Health and Wellbeing of Hackney's Sex Workers, Hackney

Research was conducted by Healthwatch Hackney and NHS Community Voice in September 2016 to provide an opportunity for Hackney’s street sex workers to discuss experiences of health and care services. HWH’s strategic and statutory objective of collecting feedback from previously under-represented residents led the focus for the research.

Twenty two sex workers were engaged in the research, two of whom were off-street sex workers.

Key findings from the research included the belief that the open access NHS service for Hackney sex workers proved extremely effective due to its non-judgemental, holistic, person centred approach. There was concern that proposed cuts to the Open Doors service requiring sex workers’ personal information to be shared with the police would deter sex workers from reporting crime. It was also concluded that Open Doors services should be continued by the London Borough of Hackney along with the cessation of support for enforcement against sex workers in the borough.

It was recommended that Hackney Councils public health team included specific details on health and care needs of sex workers in the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment along with an equality impact assessment of any proposed changes to the service. Also that Open Doors be fully funded to support the borough’s most vulnerable and marginalised residents along with recommending that the Council’s support for police use of dispersal orders against sex workers be terminated. It was further recommended that sex worker’s personal information is not shared before they are referred to specialist services. In addition sex workers should be able to access stable emergency accommodation at the point of crisis and that all Council staff working with sex workers are trained to deal sensitively with this vulnerable group.