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Luton: Support for women involved in on-street sexual exploitation

Led by Luton Borough Council’s public health team and Bedfordshire Police, a wide variety of organisations are working together to improve the support for women involved in on-street sexual exploitation in Luton. They have developed a 10-year strategy and action plan which aims to reduce the harm and impact from on-street sexual exploitation and support women into routes out of it.

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The challenge

The harm caused by on-street sexual exploitation is significant, both for the people being exploited and for the local community. Women involved in sex work experience some of the worst health outcomes, often against a background of trauma, abuse and domestic violence. 

In January 2023 it was estimated that there were approximately 111 women involved in on-street sex exploitation in Luton. Not all of these women engage with support services. The activity is most concentrated in central Luton, with between 28 and 38 women being exploited here – although the true number could be much higher. Over half of the women involved are homeless. In 2024, the average price paid for sex in was £10-12. Transactional sex is also seen – for example in exchange for somewhere to sleep. 

A cohort of local men exploit women using coercive control, drugs and/or violence to exert physical control. Most of the exploited women have experienced multiple adverse childhood experiences and have unresolved trauma. Many are experiencing drug and alcohol dependency, mental health issues, vulnerable housing status, domestic abuse, or have been in the criminal justice system. 

For residents, this activity is a significant concern and one that people regularly contact local councillors about. Residents report feeling threatened, intimidated and being propositioned by both women selling sex and men seeking to buy it. Reports include increased anti-social behaviour such as litter (such as condoms and syringes), increased noise and traffic, and the visibility of people publicly engaging in sexual activity and drug dealing. 

A strategy and action plan

This ongoing concern led to renewed efforts by local partners to look at how the situation could be improved. This work is being led by Luton Borough Council’s public health team and Bedfordshire Police. It involved setting up a strategic partnership group with a broad range of organisations and agencies – including council services (such as adult social care and the neighbourhood operations team), mental health, GPs, hospital services, drug and alcohol services and Azalea, a local voluntary sector organisation providing support to people affected by sexual exploitation. 

Nicola Ainsworth, Luton’s Public Health Consultant, explained: “We wanted to bring all the partners together to try to improve the outcomes and life circumstances for this cohort of women, as well as addressing the community concerns around anti-social behaviour. We want to support women to exit – and if they’re not able or willing, then to support them with their health and other needs as best we can.” 

The Luton partners decided to use the term ‘on-street sexual exploitation’ rather than alternative terms such as sex work. The women see themselves as ‘working girls’, and this can create a challenge in trying to support people who do not see themselves as being exploited. 

It was important to listen to the voices of the women and their experience and needs, so the University of Bedfordshire was commissioned to do some research. They interviewed a small number of women and asked questions including what help would ensure they no longer had to engage in sexual exploitation, and what support would help them to have better, healthier and safer lives. 

Local partners were then invited to a workshop to learn more about the issue, explore ideas on how to achieve their shared objectives, and create an action plan to take this work forward. 

Next steps

The findings from the workshop and the research have been developed into the Luton on-street sexual exploitation 10-year strategy (2024-34). This is supported by an action plan setting out how the partners can make real change, along with a charter of agreement for partner organisations to sign up to. 

The strategy includes six strategic objectives: 

  • identifying the problem 
  • developing routes out 
  • improving health outcomes
  • prevention and early intervention 
  • community intelligence 
  • tackling demand and disruption. 

The ambition of more than 60 actions includes better wrap-around support to help women to exit (including, in an ideal world, crisis accommodation); more trauma-informed accessible health services for women; better funding for Azalea to enable more outreach work; and stepped-up police patrols to address the issue of sex buyers. The biggest challenge is to now identify funding for the action plan. 

The partners have formed five organisational delivery groups which will work to deliver the actions. A multiagency steering group has been created to provide strategic direction, chaired by public health and Bedfordshire Police. The Community Safety Partnership has oversight of the work and will receive regular updates. This will ensure a good governance structure and a framework for evaluating impact and outcomes on a regular basis. 

Luton’s strategy and action plan were agreed in the summer of 2024, so this work is at an early stage. The partners regularly attend community meetings to hear people’s concerns and keep them updated on progress. Recent feedback from local residents is that they can see action is being taken and the situation is already beginning to improve. 

Contact

Nicola Ainsworth, Public Health Consultant: [email protected]