FREE Mentoring Support for People aged 15-35
We think everyone can benefit from an impartial chat with a mentor – especially those without lots of support, at risk of homelessness and struggling to move to independence.
So what have you got to lose? Make a referral and watch them grow!
Making referrals:
- For mentoring support use this referral link here.
- For Norwich Opportunity Area mentoring referrals of year 11 students, please use this link.
- For HMP Warren Hill referrals (all ages) please use this link.
1. What is mentoring?
- Mentors are people over 21 that a person can turn to for help, informal support, money skills guidance, goal setting or just someone to have a coffee with and chat about next steps.
- You can find some FAQs for referrers here.
- And there are some FAQs for mentees here too.
2. Why would a person want a mentor?
- Moving to independence is a really big step for anyone. Even more so if you’ve been in care, don’t have lots of support or are struggling on a low income.
- A mentor can help to bridge the gap and be someone to chat to confidentially about goals, aspirations and difficulties along the way. Mentors can be a vital life-line!
3. What do Volunteer Mentors actually do?
- After successfully completing the two-day training course, being DBS checked and interviewed, mentors are carefully matched to their mentees and make safe arrangements to meet.
- They may meet weekly and no less than fortnightly. The early days are critical to building a relationship and making it work.
- Everyone signs a Code of Conduct and completes a questionnaire to understand more about the support the mentee wants and needs.
- The mentee is in charge of the relationship and decides what they want help with.
4. How does it end?
- We will undertake an end questionnaire with the mentee and usually a final case-study interview.
- This helps us to understand how the mentee has been supported, the difference it’s made as well as reassure the mentee that they are not being abandoned.
- We want to leave them knowing that our door remains open as well as knowledgeable about other avenues of support.
5. Mentors being trained!
Have you checked out Your Own Network yet? This is a website for people moving to independence to create an Argos wish-list to help furnish and create their home.