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 have been trained. They are an impartial and independent person that a mentee can turn to for help, informal support, 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.
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.