Mentor me: Mentoring for vulnerable young people
Coaching and mentoring / 04 January 2012
Baseline matches volunteer mentors with young people who have a background in homelessness.
Amy Milne, project co-ordinator of Depaul UK’s Baseline project, tells Edge why goal-oriented mentoring is helping vulnerable young people become more independent
What is it?
Baseline is a mentoring service which matches volunteer mentors with young people in the Tyne & Wear area who have a background in homelessness and need help in making the transition to independent living.
It was originally set up in Newcastle by the Quakers, but as those on the management committee grew older, they looked for a charity to take over its management.
It was acquired by Depaul UK, part of Depaul International, a group of charities that works to support homeless and marginalised people around the world, and the project was revamped with more structure, policies and procedures put in place. It was then awarded the Approved Provider Standard from the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation.
What they do
Amy Milne, who has a background in recruitment and selection, HR, and training and development, is the project co-ordinator and manages all of the volunteer mentors. They range from 18 to 80 years and come from all walks of life. One of the most important parts of her role is ensuring the correct mentor is matched with the young person.
Mentors are put through an extensive training programme to acquire a good understanding of the issues the young people face. “We don’t ask for any qualifications but they must be interested in meeting young people, have good listening skills, an open mind and be non-judgmental,” says Milne.
We don’t ask for any qualifications but mentors must be interested in meeting young people, have good listening skills, an open mind and be non-judgmental.
Amy Milne, project co-ordinator, Baseline
Following an assessment, goals are set which are focused around a range of outcomes based on the Government initiative Every Child Matters: achieve economic wellbeing; be healthy; stay safe; make a positive contribution; and enjoy and achieve.
“Everything we do is goal and solution orientated,” says Milne. “So if a young person wants to achieve economic wellbeing and find a job, the mentor will help them to create and develop their CV and apply for jobs, go to the job centre with them and provide advice on how to budget. We always break down goals and actions, which makes it easier for the mentor to develop the person and makes it look easier for the individual.”
Given that some of the young people can feel isolated and lonely, Baseline also organises group activities for those being mentored.
While the mentors have plenty of scope to devise the best programme for their mentee, Milne says they also welcome the structure built into the project, especially in areas such as feedback and monitoring. Mentors typically supply session notes after every meeting which Milne uses to assess progress. She meets with both mentor and mentee separately and together during the course of the programme.
Why mentor young people?
As testament to the project’s success, some young people have gone on to become mentors with the scheme themselves while two volunteer mentors are now employed by Depaul on other projects.
“The feedback I get from the mentors is that it gives them a massive sense of achievement and they say the biggest thing is seeing the young person’s confidence grow,” says Milne. “They also tell me that it has helped them gain relevant work experience for their own career development. I believe that every workplace could do with the support of peer mentors.”