Case study: Wellways

Mental health, Outcomes funding, Service Design
Doorway: An Outcomes-based solution to mental health and homelessness 

Removing barriers to private rental for people who are homeless with mental health issues can improve lives and save money for government.

• Latitude Network has challenged the way we think about and describe interventions. With their relentless intellectual rigour and attention to detail, Wellways has both improved and standardised the Doorway intervention. We can now describe with confidence what works about the intervention and we have compelling data and a business case to put to government outcomes-based funding proposals. Latitude Network both drove the process and stretched our thinking. Highly recommended.
• - Gerard Reed, Company Secretary and Business Development​, Wellways Australia
  

iiSOCIAL ISSUE 

Each year, large numbers of people in the mental health system struggle to secure and maintain housing and fall into long-term homelessness. This has significant consequences for their long-term health & wellbeing and puts a high burden on the state’s housing and health systems.

CLIENT CHALLENGE  

Wellways, a national provider of mental health services and leader in sub-acute mental health care, developed the Doorway approach. Doorway supports clients out of a clinical mental health service and into a home by leveraging Australia’s second-largest housing market - private rentals. Doorway does the heavy-lifting to make sure that people engage with and secure a long-term tenancy in the private rental market. This radically increases the supply of housing available to this client group, whilst normalising the process of maintaining housing in the community - not in the public housing system. Wellways has iterated and proven the Doorway model over nearly a decade and an academic review demonstrates its efficacy. 

However, the challenge for Wellways was that despite Doorway having demonstrated value and impact, there were not any established channels or processes for Wellways to proactively approach Government about continuing this program beyond its pilot. 

THE ROLE LATITUDE NETWORK PLAYED 

Latitude Network worked closely with Wellways to strengthen the proposition as an outcomes-based program and transform Doorway into a convincing proactive funding approach to Government. 

We undertook a deep-dive into the Doorway segmentation data to see for whom it worked best and under what circumstances. We then advised Wellways on how the program could be dialled-up in these areas to create a more compelling investment case for funders. We used a multi-year, data-driven analysis of client outcomes linked through to the program logic and developed a discounted cash flow financial model that reflects the 10-year cost-savings to Government in Net Present Value terms. 

THE TRANSFORMATION / IMPACT

The process of reframing a proven program as an outcomes-oriented program has helped enhance Wellways’ business capacity and confidence to deliver on its promises to clients. It can now target clear and specific outcomes to be delivered with confidence.
 
The Doorway transformation has also created a template for the future, enabling Wellways to apply this methodology to other successful programs. Most importantly, perhaps, the process has reinforced Wellways’ position as a service provider who wants to continuously do better despite traditional block funding mechanisms. Through Doorway, the organisation is now ready for the future world of outcomes-based funding.