Mentoring
A trained volunteer mentor offers guidance to a young person by building a trusting relationship and modelling positive behaviours in a fun and caring environment.
A mentor offers the young mentee a safe place to discuss any issues and supports them to access new experiences, explore interests and develop new life skills.
The mentor and mentee relationship is an opportunity for the mentee to improve their:
Self-confidence
Resilience
Emotional wellbeing.
Young people are referred into the mentoring scheme through school, professionals, or parents.
“Thanks a million for always being a voice of reason, compassion and common sense. We will always be grateful to you.”
How does it work?
A mentor meets with their mentee on a regular basis, usually for an hour once a week. It is a joint decision between the mentor and mentee what they do with their time. This is often based on the mentee’s interests and hobbies, what is available in the community and what they feel comfortable with, but it could be to go for a walk, enjoy a hot drink and snack or perhaps visit a local place of interest.
A trained mentor commits to taking on the role for a year, providing the young mentee with regular, consistent support.
The Mentee
A young person, of 8-years and over who is experiencing:
Issues with making or keeping friendships
An early target of low-level bullying
Early anxieties (overly worries)
Low-level issues with their family.
A mentee will come to Kids Inspire in one of two ways:
By a member of our clinical team as a ‘step-down’ service
A young person may have already received a therapeutic intervention through Kids Inspire and the therapist, in consultation with parents, may feel that they would benefit from further non-therapeutic support in the form of a mentor.
By school, a GP, a local mental-health service or by a self/ family-referral
Each young person referred will be assessed by an experienced therapist to be sure of suitability for this service and to find them a match with a trained mentor.
“Being able to give my mentee some time, a listening ear, understanding and sometimes a shoulder to lean on is a privilege. And if we have fun as well, we both have an even more rewarding experience.”
Make a Referral
Do you know a young person who may benefit from 1:1 mentoring with a peer or adult?
Fill in this form and a member of our team will get back to you.
Mentoring leaflet
Interested in training to be a mentor? Download our leaflet.
Hear from mentors
An insight into being a mentor.
Joseph’s story
Joseph has recently received mentoring support.