Our key recommendations included:

Formalising (and strengthening and supporting) the role of the SWLO; an enhanced toolkit/briefing note relating to sex work and adult sexual exploitation; and potential changes to existing crime recording protocols and risk assessment processes.

Police officers acknowledged strained relationships with sex workers, particularly in on-street contexts. Whilst they demonstrated empathy and a commitment to safeguarding, some were pessimistic about achieving positive outcomes in cases of violence against sex workers.

The role of the SWLO was crucial to (re)building trust and repairing the ‘trust deficit’ that exists between sex worker communities and the police.

Whilst participants described experiencing stigma and discrimination from police, the majority also reported positive police/policing experiences, particularly with the Sex Work Liaison Officer (SWLO).

Sex working participants described life histories that were often marred by violence and abuse in a multitude of contexts, at the hands of multiple perpetrators (including childhood abuse, domestic violence, client assaults and exploitation).

Huge thanks go to all of our participants, and to our partners in the project; @gwentpolice @CyfannolWAid and the Police STAR Fund.

Our research found that: