Change Grow Live executives present a corporate narrative of a supportive and compassionate charity. The reality on the ground is completely different.
A nationwide survey of Change Grow Live staff exposes the severe financial hardships caused by a decade of poverty wages. Frontline workers manage complex caseloads and support individuals in crisis, yet many are being pushed into severe financial insecurity. Dedicated staff are routinely forced to choose between heating their homes and feeding their own families.
Unpaid overtime is another hidden crisis. The charity relies heavily on staff working unpaid hours out of deep dedication to their service users. This unpaid labor masks the true cost of delivering these public services. It allows executive directors to hide structural understaffing and dangerously high burnout rates.
The Cost of Living Reality for CGL Staff
| Frontline Welfare and Livelihood Indicator | Survey Outcome and Metric |
|---|---|
| Food Bank Consideration | 42% of staff have considered using a food bank in the past year |
| Active Food Bank Reliance | 16% of staff currently survive on food banks |
| Essential Utility and Food Rationing | 39% must choose between heating their homes and buying food |
| Deferred Purchasing of Essentials | 86% must delay buying basic goods until their next payday |
| Debt Management and Counselling | 73% have been forced to seek debt counselling |
| Pension Contribution Cancellations | 20% have stopped paying into their workplace pensions |
| Debt Rescheduling and Restructuring | 52% have rescheduled debts to make ends meet |
| Housing Insecurity and Homelessness | 53% struggle to pay rent or mortgages, and 5% have been made homeless |
| Reliance on Secondary Employment | 46% have been forced to take a second job to survive |
| Reliance on Emergency Loans | 68% must borrow money from friends or family to make ends meet |
| Decline in Frontline Mental Health | 79% report a decline in mental health due to financial stress |
| Decline in Frontline Physical Health | 54% report a decline in physical health due to low pay |
Frontline workers are invited to securely submit anonymous testimonies to create a record of the human cost of these executive pay choices.
The March 2026 Staff Survey Confirms a Workforce Under Pressure
Change Grow Live’s own March 2026 staff survey confirms that the corporate headline does not tell the full story. The organisation presents an overall staff survey average of 6.9, an engagement index of 6.8, and reports that 66% of staff would recommend Change Grow Live as a place to work. However, beneath those headline figures are serious warning signs about pay, leadership, transparency, staff retention, clinical supervision, and confidence that staff feedback leads to action.
The survey was completed between 23 February 2026 and 13 March 2026. It included 52 questions, including 41 scaled questions, an employee net promoter score question, and free-text questions. Change Grow Live’s own methodology states that scores between 5 and 6.9 sit in the moderate range, while scores of 7.0 and above are considered positive. The staff average of 6.9 therefore sits just below the positive threshold.
The response rate was also only 53%, well below the organisation’s own stated ideal response rate of 70% and above. This means the survey cannot simply be used as a corporate success story. It should be read as another warning from a workforce under pressure.
The March 2026 Reality for CGL Staff
| Staff Experience Indicator | March 2026 Staff Survey Outcome |
|---|---|
| Average Staff Survey Score | 6.9 overall average, sitting just below the positive threshold |
| Staff Engagement Index | 6.8 across advocacy, pride and loyalty |
| Employee Net Promoter Score | 66% of staff would recommend Change Grow Live as a place to work |
| Staff Survey Response Rate | 53%, below the organisation’s own ideal response rate of 70% and above |
| Fair Pay and Responsibility | Only 50% believe their pay is fair given their role, responsibilities and industry |
| Confidence in Action After Previous Surveys | Only 48% are confident action has been taken following the last survey |
| Regular Clinical Supervision | Only 36% report having regular clinical supervision |
| Retention and Intention to Leave | Only 57% say they rarely think about looking for a job with another organisation |
| Senior Leadership Visibility | Only 55% say senior leaders are visible and approachable |
| Openness and Transparency | Only 60% say there is a sense of openness and transparency |
| Senior Leadership Communication | Only 61% say senior leaders communicate organisational goals and strategies well |
| Senior Leaders and Organisational Values | Only 61% say senior leaders are good ambassadors for Change Grow Live’s values |
| Inclusion in Decision-Making | Only 62% believe their perspective is included in decision-making |
| Recognition of Staff Contributions | Only 63% feel people are well recognised for their contributions |
| Career Development Opportunities | Only 62% believe there are opportunities at Change Grow Live to develop their career |
| Bullying and Harassment Indicator | 67% say they have not experienced or witnessed bullying or harassment in the last 12 months |
Pay Fairness Remains One of the Clearest Warning Signs
Only 50% of staff agreed that their pay is fair given their role, level of responsibility, and the industry they work in. This was one of the lowest scoring questions in the entire staff survey.
