People working in the housing and homelessness sector are exposed to significant trauma due to their role as service providers of last resort for individuals with complex needs. This research explores workplace trauma in Australia’s social housing and homelessness services – including its extent, causes and impacts. It examines current practices to address this trauma, options to mitigate it and guiding principles for response. 

A national survey of frontline staff reveals almost universal exposure to workplace aggression and tenant and client distress. A range of measures are currently in place to address workplace trauma – however, these practices are applied inconsistently within and between workplaces. There is a need to understand how to minimise workplace trauma and create safer environments for frontline staff.

P.11 Negative events and experiences that may lead to workplace trauma
Frontline housing and homelessness workers are routinely exposed to challenging client and tenant interactions
that result from unmet need. In our national survey of 578 workers in the housing and homelessness sector, the great majority of participants (92%) observed hoarding and squalor, and clients/tenants under the influence of alcohol or other drugs (98%). Hearing details of trauma and abuse that clients have survived and witnessing their distress are almost universal experiences (99%) among workers in the housing and homelessness sectors. For example:
• 95% of participants had spoken with clients/tenants about suicidal ideation
• 91% of participants had supported clients/tenants with experiences of family violence
• 88% of participants had clients/tenants who had engaged in self-harm.
In addition, more than three-quarters (78%) of participants had a client or tenant who had died, had supported a client or tenant who had survived a suicide attempt (or attempts), or who died by suicide (78%) or overdose (71%). In the course of their work, frontline workers experience direct trauma through verbal aggression (96%) and threats against them or their families (85%), and through physical (59%) and sexual assault (28%) from clients/ tenants. Many reported experiencing the presence of a weapon (including guns, knives and machetes) at work (60%).