Joanna (61) is guardian to her nine year old granddaughter who has lived with her since she was two. Joanna’s husband died last June.
They live in Wood Green and Joanna works two days a week as a bus driver.
Joanna’s son initially won custody of his daughter when he split up with her mother. But, Joanna says, he was spending his money on drugs rather than on his daughter. Police and social services became involved and Joanna was eventually given 20 minutes notice to pick up her granddaughter or she would have gone into care.
Joanna then had to get custody.
“Even though she’s your grandchild, you couldn’t just have her,” she says. “You have to go through social services checks, DBS checks. It’s a long process.”
Joanna has worked as a bus driver for 25 years. She was working full time but then her husband was diagnosed with COPD and her granddaughter came to live with them so she went part time. At the beginning of the pandemic, she was furloughed because of her husband’s illness but when he died she had to return to work. She suffers from asthma herself so working through the pandemic in a public facing job means she is at extra risk.
“Put it this way,” she says, “there’s been a lot of bus drivers who’ve passed away. It’s a risk but you’ve still got to work.”
Joanna receives around £200 a month in a small pension from her husband’s job and claims Universal Credit. She can only work two days a week as she has to find childcare for her granddaughter.
Her granddaughter now has a good relationship with her mother who, Joanna says, had a difficult childhood but has now sorted out her life. Joanna’s relationship with her son remains difficult.
But Joanna is happy to have her granddaughter living with her.
“She’s demanding but at the same time she’s a joy and I’m happy to have her. At least I’m not on my own.”