This confirms what frontline workers have already been saying. Low pay is not a side issue. It is central to staff morale, wellbeing, recruitment, retention, and the safe delivery of services. When half of staff do not believe their pay is fair, Change Grow Live cannot credibly claim that frontline workers are being properly valued.
Staff Do Not Believe Previous Feedback Has Led to Action
Only 48% of staff said they were confident that action had been taken following the previous survey. This sits below the organisation’s own positive threshold and shows a serious lack of confidence that staff feedback leads to meaningful change.
Staff surveys should not be used as public relations exercises. If workers repeatedly raise concerns about pay, workloads, wellbeing, recognition, leadership, supervision and transparency, those concerns require visible action. Listening without acting only deepens mistrust.
Clinical Supervision Is a Serious Workforce Safety Concern
The lowest scoring question in the staff survey was clinical supervision. Only 36% of staff reported that they have regular clinical supervision.
This is deeply concerning in an organisation where frontline workers support people experiencing addiction, trauma, homelessness, mental ill health, domestic abuse, safeguarding risks and crisis.
Clinical supervision is not an optional extra. It is a core part of safe, reflective and accountable practice. A result of 36% raises serious questions about whether frontline staff are being given the support, oversight and protected time they need to carry out complex work safely.
Senior Leadership Remains Distant From the Frontline
The survey also exposes weak confidence in senior leadership. Only 55% of staff said senior leaders are visible and approachable. Only 60% said there is a sense of openness and transparency. Only 61% said senior leaders communicate organisational goals and strategies well, and only 61% said senior leaders are good ambassadors for Change Grow Live’s values.
These results sit well below the stronger scores given to immediate managers, colleagues and frontline teams. The message is clear: staff relationships at team level are much stronger than trust and confidence in senior leadership.
Retention Is a Growing Risk
Only 57% of staff said they rarely think about looking for a job with another organisation. This means a substantial proportion of the workforce are either thinking about leaving or are not confident enough to say they rarely consider it.
For an organisation delivering complex public services, this is a major warning sign. High turnover damages continuity, increases pressure on remaining staff, and weakens the relationships that service users rely on.
The Strongest Scores Come From Frontline Commitment
The strongest results in the March 2026 survey came from the dedication of frontline workers themselves. Staff scored 86% for having good relationships with people in their team. 85% said the work they do each day is meaningful. 81% said they are able to apply their strengths and skills, and 81% said they have a clear understanding of what is expected of them in their role.
These figures show that Change Grow Live’s greatest strength is not its corporate messaging. It is the frontline workforce.
Workers continue to care. They continue to support each other. They continue to believe in the importance of the work. But that commitment is being placed under pressure by low confidence in fair pay, senior leadership, meaningful action, recognition, clinical supervision and organisational transparency.
What the March 2026 Survey Really Shows
The March 2026 staff survey does not show a fully healthy organisation.
It shows a workforce still driven by compassion, purpose and commitment, but increasingly strained by poor pay, weak confidence in leadership, limited belief that staff feedback leads to action, and serious gaps in clinical supervision.
Change Grow Live’s own data shows that the strongest part of the organisation is its frontline staff. They continue to hold services together despite feeling undervalued, under-supported and unheard.
These results must not be used to create another corporate narrative of success. They should be treated as evidence of a workforce warning signal.