Staying in touch with Basis:
At the moment please use your regular (mobile) phone contact and/or the office (0113 – 243 0036). You can also get in touch via Facebook and/or Twitter and we will also have netreach (live chat service via our website) up and run (please check our social media feeds for details). We are offering mobile phones for those who need it so they can stay in touch please ask us if this is needed.
We know this is tough time for sexworkers, we aim to support in whichever way is needed and stay in touch with home or outreach visits as much as possible, prioritising those at high risk.
Basis ongoing services:
Managed Approach Evening Outreach: will continue with a drive round service (instead of a static site) offering the same sexual health and food/drink services and will continue to maintain the same hours until further notice. The reason for this is to avoid having women with additional health needs congregating in the confined space of the outreach vehicle. The Police team are also still operational.
Drop in: will not be happening due to the fact that some staff are self isolating and undertaking outreach with women who are most at risk in the community. Additionally, having women with health needs meeting together increases the risk of coronavirus spreading via our premises. We are still doing home visits and people can come to Basis on a 1 to 1 basis to pick up items (food, sexual health supplies, financial support for gas/electricity) or access to services and support. Please contact us on 0113 2430036 , a mobile number of a frontline worker, Facebook, Twitter or our live chat service on the website (see above)
Sexual Health Services:
Are continuing as normal via Leeds Sexual Health although Basis may need to prioritise emergency needs over regular check-ins and may have to re-arrange non-urgent appointments due to a staff member not being available.
SWARM Sex Worker Hardship Fund:
SWARM has set up a hardship fund for sexworkers please get in touch with them to find out if you need additional financial support (@sexworkhive)
Sexwork specific advice:
Information provided to sex workers by the German Federal Government is that doing sex work is currently advised against if:
- you yourself have a chronic illness
- you are over 55 years old
- you live with people over 50
- you live with people who suffer from chronic diseases
We appreciate some sexworkers don’t feel they have a choice – please speak to us if this means you need additional support.
For those sex workers who can, some may be able to reduce or completely avoid body/sex contact for a while, and may consider alternative options within the industry. Web-camming, phone and direct chats, as well as the sale of adult content (photos, videos) on platforms, where no physical contact takes place, may be an alternative.
For those women who will struggle financially, they are encouraged to access Basis’ netreach to be given further advice on making a claim for Universal Credit. However, the 5 week delay may mean women may struggle to obtain immediate financial support (although advances are available where needed as is access to foodbanks and/or food parcels or utility and /or other payments where needed).
Finally… Basis staff are committed to the safety and wellbeing of the people we serve, so any decision taken to adapt or change services will be to ensure women and young people stay safe and well. At such a difficult time, we will do our very best to remain available and in touch with all the people we work with.
Other support Services during Corona Virus
Some local support services may struggle to continue to provide direct services, particularly small ones. We will try to update as much as we can on this but the situation is changing rapidly.
For official guidance on specific COVID 19 health advice please follow this link: