Service provided by Changing Lives GAP MAP Project
Changing Lives GAP & MAP Project
GAP MAP: Exploitation & Sex Work: Northumbria & Durham Force areas
• Changing Lives has longstanding experience of supporting people who are victimised for exploitation, which began 14 years ago with our dedicated services for women with existing vulnerabilities who are being systematically targeted for sexual exploitation.
• Over the years, our services have evolved to meet the needs of the people we support, who may be affected by various forms of exploitation, including labour exploitation and criminal exploitation.
• We specialise in supporting people with pre-existing vulnerabilities, including experiences of poverty, social exclusion, homelessness, and trauma. We know that these vulnerabilities place people at increased risk of harm, including various types of exploitation.
• We take a person-centred approach and strengths-based approach, focusing on how we support people with their own unique needs. We want to make it as easy as possible for people to access support, advocating for a ‘one front door’ model supported by specialist support where it is needed.
• Sometimes, this support comes from within our own specialist teams who work with people with pre-existing vulnerabilities and who are experiencing sexual exploitation, labour exploitation and/or criminal exploitation. In other circumstances, we work in partnership with others (for example, STAGE partners working with black and minoritised women, and charities supporting young people affected by county lines), as well as other agencies such as adult safeguarding, the police and health services.
• We believe that this approach – one front door, with joined up working from across specialist services – enables us to provide a holistic offer of support to people facing exploitation while still retaining our areas of specialism that have proven successful over time. For example, we see in our services that sexual exploitation is the most common presenting need, requiring a gender-informed response to support this group of women.
• We support people with experiences of selling and exchanging sex or sexual content providing practical and emotional support tailored to your needs.
Client group: People aged 16+
Area covered: Across Northumbria, including Northumberland, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Gateshead, Sunderland. South Tyneside and Durham.
People can be referred from a supporting agency, peer, family or self-refer.
Referral Information
Address: Changing Lives, GAP / MAP project, St Margaret’s Church, Heighley Street, Newcastle, NE15 6AR
Tel: 07812 665042
Referrals Offered:
- This service offers Booking referrals
- This service does not offer Drop-in referrals
- This service does not offer Electronic referrals
- This service does not offer Other – See referral information referrals