About the Project

This research project was developed while I was an external research partner on another research project involving sex workers. During this project it became clear that the street-based sex workers involved were especially frustrated with their lack of inclusion in decisions surrounding their lives. Many were spoken to about this project during its conception and all were incredibly supportive.

Currently, there is little research in the UK on how laws, rules, and policies that impact sex workers are made. The purpose of this study is to gather current and former street-based sex workers’ experiences, perspectives, and understanding of the creation of these, and then use these to together create a model for their creation that allows the greater inclusion of sex workers in this process. For this study, I am interested in your current understanding and perspective on law, rule, and policy-making, what your experiences might be of these processes, and what you think might help (or not) sex workers take part. We will then be using these ideas to create a plan together for an inclusive creation process. You do not need to have any prior knowledge of law, rules, or policy-making, as we will talk about this during the workshop.

It is completely voluntary to take part in this research. 

1. In what ways do sex workers influence (or not) policy-making at local and/or national levels?

a. What are sex workers' understandings and perspectives on policy-making?

b. What are sex workers' experiences of policy-making processes?

c. What current practices inhibit/support sex worker participation in policy-making processes?

2. What does political empowerment and inclusive political citizenship mean and look like to sex workers?

a. What does a co-designed framework to facilitate sex worker input in policy-making look like?

Data will be generated through workshops with participants.

There will be 4 groups of participants taking part in workshops. Each group will have 2 separate workshops. These will last approximately 2 hours each and participants will receive £60 for each workshop (£120 in total).  

All workshops will be closed with just me (the researcher) and other people with experience of street-based sex work in attendance. They will take place at either a support organisation or a community space, whichever you are most comfortable with. 

Data from these workshops will then be analysed by me, with the plans for a more inclusive policy creation process being combined by me to create a final version that will be fed back to you.

All research within the University of Nottingham School of Sociology and Social Policy is assessed by a group called the Research Ethics and Integrity Committee (REIC) to protect the interest of potential participants. 

This project has received a Favourable Ethical Opinion (reference number: 98786) from this committee. 

If there are any ethical concerns, in the first instance please contact me (the researcher). If I have not been able to address your concern, you'd rather not approach me, or you believe my response to be unsatisfactory, please contact the head of the REIC:

Dr Thomas Guiney
thomas.guiney@nottingham.ac.uk
0115 846 8151