One25 is committed to developing strong partnerships and works with around 60 statutory, corporate and charitable agencies. Joint working helps women find routes out of a life trapped in street sex work as well as support for those at risk or in recovery.

One25 prioritises joint-working to eradicate gaps or duplication in support for our service users and remove barriers to accessing the support they need. Our service users benefit greatly from being able to access partner agencies specialist knowledge and care.

One25 is a member of eight local strategy boards and a member of national networks. We have also built up closer relationships with neighbourhood groups to reduce stigma and increase mutual understanding.

For some organisations, working together involves making and/or receiving referrals to connect a woman to support. For example: we might work with a local night shelter to secure an emergency bed for a woman; a support worker from the local authority might direct a woman to us for specialist help if she is street sex-working.

For other organisations, it involves linking up to advocate for the needs of marginalised women. This could be through the Sexual Violence Forum, which One25 convenes, or one of the eight strategic boards we are part of.

Finally, we have collaborative partnerships with St Mungo’s Assertive Contact & Engagement Service (ACE), ARA (Addiction Recovery Agency), and the Changing Futures programme, where our caseworkers work within these organisations and One25 as part of their remit to support women in Bristol who are facing issues with mental health, housing and addiction, and multiple disadvantages respectively.