Abstract

Purpose
Staff who work with vulnerable people with multiple needs are known to experience high
levels of stress and burnout, as well as high levels of job satisfaction. This paper explores
the experiences of staff working in a project with individuals experiencing long term
homelessness in Lincolnshire.

Design/methodology/approach
An evaluation of a project working with individuals experiencing long term homelessness
included a focus group set up to explore the experiences and well being of front line staff
and managers. One to one interviews with staff were also held to provide more in depth
data about the experiences of individual staff members.

Findings
Six key themes were identified from the discussions with participants. Decision latitude
and the ability to follow service users on person centred journeys over long periods of time
were positive aspects of the work which were highly valued and seemed to contribute to
high levels of job satisfaction. Things which also made a positive contribution were
elements of support provided by the employer and a number of personal coping strategies.
Themes identified which had a negative impact on well-being related to high workloads
and to the multiple and competing demands from service users and other agencies.

Originality/value
Few studies of any kind have explored the experiences and wellbeing of staff working in
the frontline of homelessness services. This small scale qualitative study provides a
number of suggestions for further research with this population. Findings cannot be
generalised but match those of other recent studies which suggest high levels of stress but
little evidence of burnout, and that carefully developed workplace support mechanisms
play a key role in maintaining commitment to the role and preventing burnout.