Custom-built data collection for headspace centres, young people and their families

Development on the hAPI application traditionally starts with the extensive library of User Stories and detailed Acceptance Criteria that have been written and developed over the past 4 years. They capture every feature and function within the application to a very detailed level.

The User Stories were originally captured after a series of workshops with the headspace team, during July to October 2018. The workshops included a demonstration of the current hAPI 1.0 application, a discussion around how the application worked in the current state, and then a workshop focusing on what the new processes and features should be. There was also a detailed technical workshop that discussed the architecture and infrastructure of the application, and the technical requirements of the new system.

headspace have a number of existing reference groups who were engaged in the hAPI 2.0 redevelopment, including the Young Person reference group and the Centre reference group. These stakeholders provided vital feedback and input into what they expected and needed from the hAPI application. 

This feedback was collated and added to the functional requirements of the application, leading to the publication of the User Stories library, which is now a dynamic collection that is updated every time a development sprint occurs. 

The User Stories then formed the basis of the hAPI 2.0 project - providing guidance to the development team as they built out the new application from scratch, resulting in the launch of hAPI 2.0 in July 2019.

Testing (QAT) and User Acceptance Testing (UAT). The sprints include any enhancements that headspace has requested, as well as any bugs or issues that may need to be addressed. 

Recent projects have included Program import/export, the addition of One Time Passwords, an overall UX refresh of the Young Person’s experience, and a Laravel/php upgrade.

• The redevelopment of hAPI has allowed headspace to better capture data about the Young People in their care, as well as ensuring a stable and configurable application that will be useable for a number of years to come. 
• Working in a rolling agile fashion, with regular 2-week development sprints, has allowed headspace to add in new features or enhancements quickly to meet the needs of their staff and Young People. 
• The refactoring of the technology behind the application and a commitment to quality code has also ensured that changes can be made relatively easily. 
• The extensive User Story library and other technical documentation allows for a consistent user experience across the whole application. It also means that when a new team member joins the hAPI project team, they can be onboarded relatively quickly.

“The hAPI application is integral to our service delivery and the associated data capture and with the way the application has been implemented we know that we can rely on data accuracy and quality.”

“It was “software done right”. We had the safety of strong processes, a clean architecture, thorough documentation and lots of test automation. We were amazingly productive in an incredibly complex problem space and enjoy continuing to work with headspace on supporting hAPI and evolving its feature set.”