The council reduce the stigma and exploitation experienced by both on-street and off-street sex workers

Newham Council’s Cabinet has approved a ten-year Sex Work Strategy including a one-year action plan aiming to ‘protect vulnerable sex workers and support the wider community’.

The Council says it is committed to reducing the stigma and exploitation of both on-street and off-street sex workers. Following consultation with relevant organisations, the community and sex workers it is planning a ‘public health’ approach to the issue.

Councillor Neil Wilson, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, said: “The approval of a ten-year Sex Work Strategy is a significant development. I thank the women who took part in our sex worker engagement, which has ultimately helped shape the strategy.”

He said partnership with residents and people with a good understanding of the issues was also important in developing an inclusive approach.

“It is worth noting that while all of the sex workers who engaged with us were women, the approach is also designed to address the needs of male and transgender sex workers.”

Success of the scheme will be judged by its impact in a number of key areas including crime, anti-social behaviour, the opinions of people on estates, and the number of sex workers engaging with services and the outcomes of that engagement. The strategy aims to build on existing work which the Council says has resulted in fewer reports of anti-social behaviour.

The strategy holds that all individuals, including sex workers should feel safe when they are out in the community and in their own homes, while recognising that street-based and indoor-based sex work has a detrimental impact when residents are affected by seeing sex work take place, by noise disturbances, associated litter and the activities of the buyers of sex.

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