There are a range of projects offering specialist support to sex workers in the UK, for information about projects in your area contact NUM uglymugs@uknswp.org.uk. Here we list projects who are offering some element of information, advice and support for internet based sex workers. Please note this list is under development and we will be adding information to it during the course of the research.
NORTHERN ENGLAND AND MIDLANDS
YORKSHIRE
Basis Sex Work Project
http://www.genesisleeds.org.uk
Basis is a charity that provides a holistic sex work support project for women working in the sex industry, who live or work in Leeds. They provide non-judgemental, free and confidential health and welfare support services for sex workers in all sectors, of all nationalities and immigration status, based on each person’s individual support needs. They work with a wide range of partner agencies across Leeds, who provide services that can help meet the diverse support needs of service users.
- Basis reaches out to internet based sex workers carrying out netreach, posting info messages about their services to sex workers working in Leeds contacted via Escort sites. Basis can arrange for an outreach worker to visit escorts at work, home, Basis or other location where people feel comfortable.
- Basis is funded by Public Health, Leeds City Council to provide a specialist health promotion & outreach service and can provide, free condoms, lubricant, finger dams, dental dams & gloves, sponges, self-administered, free self test kits for Chlamydia and gonorrhoea, a sexual health nurse accompanies the outreach worker and can provide a wide range of screening for STI’s, Hep B vaccinations and contraceptive options, fast track appointments for sex workers into PASH (Passionate About Sexual Health) sexual health services can be arranged for comprehensive sexual health screening, contraceptive and termination services.
- Basis provides safety information and advice, ugly mugs, free personal safety alarms, support for sex workers who have been assaulted, threatened, experience harassment or have any other crimes committed against you. Basis has staff who are specially trained to support women who have been victims of rape, sexual assault or domestic abuse. Basis can support sex workers to report to the police if they wish, liaising with Leeds Police Sex Work Liaison Officer, whose role is to encourage sex workers to report any crimes committed against them.
- Basis offers rights based and welfare information and support services such as: an Advice & Support worker who is trained to provide specialist advice about welfare benefits, debt, housing, and support to access accommodation services. Plus a wide range of information about sex work, the law & sex worker rights and referral and advocacy to access a range of services.
Yorkshire MESMAC
As part of it’s wider community development work, HIV prevention and sexual health promotion with Gay, Bisexual and men who have sex with men in Yorkshire and Humberside, MESMAC services are available to male sex workers. They have bases in Bradford, Leeds, York, Wakefield and Hull. Find contacts for all their offices at http://mesmac.co.uk/contact-mesmac
Leeds MESMAC offers;
- Free condoms and lube – also available by post
- Rapid HIV tests – results in ten minutes
- HIV testing kits you do at home to get your results by text message
- Sexual health information & advice
- Outreach to commercial gay scene, cruising areas, saunas and offers virtual outreach e.g. via Facebook, Twitter, Squirt, Bareback RT and Fitlads as part of its virtual outreach to reach men who use the Internet to meet and have sex.
- One to one support
- Counselling
- BLAST project working with young men and boys up to the age of 25, who are being sexually exploited
WEST MIDLANDS
POW Nottingham
POW is a peer-founded charity supporting individuals involved which promotes health and dignity by empowering, supporting and educating our service users. POW provides support services to sex workers in all sectors in Nottingham. POW reaches out to internet based sex workers, via Escort sites, posting information about POW’s services to sex workers throughout Nottinghamshire. POW can offer amongst other services; free condoms and lube, safety on line information, sexual health screening, contraception and smear testing, ugly mugs information, exiting prostitution plans & benefits, welfare and debt advice.
EAST MIDLANDS
Terence Higgins Trust, Lincolnshire
THT Lincolnshire have health promotion specialist workers who provide free condoms, lube and HIV/STI testing for all sex workers across Lincolnshire, as well as advice and support which can be face to face, over the phone, text message or online, whatever people prefer!
Please contact via: email: info.lincolnshire@tht.org.uk Text or call: 07468726044 or via: www.facebook.com/THTLincolnshire
EAST ANGLIA
Matrix Project, Norwich
http://www.norfolkcommunityhealthandcare.nhs.uk/s_Matrix/Pages/our-services.htm
Matrix Project is an NHS service which offers a confidential and responsive service for sex workers in all sectors of the sex industry including escorts and people in adult entertainment industries such as web camming, striptease & porn films.
The Matrix project provides support and advice for anyone living or working in Norfolk.
Matrix provides the following;
- An online chat service 3 mornings a week (Mon, Weds and Fri)
- Visits to sex workers at their workplace (be that flat, hotel, sauna or massage parlour or home, hotel) or at home.
- Drop in sessions at the Norwich head office every afternoon between 1pm and 4pm.
- Freecondoms, lubricant, dams, gloves, female condoms & sponges.
- Emotional and practical support.
- Safe sex information and safe working advice.
- Specialist support to sex workers following sexual assualt ( ISVA service)
- Appointments for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV and arrange for emergency contraception & Hepatitis B vaccinations.
- Ugly mugs scheme (part of NUM)
- Wellbeing sessions and networking events with other sex workers.
- Information about a variety of services & topics
- Referral to a wide range of specialist services e.g. tax and business advice, counselling, substance misuse etc.
Please contact via office number 10603 883423, email: info.matrix@nhs.net, via the website www.matrixproject.org or drop in.
