In a conversation with Quality Assurance Manager Joanne B, you will learn if you can receive help from the Windrush Scheme and the Windrush Compensation Scheme.
Joanne has worked as a Quality Assurance Manager for the Windrush Compensation Scheme since July 2019, and is part of the team responsible for ensuring that all compensation claims are assessed holistically. Prior to this role, she was a member of the Windrush Help Team.
I initially chose to join the Windrush Help Team because my parents are part of the Windrush Generation and I felt an immediate connection to the positive work being carried out by the government to help those that had been affected by the Windrush Issue.
Being of Caribbean heritage, I understood that if my mother hadn’t resolved her status in the1980s, then members of my family might have been one of the individuals calling the Windrush Help Line for support.
I was involved in the creation of the Vulnerable Persons Team, a unit which provides support for individuals who as a result of not being able to access the right paperwork, lost out on job opportunities, healthcare, housing, and other services.
I also worked as part of the Engagement Team, where I travelled across the UK to meet and advise members of the Windrush Generation who were from the Caribbean and countries such as Ghana and Nigeria who had faced serious financial challenges as a result of their status not being recognised. Hearing their stories inspired me to join the Windrush Compensation Team, as I wanted to be part of the group that addressed the wrongs these people had experienced.
If someone is reluctant to engage with me, I don’t take it personally and just give the caller the space they need to offload, let off their anger and frustrations.
And if they aren’t ready to share their story, then I always try to explain that this service was set up purposely to help people in their situation, and advise them to call back whenever they feel comfortable to talk to a member of the team.
From conversations held, I have been informed that people are reluctant to come forward because they mistrust the authenticity of the scheme. Believing that contacting us will lead to some other negative action against them, for example their details being passed on to the Immigration Enforcement team. Which is not the case, as everything discussed is kept in confidence.
Like many jobs, this one has its high and lows; a high could be when we as a team, reap the rewards of all of the hard work we have put in by forming important relationships with customers and organisations, resulting in individuals receiving their status and getting compensation.
The lows can be as simple as taking a call and listening to a harrowing story that has not only affected the life of the caller, but the lives of their entire family.
If I have to give one piece of advice to anybody that has been affected by the Windrush Issue, I’d say pick up the phone; just pick up the phone and call us for help. Even if you don’t have the correct paperwork, or are having difficulty recalling the correct historical events to verify your claim – just call, we are here to guide you through the process.
To learn if you can receive help from the Windrush Scheme and the Windrush Compensation Scheme, even if you are unsure of the documents you need, visit https://windrush.campaign.gov.uk/ or call the FREE helpline 0800 678 1925 for assistance.
Anything you tell the Windrush Help Team will be treated with sensitivity and won’t be passed on to Immigration Enforcement.
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