Across the UK we are hearing real concern from frontline homelessness workers, with the majority seeing an increase in need for their services as well as significant issues accessing accommodation.
At St Martin-In-The-Fields Charity we conduct an Annual Survey of frontline staff across the UK who support people experiencing homelessness, to amplify insights and help to inform policy and practice to end homelessness.
Our 2022 survey closed earlier in December and we heard from 1,182 frontline workers from across the four nations. A huge thank you to everyone who took part and helped to spread the word.
We asked staff 34 questions. These explored the key issues and good practice people have witnessed in their work, the impact of the rising cost of living, and lastly staff wellbeing and access to training.
Below we are sharing some of the early findings that have emerged from the Frontline Worker Survey.
Early findings from the Frontline Worker Survey 2022
Across the UK we are hearing real concern from frontline homelessness workers:
1. The majority of frontline workers are seeing an increase in need at their homelessness services.
- 78% of frontline workers stated that demand for their service had increased in the last 12 months.
2. At the same time, staff reported significant issues when it came to accessing accommodation for people facing homelessness.
- 42% of frontline workers stated that their ability to help someone access appropriate accommodation had decreased in the last 12 months.
3. Additionally, whilst undertaking this important work to support people experiencing homelessness, frontline workers themselves are also being significantly affected by the rising cost of living.
- 32% of frontline workers stated that they were struggling to pay housing costs.
What happens next?
The full survey results will be published in the new year. Interested parties can sign up to our Frontline Network mailing list here to receive a copy in due course.
We will use the survey results to:
📑 Publish a report sharing our findings with key decision makers (take a look at last year’s).
📊 Submit evidence to relevant government consultations.
📆 Inform our work at St Martin’s Charity, including the design of our free annual conference and training opportunities for frontline staff.
If you are interested in discussing the survey results further, please get in touch [email protected].
