The social services market has become increasingly competitive with new entrants in the sector and customers having greater freedom of choice in how these services are delivered. Therefore, social purpose organisations need to ensure their overheads are more efficient than before if they are to remain competitive and sustainable. Traditionally, driving process and system efficiency savings would go to the bottom line; however, those savings and efficiencies could now be better redirected into the customer experience, customer retention, and marketing for organisations striving to increase their customer-base and underpin long-term sustainability. In just a short period the National Disability Insurance Scheme has demonstrated that “providers” will not survive in the new world if they continue to use old and costly legacy systems. In order to survive and be successful organisations need to streamline their financial and operational delivery systems. For example, does your organisation have inefficient HR processes, unnecessary duplication, paper-based processes and inefficient and expensive communications platforms? More importantly, can you capture all billable costs and ensure all revenue is billed.Organisations that take the time to map their processes and investigate the design of more cost-effective solutions will generate savings.  As a result, these organisations will better serve their customers or clients. For example, low cost unified communications, web-based software on flexible cloud platforms are standard solutions to ensure  lower corporate overhead  With reference to the NDIS, the government has made it clear, through its pricing structures that providers should operate using a modest 10% corporate overhead. –What is your company running at?  As an example, for an organisation with revenue of $20,000,000, finding a 3% saving could generate $600,000 worth of funds that may be redirected into the customers’ experience, addressing the increasing competitive challenges of consumer choice.Engaging an external advisor to expeditiously review the organizations’ current overhead structure, table issues and recommend solutions can provide the organization with a more “competitive edge” At Social Purpose Consulting, our consultants have the expertise to review the corporate overhead, systems, and processes and provide tailored solutions. The stages below provide a general overview of our approach to conducting corporate reviews, with each engagement tailored for each organisation on a needs basis.For more information on the benefits of undertaking corporate reviews or to arrange for a free initial consultation and quote contact the team at Social Purpose Consulting on + 61 2 8052 3644.  Stage 1. Process Mapping   System and process walkthroughInterviews with staff and operational customersInterview external customersIT Strategic ReviewYTD purchaser review by supplierReview all outsourced agreements Stage 2.  Systems ReviewFind cost-effective solutionsCapture all revenueBenchmark with industryTender major procurementInvestigate IT solutionPossible cloud and web-based efficiencies  Stage 3.  Action PlansEstablish ROIEstablish project timelines and transition planImplement solutions By Chris Mowday - Executive ConsultantMBA, ACA, BEcChris is a seasoned, commercially astute executive with 15 years’ experience at the CFO level. He is results focused, yet takes a balanced approach to business solutions having worked in both the private and not-for-profit sectors at national and international levels. Chris specialises in valuations, acquisitions and business turnaround that transforms company losses into sustainable profits. As a seasoned CFO Chris has extensive experience across all corporate functions including finance, IT and strategy. Chris also undertakes interim executive positions with Social Purpose organisations.    

It was our pleasure to be a trade exhibitor at the 2017 Better Boards Conference in Brisbane. We're excited to announce the winner for 1 FREE day of board or executive consulting services - Dr. Georgina Reynhout from Achieve Australia! Thank you to everyone who entered the draw and visited our stand.ext

 Homelessness, it's a big problem affecting the lives of many young Australians, with almost half the homeless population under the age of 25.Given that children and young people make up such a large percentage of this group, why then don’t we see them sleeping in cardboard boxes and begging for money on the street? Well sometimes you do, but for the most part, homelessness is widely misunderstood and many myths and stereotypes surround the issue and are greatly perpetrated by the media. In reality, though, only 6% of the homeless population actually sleep on the street and not many of those people are young people.Having worked extensively with homeless youth, I’ve noticed some patterns which I think are worth sharing and that might help us better understand and respond to the needs of young people experiencing homelessness.    1. Young people are very good at hiding the fact they are homeless. Couch surfing is a popular sleeping arrangement among homeless youth, making it difficult for us to ‘see’ this form of homelessness and therefore, know how many young people are actually affected by the issue.  Using drugs and alcohol to stay awake and going on ‘benders’ is another way that many young people disguise their homelessness. Of course, this isn’t the case for all, but a lot of the young people I’ve worked with have reported using this strategy to stay awake when they have no safe place to sleep.They blend into a crowd. It might surprise you, but many homeless young people have a smart phone, a good quality or branded outfit they have invested in, opportunities to shower at friends’ places or youth drop centres etc. and therefore, you wouldn’t notice them in the same way you might notice someone who is more visibly homeless. In fact, I've often seen my homeless clients out in the community but if I didn’t know them and their story, I’d have no idea they were homeless. 2. They usually maintain relationships with familyMany people assume that those experiencing homelessness are completely estranged from family. Whilst this may be the case for some, many homeless young people have relationships and contact with their family. There are a variety of reasons why living with family is not possible or appropriate for many homeless youths, however, this doesn’t mean they don’t or shouldn’t have contact with the family.  In fact, maintaining these relationships is often a positive and significant protective factor for homeless young people.  3. Although only young, many homeless young people have experienced long-term homelessness and therefore need high levels of supportEarly intervention has an important role to play in addressing youth homelessness. However, for many homeless young people presenting at homelessness services, this is not their first experience of homelessness. Unfortunately, instability and no safe place to call home has been the reality for many homeless young people their entire life. I once worked with a young man who was 17 and when we looked carefully at his history, we realised he had been homeless since he was 3 months old.  Unfortunately, the opportunity for early intervention has long passed for many homeless young people. In fact, some young people like the one mentioned above will have been homeless for longer periods than those deemed the ‘long-term’ & ‘entrenched’ homeless and yet, I think we assume this is not possible because of their age. What is perhaps most concerning for this cohort of young people, is the lifelong impact that homelessness can have on them if they're not properly supported. Experiencing ongoing and repeated episodes of homelessness, often alongside other traumatic events, is particularly problematic because its happening at a time most crucial to a person's development; childhood and adolescence. Homeless young people from this background, therefore, require more intensive and therapeutic support services to help them recover and rebuild their lives and if we're serious about ending youth homelessness, then we need to create and fund services that do exactly that.    

Did you know that nearly half of the Australian population (45.5%) will experience a mental health problem in their lifetime?Thats why at Social Purpose Consulting we now offer the 2 day, nationally-accredited mental health first aid training. Know what to say and do in a mental health emergency with confidence. This training is absolutely essential if you are working in the human services, but also incredibly valuable for anyone in any sector. If you and your team haven't already completed this training, get in touch with us so we can make it happen!   

If you're a passionate, skilled and experienced not-for-profit or human services consultant, with an ABN and professional insurance, we'd love to hear from you, email us your CV info@socialpurposeconsulting.com.au.