The Senedd Local Government and Housing Committee has published a new report following its inquiry into housing support for vulnerable people.
Cymorth Cymru, alongside a number of our members and partners, provided written evidence and appeared in front of the committee to outline the vital work undertaken by the homelessness and housing support sector, as well as the challenges facing people using and delivering these services. The committee has made a number of recommendations, including the need for longer-term funding that meets demand, better pay and support for the workforce, and improved multi-agency working.
One of the key issues highlighted by the committee is the highly skilled, complex and often life-saving work undertaken by frontline homelessness and housing support workers, the impact that increased demand and complexity has on their wellbeing, and the need to improve recognition, pay and support for these key workers. The Committee has called on the Welsh Government to take note of the Workforce Task and Finish Group’s conclusions and take action to implement recommendations at pace.
You can download the report in Welsh or in English.
Cymorth Cymru Director Katie Dalton said:
“The Committee’s report shines a light on the critical role played by housing related support services in preventing and ending homelessness, recognising the importance of providing sufficient, longer term funding to deliver sustainable, well-funded services that meet increasing demand and complexity.”
“We particularly welcome the Committee’s focus on the extraordinarily skilled, complex and challenging work undertaken by homelessness and housing support workers, and we urge the Welsh Government to deliver on recommendations to improve pay, recognition and support for this incredible workforce.”
“We know that there are fantastic examples of multi-agency approaches in Wales, but this needs to be hard-wired into our systems if we are serious about ending homelessness. We look forward to the publication of the upcoming Homelessness Bill, which should help to achieve this ambition.”
