The report by twentysix consulting and social enterprise Real People, part of the Broadway Homelessness and Support charity, said that the environment of competitive tendering for contracts within the homelessness and care sector sector was creating a “landscape of pay freezes and job insecurity”.
However, in the social housing sector things are more positive, with more than two thirds of organisations reporting they gave pay rises in 2012.
Helen Giles (pictured), managing director at Real People said: This is the first combined pay and HR survey for the social housing sector.
“It provides the evidence to back up the huge concern of many within the sector that competitive tendering practices are causing widespread insecurity of employment and low rates of pay for supported housing and care professionals.
“As a result of the difficulties organisations are experiencing in recruiting and motivating people with the necessary skills, it’s becoming more difficult to provide consistently effective services.”
Rachel Crafts, partner at twentysix consulting, added: “While there were positive findings, on the whole a more negative picture of the sector has been painted.
“There are real concerns about hiring and then engaging staff when their jobs are insecure and their pay reducing in real terms year on year”
For the report, 63 organisations from across the social housing, homelessness and care sectors were surveyed in October last year.
