Gemma Sciré

Chief Executive Officer since October 2015

I lead the organisation, ensuring that we continue to deliver the best possible services for the women and young people we work with. My role involves work with staff and service users, partners and our Board of Trustees to promote the safety and wellbeing of the people we work with, tackling stigma and discrimination.

I am committed to challenging violence, harm and abuse of women and young people and empowering those we work with.

Amber Wilson

Business Development and Marketing Manager since 2014

My role is to identify new opportunities to further meet the needs of our service users and source funding for these, either on our own or through partnerships, raise awareness of and funds in the community for our work as well as advocate for our service users through social media, our website, newsletters etc. I also coordinate and promote our training and awareness raising program.

Emily Turner

Outreach & Support Worker since February 2013 - On Maternity Leave

I support 400 indoor and street working women around safety and sexual health. I co-ordinate the Ugly Mugs scheme. I am ISVA (Independent Sexual Violence Advisor) trained and support women through the court process following serious sexual assaults.

Helina Majid

Health Advocacy & Support Worker

As of May 2018, I started the Health Advocacy & Support Worker role. This involves working with street and indoor sex workers around all aspects of their health, including breaking down barriers and improving access to health services, health advocacy and increasing knowledge and reducing stigma of sex workers when accessing health provision.

Carwen Jones

Young Persons Outreach Worker since March 2014 (on maternity leave)

As a Young Person's Outreach Worker I work 1:1 with girls and young women who are being sexually epxloited or significant risk thereof - building their trust, establishing a relationship, raising their awareness of the risks they are facing and how to reduce these through talking to them about CSE and related issues such as online safety, health relationships, sexual health etc. I also deliver training to other professionals in Leeds and elsewhere to other professionals and deliver awareness sessions in schools about CSE, online safety and consent.

Taylor Austin Little

Independent Sexual & Domestic Violence Adviser (Joined Basis since 2009)

I support women from the Basis Sex Work Project that have experience sexual and domestic violence in specialist support capacity. This can range from supporting their access to other related services to supporting them through a criminal justice process. My role also involves liaising with other professionals and organisations that provide similar services to different groups of women or who provide related services to sex workers in Leeds as well as raising awareness about this service across services in Leeds.

Ruth Shepherd

Project and Outreach Assistant since September 2017

I support the delivery of the projects through a mixture of admin work and direct work with service users through drop in sessions and street outreach.

Devin Kelly

Young Persons Outreach Worker since July 2015

As a Young Person's Outreach Worker I work 1:1 with girls and young women who are being sexually epxloited or significant risk thereof - building their trust, establishing a relationship, raising their awareness of the risks they are facing and how to reduce these through talking to them about CSE and related issues such as online safety, health relationships, sexual health etc. I also deliver training to other professionals in Leeds and elsewhere to other professionals and deliver awareness sessions in schools about CSE, online safety and consent.

Nicky Pickup

Housing First Support Worker

My role involves working with a small case load of six women, where women with complex and multiple needs are offered a stable and suitable home, along with unconditional intensive support that is needs based and client led, in an area where they chose to live. The service provided by Basis is one of the only sex worker specific projects in the country and has met significant needs for women who were previously falling through the gaps of existing services. After a very successful pilot project in 2017 we have now secured further funding for three years to be able to continue to offer the Housing First scheme in collaboration with Turning Lives Around
Further information around Housing First can be found here:
https://basisyorkshire.org.uk/general-news/housing-first-continues-with-tla/

Brenda Hattersley

Finance Manager since 2014 (currently on long term sick leave)

I'm responsible for Financial Management of the organisation which ranges from making payments and sending out invoices for the services or resources we provide, managing salaries, to updating our financial records and accounts , producing financial reports for current projects and helping prepare financial budgets for new proposals.

Moya Woolven

Operations Manager (Joined March 2016)

My role is to manage both Basis Sex Work and Basis Young People team and support them with regular supervision, safeguarding, organisational policies (health and safety, safegaurding etc.) managing external partnerships and monitoring the operational activities of the organisation. This means I'm in a lot of meetings but I also do regular indoor and street outreach.

Kinga Scott

Administrator - On Maternity Leave

I work in both the Leeds and York offices and my job is to ensure the smooth running of the offices and to assist my colleagues as and when required. This can mean anything from answering the phone and responding to online queries, to ordering office supplies, to minute taking; through to dealing with suppliers, booking training sessions, hotels, train tickets, and preparing training packs; to assisting with the recruitment process and producing reports necessary for monitoring and evaluation purposes. I am also a Fire Warden and a First Aider.

Joan Coulton

Joan Coulton - Managed Approach Engagement and Support Officer

I am the Managed Approach Engagement and Support Co-ordinator for Basis. My job is to work with women who are working on the street in the Managed Zone in Leeds and link them with appropriate support and services. I visit women who are in HMP New Hall so that they can leave custody with some support already in place. I work closely with our partners in Housing and Drug Treatment Services to help women with some of the complex difficulties they are experiencing. My role also works closely with our West Yorkshire Police colleagues.

Karen Chapman

Project Coordinator Time 2 since Jan 2016

I am the Project Coordinator for the Time 2…project, managing all aspect of business development for the project - including liaising with project partners, strategic stakeholders and working groups in the county and beyond as well as funders. I carry a small case load of high risk CSE clients, manage training delivery and staff delivery. I also coordinate the evaluation by the University of Bedfordshire.

Laura Green

Young Person's Outreach Worker since Jan 2016

My role as a Young Person's Outreach Worker involves working 1:1 with young people aged 11 - 18 on topics including healthy relationships, staying safe online, emotional wellbeing, reducing risk in relationships and making informed decisions.

Ali Longley

Young Person's Outreach Worker since Feb 2016

I 'm the outreach worker covering York and Selby, working 1 to 1 with individuals aged 11 - 18 in a person-centred approach, offering support in keeping safe, healthy relationships, minimising risk, emotional well-being, reducing risk in relationships and making informed decisions.

Rob Miller

Young Person's Outreach Worker - since March 2016

I'm the Time 2 Project Worker for Scarborough and Ryedale. I work with young people at medium to high risk of sexual exploitation, through bespoke one to one support. Our sessions cover a wide range of subject areas, from recognising and managing risk to making informed and safe choices about relationships and staying safe online and emotional wellbeing.

Fiona Meth

Sessional Outreach Worker

I am a member of the adult team and deliver street outreach once a week. This includes providing information and support to street sex workers in Leeds.

Nicola Hardman

Young Persons Outreach Worker (covering maternity leave)

As a Young Person's Outreach Worker I work 1:1 with girls and young women who are being sexually epxloited or significant risk thereof - building their trust, establishing a relationship, raising their awareness of the risks they are facing and how to reduce these through talking to them about CSE and related issues such as online safety, health relationships, sexual health etc. I also deliver training to other professionals in Leeds and elsewhere to other professionals and deliver awareness sessions in schools about CSE, online safety and consent.

Melissa Connolly

Lionesses Worker

I have just completed the last year of my social work degree. I have recently completed a placement with Basis Yorkshire where I supported the Young Person's team by having a case load where I worked 1:1 with young people at risk of experiencing CSE. Although I have now completed my placement I will continue to run the Lionesses group; a group of young women and girls who have all received support from Basis and are considered to be no longer at risk of CSE. The group acts as a support network and allows us to continue keeping in touch with girls and offering extra support where it is needed.

Gillian Collingwood

Sexual Health Outreach Worker - Maternity cover for Emily Turner

I am covering Emily Turner's role whilst she is on maternity leave. I support 400 indoor and street working women around safety and sexual health as well as co-coordinating the Ugly Mugs scheme.