The Psychological Effects of Working as a Night Support Worker in a Homeless Hostel: A Qualitative Analysis

Kumalo, Naledi Charles (2019) The Psychological Effects of Working as a Night Support Worker in a Homeless Hostel: A Qualitative Analysis. Undergraduate thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

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Abstract

As homelessness is becoming a growing public issue, staff members working in homeless hostels are often the first point of contact homeless people encounter. This qualitative research aimed to look at the psychological effects and to explore the impact of complex challenges that night support workers encounter in homeless hostels, and how these challenges affect their work and personal lives. There is a gap in literature regarding night support workers and the effects they encounter working in the homeless sector. This research involved 5 participants who are directly employed as night support workers for a homeless hostel provider in Ireland (3 males and 2 females). A purposive sampling method was employed for this research. Participants took part in a semi-structured interview and data were analysed using “thematic analysis”. Some prominent themes such as burnout, secondary trauma, compassion fatigue, housing crisis and the importance of support were identified amongst the night support workers in this study. These findings contribute to the understanding of the complex challenges that are faced by frontline workers in homeless hostels, and the impact they have on the individual. Implications of this research could inform policies and organizations to support their staff members who are working in homeless hostels, and could further guide future research in the area.

Item Type:	Thesis (Undergraduate)
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > Psychology B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > Psychology > Stress (Psychology)
Divisions:	School of Business > BA (Honours) in Psychology
Depositing User:	Caoimhe Ní Mhaicín
Date Deposited:	04 Jun 2019 09:26
Last Modified:	04 Jun 2019 09:26
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/3805

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