About : Our Activities

Networking – UK
UKNSWP supports and promotes regional networking meetings of sex work projects in different parts of the country. UKNSWP also maintains links with other organizations with concerns around sex work. Bilateral networking is promoted through various events such as the annual conference, policy group meetings (see below) and the Regional Forums. Email   briefings and news items relevant to sex work are sent to network members regularly. Networking activity enables the sharing of good practice in the development and delivery of support services.

Networking – International
Patterns of sex work in this country are increasingly affected by developments in the rest of Europe, and elsewhere in the world. It is therefore important for UK projects to have a source of information about developments overseas, and UKNSWP has links with other international networks focussing on sex work. UKNSWP grew out of and is a member of EUROPAP (European Network for HIV/STD Prevention in Prostitution) funded by the European Commission to share expertise and conduct multi-centre research across the EU, and candidate countries. UKNSWP is a member of the European network TAMPEP (Transnational AIDS/STI Prevention among Migrant  Prostitutes in Europe) funded by the European Commission to map trends in migrant sex work and develop multi lingual health promotion materials for migrant sex workers. UKNSWP also has links with the international Network of Sex Work Projects, based in South Africa, and with links across, Africa, North and South America, Australasian, South and South-East Asia.

Under 18’s and Sexual Exploitation
As EUROPAP, the network initiated the National Working Group on under 18s involved in sex work, and regional networking meetings around this issue. UKNSWP can supply Guidelines and protocols for working with this age group.

Good Practice Guidelines & Resources
In 2008 the UKNSWP launched several Good Practice Guidelines and Resources:

• Outreach
• Migrant Sex Workers
• Ugly Mugs
• Exiting
• Male Sex Work

In addition we have produced Resources for Sex Workers and an Online Directory of Services. These are all downloadable from the website: www.uknswp.org.

Policy Group

The UKNSWP has a national Policy group which meets 3 – 4 times a year in different parts of the UK. Given the high volume of central government activity regarding the sex industry over recent years, this group is directly involved in responding, in written form and through direct meetings, to Home Office and police proposals. A core part of this business is also updating on Safety, Violence and Policing. This group has promoted protocols for, and widespread use of the Ugly Mug/Dodgy Punter system for reporting violent attacks.