ILPA Well-being Working Group
The ILPA Well-being Working Group was established in July 2018. The catalyst for its fruition was Mental Health Awareness Week 2018, in which ILPA organised a seminar titled ‘Well-being for Immigration Practitioners’. The collaborators for this seminar included LawCare, Claiming Space and Freedom from Torture. The seminar was well attended and through lively discussions it became evident that the practice of well-being for immigration practitioners is an area that needs attention.
The group meets quarterly and has, since its inception, successfully organised a series of training on vicarious trauma and self-care in collaboration with Claiming Space and Freedom from Torture, an inaugural Well-being Conference in occasion of Mental Health Awareness Week 2019, and an interactive seminar on World Mental Health Day 2019.
Well-being Resources Hub:
The Well-being Resources Hub, curated by this group, continues to grow and can be found here. We hope the Hub provides a valuable resource for ILPA’s Members, collating numerous guides, articles and relevant information.
Mission Statement
The ILPA Well-being working group want to;
(1) raise awareness of the importance of well-being in the professional and personal lives of immigration practitioners;
(2) cultivate a culture amongst immigration practitioners where well-being is discussed openly and not stigmatised;
(3) ensure that all immigration practitioners know where to access help if needed. We aim to do so by providing training, seminars and workshops addressing a variety of topics around the theme of well-being; and by providing a list of resources available to practitioners within and outside the immigration law sector.
Meet the Co-convenors
Emily Heinrich, Wesley Gryk LLP
Emily is a Senior Solicitor with Wesley Gryk Solicitors LLP. Her caseload is a mix of family migration, settlement and nationality, as well as PBS applications and sponsorship compliance. She has been working within immigration law since 2009, trained at Wesley Gryk Solicitors and also spent five years focusing on corporate immigration, with Fragomen LLP. She has been involved with the Working Group since its inception and became a co-convenor in September 2019. Emily feels it is very beneficial to have ILPA, who those in the immigration world turn to for guidance and support, promoting the fundamental importance of well-being.
Deepa Chadha has been an Advice and Training Officer at UKCISA (the UK Council for International Student Affairs) for over thirteen years. Her role involves monitoring, analysing, and interpreting legislation and policy that impact international students, advising on the UK’s immigration law and policies as they relate to students, delivering training and representing relevant sector issues at meetings with the Home Office. Deepa has been a part of the ILPA wellbeing working group since its inauguration, has served as an ILPA wellbeing ambassador and has recently co-designed and run a six-month pilot ‘peer support scheme’ for international student advisers. She is very keen to help develop and promote practices which support ILPA members in doing the work they do.
Deepa Chadha, UKCISA
Aisha Choudhry, Bates Wells
Aisha is an Associate at Bates Wells. She primarily deals with tier 2 applications involving sponsor licences, mergers and acquisitions, strategy and compliance. She is also experienced with sole representative of overseas business applications. Prior to Bates Wells, Aisha worked at EY. Aisha is passionate about well-being in the workplace and is a trained Mental Health First Aider. Aisha is a co-founder and co-convenor of the ILPA Well-being Working Group.
Samia is a dedicated UK immigration lawyer with over 10 years of experience, specialising in advising businesses and assisting individuals with complex visa, settlement, and citizenship applications. She is passionate about promoting well-being within the profession and raising awareness of the unique challenges faced by immigration practitioners. Samia believes that the Well-being Working Group plays a vital role in creating a supportive environment that prioritises mental health and self-care, ensuring practitioners can thrive and deliver the highest level of service to their clients.
Samia Yaqub, IBB Law