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Belle
Isle
Mentoring Scheme
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Belle
Isle Foundation,
Enterprise
Way, Middleton Road, Leeds LS10 3DZ. Tel: 0113
2760008
foundation@belle-isle.co.uk
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on this menu to view the different sections. Scroll to view
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www.belle-isle.co.uk/bif
Historical development of
mentoring scheme
The
Mentoring scheme as established in 1995; click on Mentoring
Menu button above for information on current
scheme.
This
description of the initial mentoring scheme is included here
so that others can gain an understanding of how the approach
has developed over the last 5 years.
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Role
of mentor
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The Work &
Learning Club ran a mentoring scheme since the
project began in 1995. People who undertook
projects were allocated a mentor who helped them to
complete their project.
Mentors
advised, encouraged & supported the project
participant, sometimes accompanying the person
somewhere they might not have the confidence to go
alone, sometimes acting as an advocate on their
behalf.
Mentors were
recruited from a wide variety of backgrounds and
expertise - university lecturers, managing
directors, football coaches, community workers,
Work & Learning Club project graduates, people
who worked as volunteers in the local
community.
Mentors were
offered training and support and the scheme
developed a set of guidelines and a philosophy
based on experience.
As far as was
known, our particular scheme was unique in this
country at that time.
Mentor Job
Description
- To meet
with Project participant/s at the start and end
of their project.
- To
accompany participant to panel meeting for
approval of their project if they should
wish.
- To contact
the participant at least once monthly during the
course of their project.
- To provide
support, encouragement and advice to the
participant/s.
- To provide
evaluative feed-back to the
participant/s.
- To identify
possible next steps with
participant/s.
- To help
participant/s produce a Project Report on
completion.
- To fill in
an evaluation form at the end of the
project.
- To
undertake initial mentor training within six
months, further training whenever possible and
to join the mentor group.
Support,
training and development functions would be
provided by the Work & Learning
Club.
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The
mentor/ participant relationship
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Each person or
group undertaking a project with the Work &
Learning Club (WLC) was matched with a mentor,
taking into account principally the needs of the
mentee and the nature of the project. WLC also took
into account other relevant factors such as age,
status, race, religion, gender, etc.
Introductions:
the project worker arranged for the mentee to
contact the mentor to organise an initial meeting.
A personal introduction might be suitable in the
first instance.
The
mentoring relationship: each relationship
between a mentor and mentee should start with an
informal contract. Both parties should:
- agree on
the job they have to do together
- clarify
what each can expect from the other
- discuss
confidentiality
- be clear
about what happens if the relationship breaks
down, or is not working for some reason be
reliable.
The
mentee could expect:
- to be
treated with respect
- to be able
to trust their mentor
- to receive
appropriate advice, encouragement, information,
and support
- that the
mentor maintained contact with them, according
to the informal contract agreed between the
parties
- that the
mentor might be able to act as an advocate or
intermediary on behalf of the mentee if this
should be appropriate.
The mentor could expect:
- to be
treated with respect
- to receive
adequate training, support and information from
WLC
- that the
mentee abided by the informal contract agreed
between both parties where possible
- that the
mentee contacted the mentor when they needed
to.
The WLC
could expect:
- that the
mentor would provide the service they had agreed
to
- that the
mentor would abide by the policies of the
WLC
- the mentor
would participate in training events and group
meetings where possible
- that the
mentor might also be an advocate on behalf of
the WLC with their own organisation where
appropriate.
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Training
examples
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Mentor
Initial Training Day Programme
9.30 am
Introductions: Work & Learning Club
background.
10.00 am What
mentoring means. What qualities are necessary for a
good mentor. What do mentors do.
11.00 am
Coffee/tea
11.15 am
Aspects of communication. What are the main
problems we might have? Obstacles to good
mentoring.
12 noon Code of
practice for mentors. Principles and
Guidelines.
12.45 pm
Evaluation. What issues has this raised? What areas
would you like more training in?
1.00 pm Close
and lunch.
Timetable
for Mentor Group Meeting
10 am Arrivals:
coffee, biscuits
Introductions:
name, whether you've been a mentor for us yet,
brief description of who you mentored
Case
discussions: any problems
10.30 am South
Leeds Job Centre Worker coming to explain
Job Seekers Allowance
11.00 am A look
at mentor relationships.
Exercise: who
do you go to for help?
Flip chart:
a) mentoring v other forms of teaching/development
relationships
b) components of successful mentoring.
12.00 noon
Close
Mentor Further Development Programme
Aims of the
day: to increase our understanding of obstacles
participants may face and to discuss strategies for
tackling them.
9.30 am
Introductions: to each other and the theme of the
morning. Issues for further training and discussion
which recur are:
challenge
feedback
preventing mentoring from becoming a cosy chat ie.
keeping people focused
being realistic but not discouraging
dealing with conflict
10.00 am Goal
Setting:
write up 3 stages on flip chart
write up 3 characteristics on flip chart
ask for an example to illustrate each
characteristic.
Give handout.
Coffee
Break
11.15 am
Achieving Goals - Motivation:
draw Maslow's triangle on flip chart
Discuss consequences for the mentor
Illustrate with group's own experiences
12 noon Giving
Feedback:
What have been the problems with giving
feedback?
What have you done about them?
Give handout.
Being assertive - handout? (If appropriate.)
Constructive criticism.
12.45 pm
Evaluation of the day.
1.00 pm
Lunch.
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