Working with individuals who have experienced homelessness. Stresses and Successes

<p>PurposeStaff who work with vulnerable people with multiple needs are known to experience highlevels of stress and burnout, as well as high levels of job satisfaction. This paper exploresthe experiences of staff working in a project with individuals experiencing long termhomelessness in Lincolnshire.Design/methodology/approachAn evaluation of a project working with individuals experiencing long term homelessnessincluded a focus group set up to explore the experiences and well being of front line staffand managers. One to one interviews with staff were also held to provide more in depthdata about the experiences of individual staff members.FindingsSix key themes were identified from the discussions with participants. Decision latitudeand the ability to follow service users on person centred journeys over long periods of timewere positive aspects of the work which were highly valued and seemed to contribute tohigh levels of job satisfaction. Things which also made a positive contribution wereelements 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 workloadsand to the multiple and competing demands from service users and other agencies.Originality/valueFew studies of any kind have explored the experiences and wellbeing of staff working inthe frontline of homelessness services. This small scale qualitative study provides anumber of suggestions for further research with this population. Findings cannot begeneralised but match those of other recent studies which suggest high levels of stress butlittle evidence of burnout, and that carefully developed workplace support mechanismsplay a key role in maintaining commitment to the role and preventing burnout.</p>