Spectra was invited to speak at the Annual International Homelessness and Inclusion Health Conference in London on 19 March, specifically on our perspective of working with the sex worker community, from a peer-led lens.
Spectra’s sex worker team, the ALEX (Advocate of Lived EXperience) Project, addresses barriers faced by sex workers when attempting to access equitable healthcare. Comprised of sex workers, it is a holistic response to meet demands for sexual health testing, harm reduction, access barriers, and resources.
Sex workers and homeless people often intersect. For example, a sex worker may lose their home if prosecuted for working in the streets, or face eviction when working from home even though sex work in a private property is legal. In addition, a homeless person may sell sex to secure accommodation. We recognise this intersectionality, amongst others (such as trans-ness, racialization, and immigration status) as major factors impacting the overall health outcomes of our service users.
The key strength of the ALEX project is the lived experience input in our services. In their presentation, they outlined how lived experience is central to what we do. The ALEX team has also developed key learnings on approaching the sex work community, including how to:
- deliver outreach tailored to community needs
- embed trauma informed care in practice
- develop best practice training for clinicians
- engage in homelessness prevention through casework
- leading new research, by and for the community
Our aim was for attendees to leave with a greater understanding of how to increase lived experience input, the unique needs of the sex work community, and relevant casework advice.
Find out more about our sex worker-specific services.