The experiences of people who sell or exchange sex and their interaction with support services: lived experience engagement

Appendix I: Specialist Service Information

Ending Violence and Abuse Aberdeen (EVAA)

Adults (18+)

Young People (16+)

Women

No waiting list

Aberdeen

• Self-referral
• Referral from other services

Information not verified by service

EVAA offers trauma-informed support for women experiencing gender-based abuse including physical, emotional, financial or sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, human trafficking and coercive control. Support is provided one-to-one, through structured programmes and through peer support and befriending. Services include:

Accommodation

Safety planning

Emotional and practical support

Providing personal and home security items

Crisis intervention

Advocacy

Referral to other agencies

Quay Services – Alcohol and Drugs Action

Adults (18+)

Women

No waiting list

Aberdeen

• Self-referral
• Referral from other services
• Outreach

Information not verified by service

Quay Services provides holistic support to women who are involved in any kind of selling of exchanging sex. Services include:

One-to-one mentoring support

Weekly outreach service

Safety advice

Personal alarms

Free condoms and lube

Needle Exchange

Snacks and drinks

Referrals to other services

Access to all other ADA services and groups

Operation Begonia

Young People

Adults (18+)

Women

Men

All

50-100 people supported

No waiting list

Aberdeen

Outreach

Operation Begonia is a police-led partnership offering support through outreach and onwards referrals to anyone with any experience of in-person selling or exchanging sex. The assistance is person-centred, and typically includes advice and signposting. Services include:

Referrals and signposting

Emotional Support

Sexual Health Testing

Safer Injecting Equipment

Condoms

Personal Safety Alarms

Hygiene and Sanitary Products

Group Work (Peer support/Therapy)

Vice Versa

Adults (18+)

Women

Transwomen

Non binary

Dundee

16 in service

2 on waiting list

• Self-referral
• Referral from other services
• Outreach

Vice Versa offer support to all women with any involvement in selling or exchanging sex, including remotely or online. Support can be what women want and need it to be, and there is no obligation to stop selling sex in order to get support. Services include:

One-to-one mentoring support

Referrals and signposting

Emotional Support

Condoms

Personal Safety Alarms

Hygiene and Sanitary Products

Advocacy to engage with other services

Naloxone

Fast Track referrals to sexual health

Provision of mobile phones

FedCap (Pilot Programme)

Adults (18+)

Men

Women

All

No waiting list

Edinburgh and the Lothians

Referrals from other services

FedCap (pilot programme with Remploy) provide tailored employability support for anyone with experience of selling or exchanging sex. Designated female workers who have received specialist training. Services include: Employment advice

Self-employment support

Referrals and signposting

Continued support once in employment

Roam

Adults

Young People (16+)

Men

No waiting list

Edinburgh and the Lothians

• Self-referral
• Referral from other services
• Outreach

The Roam team provide support to all men who have sex with men, including those who sell or exchange sex. Services include: One-to-one mentoring support

Referrals and signposting

Emotional Support

Sexual Health Testing

Safer Injecting Equipment

Condoms

Vaccinations

PrEP

Sacro - Another Way

Adults (18+)

Women

Non binary

Around 30 in service

No waiting list

Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian and the Borders

• Self-referral
• Referral from other services
• Outreach
• Criminal Justice Referral

Another Way offer holistic, person-led support for adult women with experience of any kind of selling or exchanging of sex, including remote or online only. Services include:

One-to-one mentoring support

Referrals and signposting

Emotional Support

Safer Injecting Equipment

Condoms

Personal Safety Alarms

Hygiene and Sanitary Products

The Street Project – The Salvation Army

Adults (18+)

Women

10 engaged in service

No waiting list

Edinburgh

• Outreach

The Street Project aims to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of women involved in selling or exchanging sex. Outreach is provided using a campervan parked on Duncan Place in Leith, Edinburgh to create a safe, women-only space to get refreshments, injecting equipment, condoms, toiletries and to catch up on any safety alerts through Ugly Mugs. Services include:

Referrals and signposting

Emotional Support

Safer Injecting Equipment

Condoms

Personal Safety Alarms

Hygiene and Sanitary Products

Refreshments, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, biscuits.