LONDON AND THE SOUTH EAST
Open Doors, East London
http://www.opendoors.nhs.uk/content/indoors
Open Doors is an NHS service offering outreach, case management and sexual health services to sex workers in Hackney and Newham (East London) regardless of legal or immigration status in the UK. They visit sex workers at their workplace whether that be a flat, sauna or massage parlour, hotel or in their home. They provide free condoms, lubricant, dams, gloves, finger cots, female condoms , sponges and can test for sexually transmitted infections, give emergency contraceptive pill and provide Hepatitis B vaccinations. They provide a range of advice and support on for example ; other services , policing, indoor sex work, safety and health. Open doors has 2 free confidential clinics in East London for female and transgender sex workers. For more information go to www.opendoors.nhs.uk
Clinic S, East London
More info: https://alleast.nhs.uk/clinic-s
Clinic S is a sex worker clinic run by Barts Health. It is inclusive to all women, men, trans and gender non-binary individuals working in any part of the sex and adult entertainment industry.
All nationalities are welcome, regardless of immigration or legal status in the UK.
It is temporarily based at:
St Andrews Health Centre, 1st Floor, 2 Hannaford Walk, E3 3FF Thursday: 13:00-15:00 (Portuguese speaker available) Friday: 09.0011.30
It offers sexual health advice, testing and treatment, hepatitis B vaccination, cervical smear tests as well as a full range of contraception including, IUDs, implants, injections, pills, patches, rings and emergency contraception. It provides free condoms, lube, sponges and dams and advice on safety at work, and support to join National Ugly Mugs and help to make a report. The clinic can assist individuals to access other support services including inhouse psychology.
Call, text or WhatsApp Kim on 07976 564 539 for appointments or further information.
Email kim.leverett@bartshealth.nhs.uk <mailto:kim.leverett@bartshealth.nhs.uk>
CLASH (Central London on Sexual Health)
http://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/service/clash-central-london-action-on-sexual-health/
-
Health promotion specialists at CLASH provide one-to-one advice and information counselling for sex workers
-
Specialist free, walk in (no appointment needed), sexual health clinics for female sex workers offering health services and advice;Mondays: 08:45-13:00Fridays: 08:45-13:00
- CLASH services are based at: Mortimer Market Centre. Located on the first floor, Orange Zone in the Margaret Pyke Centre, Capper Street, London, WC1E 6JB
- Contact the Health Promotion Specialists on any of the following numbers;
Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (Rape Crisis South London)
The Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASAC) is a specialist woman-only centre based in Croydon. They provide expert, confidential, non-judgemental support to all self defining females aged 13+, who live and/or work in any of the South London boroughs, who have survived any form of sexual violence, assault or harassment, at any point in their lives.
Their core services are:
- Face-to-face counselling that lasts up to a year provided by fully qualified female professional counsellors.
- An advocacy or ISVA service that supports survivors before and throughout the criminal justice process.
- A specialist outreach service.
The outreach service is provided by a female outreach worker who specialise in supporting women who are, or have, worked in sex work. The outreach workers offer support that is confidential, that doesn’t judge, and that recognises the many different experiences of people in the sex industry. The workers attend regular hub points and drop ins across South London and women can either meet workers at these spaces or arrange to meet elsewhere.
Through face-to-face meetings the outreach worker can:
- Offer highly qualified, non-judgmental, empathic support
- Streamlined links into our therapy or advocacy services, if you want them
- Information on issues related to sexual violence and its impacts
- Information on other relevant support services in your area, such as health care, Independent Sexual Violence Advisors, therapists and Sexual Assault Referral Centres.
The project says ‘this can be a really difficult decision, especially for women who feel judged by services like Rape Crisis, and the outreach workers can explain what support will look like’.
If you have any question, or self-refer into any of the services, call 0208 683 3311 and ask for Katie. They also have a website with more information http://www.rasasc.org.uk/outreach/
The national helpline is open every day of the year , from 12-2.30pm and 7-9.30pm on 0808 802 9999.
Rape Crisis Surrey and Sussex
Rape Crisis Surrey and Sussex (RCSAS) is a specialist woman-only centre based in the Crawley area. They provide expert, confidential, and non-judgmental support to all self-defining females aged 13+ in East Surrey and West Sussex who have experienced any form of sexual violence, assault or harassment, at any point in their lives.
Their core services are:
- Face-to-face counselling that lasts up to a year provided by fully qualified female professional counsellors.
- An advocacy or ISVA service that supports survivors before and throughout the criminal justice process.
- A specialist outreach service.
The outreach service is provided by female outreach workers who specialise in supporting women who are, or have, worked in sex work. These workers offer support that is confidential, that doesn’t judge, and that recognises the different experiences of people in the sex industry. The workers attend regular hub points and drop ins across East Surrey and West Sussex and women can either meet workers at these spaces or arrange to meet elsewhere. Through face-to-face meetings the outreach workers can:
Offer highly qualified, non-judgemental, empathic support.
Inform women of relevant agencies in their area, including health care, Independent Sexual Violence Advisors, therapists and Sexual Assault Referral Centres.
Support women in accessing counselling and advocacy services. The project says ‘this can be a really difficult decision, especially for women who feel judged by services like Rape Crisis, and the outreach workers can explain what support will look like’.
To self-refer into any of the services call 01293 538 477 and to speak to the Outreach worker ask for Paula. The national helpline is open every day from 12-2:30pm and 7-9:30pm, and the number is 0808 802 9999.