From prostitute to legal secretary

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By Jane Elliott Health reporter, BBC News Street workers face violence from clients

Just over a year ago Jo was a prostitute in Northampton.

She faced daily abuse and violence and had been badly beaten by customers.

Her four children had all been taken away from her and she was addicted to crack cocaine after seven years of selling sex.

Today she is finally free of drugs, off the streets and due to start a course to train as a legal secretary.

Off the street

She credits her change in fortune to local organisation Sex Workers Around Northampton (Swan), which aims to get female sex workers off the street.

In the past five years, Swan - funded by several partners, including Northamptonshire County Council, the primary care trust and drug support groups - has encouraged between 120 to 150 women like Jo to give up prostitution.

I now have a lot more respect for myself Jo

"I started working on the streets in my 20s and I am in my mid-30s now," said Jo.

"I used to see the Swan team giving out condoms and used to speak to them.

"It was getting very dangerous on the streets and I had been attacked a few times. I got a broken jaw and broken heel in attacks and there came a time when enough was enough."

Getting a life

And so she turned to Swan for help.

For the past 12 months she has been meeting with the group's support workers on a regular basis and has been put in touch with a host of other services.

At first she started dropping in for complementary treatments, such as accupuncture and hopi ear candles to help her sense of well-being.

But after a while the support workers convinced her to tackle her crack cocaine and parenting problems by going to drop-in centres and having voluntary drug tests.

They liaised with social services to help show that she was clean and ready to be a responsible full-time parent again.

Swan has helped between 120 and 150 women to get off the streets

Jo said the turnaround has been remarkable.

"I looked horrible before. I was skinny and looked gaunt. I would sleep all day and then would go out to work.

"Now I have got one of my kids back and am trying to get the other two back - the fourth has been adopted.

"I do kick-boxing, boxing, self defence and I go to the gym. I feel a lot better, I look a lot better and feel more confident in myself.

"I now have a lot more respect for myself.

"When I got my daughter back I wanted to show a good example.

"I really appreciate Swan. They give you their mobile numbers and are there for you in every way."

Swan was a finalist in the last NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement's Health and Social Care Awards.

Health checks

Sam Benfield, health improvement coordinator at Swan, said Jo's case had been a difficult one.

"It was a really long journey we had engaged with her on and off for four years," she said.

"She had a partner who was very violent and is currently in prison.

"There was a lot of co-dependency, but when her partner went into prison we started to see some engagement from her. She was starting to show she was ready.

"It was a long process of her reducing her sex working and her drugs she was having."

Sam said the sex workers coming to them are sometimes need help registering with a doctor or dentist.

"Health is always the last issue for the women," she said. "They never come in and say 'I need a GP', or 'my teeth are falling out' or 'I have an ulcer on my leg'.

"They come in and say 'I have no money or housing' or 'I am worried about prison' and health issues can be lost, but it is about health as well."