diff --git a/app/models.py b/app/models.py
index 456fc5122..c24ce7b18 100644
--- a/app/models.py
+++ b/app/models.py
@@ -466,6 +466,12 @@ NOTIFICATION_TECHNICAL_FAILURE = 'technical-failure'
 NOTIFICATION_TEMPORARY_FAILURE = 'temporary-failure'
 NOTIFICATION_PERMANENT_FAILURE = 'permanent-failure'
 
+NOTIFICATION_STATUS_TYPES_FAILED = [
+    NOTIFICATION_TECHNICAL_FAILURE,
+    NOTIFICATION_TEMPORARY_FAILURE,
+    NOTIFICATION_PERMANENT_FAILURE,
+]
+
 NOTIFICATION_STATUS_TYPES_COMPLETED = [
     NOTIFICATION_DELIVERED,
     NOTIFICATION_FAILED,
@@ -480,7 +486,7 @@ NOTIFICATION_STATUS_TYPES_BILLABLE = [
     NOTIFICATION_FAILED,
     NOTIFICATION_TECHNICAL_FAILURE,
     NOTIFICATION_TEMPORARY_FAILURE,
-    NOTIFICATION_PERMANENT_FAILURE
+    NOTIFICATION_PERMANENT_FAILURE,
 ]
 
 NOTIFICATION_STATUS_TYPES = [
@@ -491,7 +497,7 @@ NOTIFICATION_STATUS_TYPES = [
     NOTIFICATION_FAILED,
     NOTIFICATION_TECHNICAL_FAILURE,
     NOTIFICATION_TEMPORARY_FAILURE,
-    NOTIFICATION_PERMANENT_FAILURE
+    NOTIFICATION_PERMANENT_FAILURE,
 ]
 NOTIFICATION_STATUS_TYPES_ENUM = db.Enum(*NOTIFICATION_STATUS_TYPES, name='notify_status_type')
 
@@ -558,6 +564,46 @@ class Notification(db.Model):
 
         return None
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def substitute_status(status_or_statuses):
+        """
+        static function that takes a status or list of statuses and substitutes our new failure types if it finds
+        the deprecated one
+
+        > IN
+        'failed'
+
+        < OUT
+        ['technical-failure', 'temporary-failure', 'permanent-failure']
+
+        -
+
+        > IN
+        ['failed', 'created']
+
+        < OUT
+        ['technical-failure', 'temporary-failure', 'permanent-failure', 'created']
+
+
+        :param status_or_statuses: a single status or list of statuses
+        :return: a single status or list with the current failure statuses substituted for 'failure'
+        """
+
+        def _substitute_status_str(_status):
+            return NOTIFICATION_STATUS_TYPES_FAILED if _status == NOTIFICATION_FAILED else _status
+
+        def _substitute_status_seq(_statuses):
+            if NOTIFICATION_FAILED in _statuses:
+                _statuses = list(set(
+                    NOTIFICATION_STATUS_TYPES_FAILED + [_s for _s in _statuses if _s != NOTIFICATION_FAILED]
+                ))
+            return _statuses
+
+        if isinstance(status_or_statuses, str):
+            return _substitute_status_str(status_or_statuses)
+
+        return _substitute_status_seq(status_or_statuses)
+
     def serialize(self):
 
         template_dict = {
diff --git a/tests/app/test_model.py b/tests/app/test_model.py
index ca6d11f9a..21b3df4cc 100644
--- a/tests/app/test_model.py
+++ b/tests/app/test_model.py
@@ -2,7 +2,15 @@ import pytest
 
 from app.models import (
     ServiceWhitelist,
-    MOBILE_TYPE, EMAIL_TYPE)
+    Notification,
+    MOBILE_TYPE,
+    EMAIL_TYPE,
+    NOTIFICATION_CREATED,
+    NOTIFICATION_PENDING,
+    NOTIFICATION_FAILED,
+    NOTIFICATION_TECHNICAL_FAILURE,
+    NOTIFICATION_STATUS_TYPES_FAILED
+)
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize('mobile_number', [
@@ -32,3 +40,28 @@ def test_should_build_service_whitelist_from_email_address(email_address):
 def test_should_not_build_service_whitelist_from_invalid_contact(recipient_type, contact):
     with pytest.raises(ValueError):
         ServiceWhitelist.from_string('service_id', recipient_type, contact)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('initial_statuses, expected_statuses', [
+    # passing in single statuses as strings
+    (NOTIFICATION_FAILED, NOTIFICATION_STATUS_TYPES_FAILED),
+    (NOTIFICATION_CREATED, NOTIFICATION_CREATED),
+    (NOTIFICATION_TECHNICAL_FAILURE, NOTIFICATION_TECHNICAL_FAILURE),
+    # passing in lists containing single statuses
+    ([NOTIFICATION_FAILED], NOTIFICATION_STATUS_TYPES_FAILED),
+    ([NOTIFICATION_CREATED], [NOTIFICATION_CREATED]),
+    ([NOTIFICATION_TECHNICAL_FAILURE], [NOTIFICATION_TECHNICAL_FAILURE]),
+    # passing in lists containing multiple statuses
+    ([NOTIFICATION_FAILED, NOTIFICATION_CREATED], NOTIFICATION_STATUS_TYPES_FAILED + [NOTIFICATION_CREATED]),
+    ([NOTIFICATION_CREATED, NOTIFICATION_PENDING], [NOTIFICATION_CREATED, NOTIFICATION_PENDING]),
+    ([NOTIFICATION_CREATED, NOTIFICATION_TECHNICAL_FAILURE], [NOTIFICATION_CREATED, NOTIFICATION_TECHNICAL_FAILURE]),
+    # checking we don't end up with duplicates
+    (
+        [NOTIFICATION_FAILED, NOTIFICATION_CREATED, NOTIFICATION_TECHNICAL_FAILURE],
+        NOTIFICATION_STATUS_TYPES_FAILED + [NOTIFICATION_CREATED]
+    ),
+])
+def test_status_conversion_handles_failed_statuses(initial_statuses, expected_statuses):
+    converted_statuses = Notification.substitute_status(initial_statuses)
+    assert len(converted_statuses) == len(expected_statuses)
+    assert set(converted_statuses) == set(expected_statuses)