Congratulations to our Support Worker, Jen Willis, on being awarded the OISC Level 1 certificate in Immigration and Asylum and Protection. This award, from the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner, is a very prestigious qualification and was in recognition of Jen completing the Level 1 training course provided by Refugee Action, which started in November last year.
Jen explained what was involved, “the course was excellent and involved 6 full days of interactive training. I was working alongside staff from refugee organisations from all over the UK which enabled us to share valuable experiences and knowledge with each other.”
Following this intensive course, Jen revised hard for around 2 hours each night from November through to February before taking the exams!
“It was a lot of hard work, but I felt very well prepared going into the exam and completed lots of online practice papers beforehand. Having put myself forward for the qualification I was determined to do well, so was delighted when I received the phone call to say that I had passed!” said Jen.
In 2017/2018 519 professionals sat this exam with 198 achieving a pass (38%).
With a Level 1 certificate, Jen will now be able to help our residents with travel documents and to contact the Home Office directly about changes of address. “This is already starting to pay dividends in both saving time and knowing when to pass on enquiries to a Level 2 adviser” she said.
This summer, Jen will commence her Level 2 training which focusses on human rights issues and protection-based applications, for example family reunions.
“I have gained so much from the course particularly with regards to learning a lot about society in general and seeing things from a legal standpoint as to why things are happening. It really makes me feel involved and helps me to keep up to date on legal and immigration matters” Jen added.
Other members of the housing team will soon be undertaking Level 1 training which will further boost the services that we are able to offer to our residents.
“Huge congratulations to Jen on passing her Level 1 OISC exam. This is a great achievement as it is a tough exam and not many people pass first time. This will greatly enhance the service that we can offer our residents as we help them navigate their asylum claim” said Julian Prior, Chief Executive.
PLEASE NOTE: You must be a registered resident in an Action Foundation house to access our immigration advice. If you are not one of our residents’ please contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau or a local solicitor.
