Quay Services Present#ea850

Prostitution in Aberdeen City and Shire The Challenge for Services

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Prostitution: The Local Context 

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Approximately 200 – 250 women are involved in street prostitution in a 12 month period in Aberdeen 12% are from Aberdeenshire New legislation and reintroduction of city-wide enforcement approach has led to wider dispersal of women on the streets A significant number of women are involved in offstreet/indoor sex working in Aberdeen city and Shire

Key issues regarding indoor sex work  The

majority of these women are currently hidden from services  Widely diverse group. Widely diverse needs  Involvement of women from ethnic minority groups  Potential issues regarding pimping and trafficking of women

Key issues regarding street prostitution in Aberdeen  High

levels of problematic drug use  Poor use of mainstream health and social/welfare services  A wide range of physical and mental health problems  Lack of suitable accommodation

Key issues (continued)  Debt

and low income  Poor ‘social capital’ of the women involved  History

of family breakdown  Poor educational achievement/poor employment history and lack of skills  Abusive physical and sexual relationships continuing into adulthood

Good Practice – Sources of Evidence  

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The Scottish Government (2004) Being Outside – Constructing a Response to Street Prostitution The Scottish Government (2008) The Road To recovery A New Approach To Tackling Scotland’s Drug Problem The UK Network of Sex Work Projects (2008) Good Practice Guidance The Scottish Government (2009) Safer Lives: Changed Lives A Shared Approach to Tackling Violence Against Women in Scotland Quay Services experience

Key principles of effective working with sex workers      

Spectrum of services are required to improve safety and assist recovery Low threshold services are essential to engagement Central focus on key worker approach Need to impact on problematic drug use of street sex workers Need to impact on poor ‘social capital’ of street sex workers Partnership working is crucial

What is already in place locally      

Low threshold drop-in service – good engagement and retention Key worker relationships established with Quay services staff Established links with VAW projects GUM clinic commitment to targeting this group Grampian Women’s Aid offers refuge space Quay services currently developing service needs assessment for indoor workers

Map of services Health

Social

Accessible prescribing services

Onsite GP clinic Improve pathways to mental health services Dentistry services

Needle exchange GUM Clinic Condom provision

Specific training, educational opportunities Secure, long term accomodation Links to employers Grampian Women’s Aid Counselling The Cyrenians

Access to benefits/debt advice Ready for Work Scheme

The Drop-in

Family Liaison role

Access to prescribing for partners of sex workers

Relationships

Counselling Rape and Abuse Support

Dodgy Punters Log Grampian Police Street Liaison Officer

Diversion from Prosecution Scheme

Legal