendations to improve and/or simplify the program to increase its efficiency or effectiveness.