Inaugural mapping research uncovers high satisfaction, high stress and importance of volunteers
The full scale and experience of the homelessness workforce have been measured for the first time in a comprehensive mapping exercise undertaken by Homeless Link on behalf of the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The total size of the homelessness workforce is revealed to be a significant 50,937. This is comprised of 34,519 employees working for VCSF+ organisations and Local Authority Homelessness services and 16,417 volunteers, meaning that volunteers make up almost a third of the sector workforce.
Until now, limited data has been available on the homelessness workforce, despite rising numbers of people experiencing homelessness and increasing complexity of support needs necessitating a sufficient supply of knowledgeable and skilled workers. Consequently, MHCLG commissioned this work to fill this evidence gap and gain a baseline understanding of the homelessness workforce as a foundation for the National Workforce Programme announced as part of the National Plan to End Homelessness.
The findings show that 30% of staff had previously worked in the health and social care sector, with the remainder joining from diverse professional backgrounds and sectors. A quarter of staff reported that they had lived experience of homelessness.
The research also reveals that the homelessness sector is values-driven with committed staff. The top reported benefit of working in the sector is the ability to have a meaningful impact (75%). Eighty-six percent of staff feel that their work has value and 70% of staff experience job satisfaction. Over half (54%) of those surveyed have worked in homelessness for six or more years, with 35% having at least ten years’ sector experience.
Staff are facing multiple challenges closely tied to the nature of the work and systemic constraints. The top three challenges reported were the complexity of clients’ needs (42%), high workloads (42%) and funding uncertainty (31%).
Rick Henderson, CEO of Homeless Link, the national membership body for frontline homelessness services, comments: “With homelessness at unacceptably high levels and increasingly complex, ensuring we have an ample and skilled workforce in place to provide effective support will be crucial to the success of the government’s Plan to End Homelessness. This important workforce mapping research provides the wealth of evidence needed to inform the National Workforce Programme, revealing the true scale, profile and experiences of the sector.
“We have a sizeable workforce already in place, with a significant volunteer contingent, which we know to be values driven and committed despite the challenging nature of the work. Homeless Link have been longstanding champions of those working in the sector, supporting skills development and career progression by providing accredited qualifications and training alongside resources to support wellbeing, and we are excited about the opportunities the Workforce Programme offers to build and strengthen the workforce even further.”
Homelessness minister, Alison McGovern, said: “We are deeply grateful to the staff and volunteers who support people experiencing homelessness every day. This research, led by Homeless Link, shines a light on an incredibly committed and compassionate workforce, many bringing professional expertise and lived experience to the role.
“We owe it to them and to the people they help, to fix this crisis and ensure they receive the support they need and that’s exactly what we’re doing through our upcoming National Workforce Programme.”