WISHES

Adults (18+)

Women

Transwomen

Non-binary

80-100 patients each month

No waiting list

Edinburgh and the Lothians

• Self-referral
• Referral from other services
• Outreach
• Criminal Justice Referral

WISHES provides a safe space with opportunities to take a holistic approach to health, to all women. They provide specialist sexual health services, alongside support from Another Way. Services include:

Referrals and signposting

Emotional Support

Sexual Health Testing

Condoms

Personal Safety Alarms

Hygiene and Sanitary Products

Leith Partnership

Young People

Adults (18+)

All

Up to 40 people engaged

No waiting list

Edinburgh

• Outreach

Information not verified by service

The Leith Partnership is a police-led partnership offering support through outreach and onwards referrals to anyone with any experience of in-person selling or exchanging sex. The assistance is person-centred, and typically includes advice and signposting. Services include:

Referrals and signposting

Condoms

Personal Safety Alarms

Hygiene and Sanitary Products

Routes Out

Adults (18+)

Women

Men

Transwomen

Transmen

Non-Binary

30 in service

No waiting list

Glasgow

• Self-referral
• Referral from other services
• Outreach

The evening drop-in and outreach service seeks to engage with women involved in on street prostitution to provide safety advice and harm reduction items with a focus on discussing and exploring alternatives to being involved in selling sex. The Case Management Team provides one to one person-led support to those involved in any form of commercial sexual exploitation. There are no conditions attached to accessing any part of The Routes Out Service (i.e., commitment to exit prostitution). Services include:

One-to-one mentoring support

Referrals and signposting

Emotional Support

Sexual Health Testing

Safer Injecting Equipment

Condoms

Personal Safety Alarms

Hygiene and Sanitary Products

The TARA project

Adults (18+)

Women

Transwomen

Non-binary

58 in service

No Waiting List

Glasgow (referrals taken from across Scotland)

• Open referrals
• Police Scotland
• Health colleagues
• UKVI/Home Office/SCA
• Immigration advisors

Support is provided to women trafficked to meet the demands of the sex industry. The crisis accommodation and team are based in Glasgow but can support women remotely or reimburse travel if preferred. TARA undertake a holistic woman centred approach, advocating across a wide range of issues. Services include:

One-to-one mentoring support

Referrals and signposting

Emotional Support

Hygiene and Sanitary Products

Creative groups

Activity/Walking/Sports Groups

Crisis accommodation

Financial support

Specialist legal advice via a weekly legal surgery

Support through National Referral Mechanism process

Advocacy

Safety planning

RASAC Perth and Kinross

Young People

Adults (18+)

Women

Transwomen

Non-Binary

Waiting list in place

Perth and Kinross

• Self-referral
• Referral from other services
• Outreach
• Criminal Justice Referral

RASAC offers specialist holistic person-centred support to all women, who have had any experiences of selling or exchanging sex. Services include:

Referrals and signposting

Emotional Support

Therapeutic Support

Personal Safety Alarms

Hygiene and Sanitary Products

Creative groups

Activity/Walking/Sports Groups

Peer support/Therapy Groups

Remploy (Pilot Programme)

Adults (18+)

Women

Men

All

No waiting list

South Lanarkshire

Referral from other services

Remploy (pilot programme with FedCap) provide tailored employability support for anyone with experience of selling or exchanging sex. Designated female workers who have received specialist training. Services include: Employment advice

Self-employment support

Referrals and signposting

Continued support once in employment

National Ugly Mugs

Adults

Women

Men

All

No waiting list

UK-Wide

• Self-referral

NUM co-ordinate and deliver an alert service to warn people who sell or exchange sex of predatory sex-buyer or those who are known to be abusive. They are currently developing a Scotland-based service and consultation is underway to decide upon the support and services that will be provided from this location.

You My Sister

Adults (18+)

Women

8-10 supported on each course

3-4 on waiting list

UK-Wide, International

• Self-referral
• Referral from other services
• Outreach
• Criminal Justice Referral

You My Sister offers support to any women who have experience of selling or exchanging sex but are no longer involved. They offer unique mental health self-management programmes using the globally recognised 'Recovery College model'. These are programmes, co-produced/delivered with peers (women with lived experience), based on peer support and self-management of mental health issues, and can be highly therapeutic