Horizons
- Mentor Role Description
· To meet the mentee at least once a month (but preferably once a fortnight) for a period of one year.
· To develop a supportive, non-judgemental relationship with each young person involved, in which they can explore their aspirations concerning their education, work, and social life.
· To prepare an informal agenda- topics for discussion, learning activities and/or action points for each meeting, including printing out the necessary forms to take to the session (however, mentor should be flexible and be guided by the mentees needs).
· To help the mentee to find ways of improving their school performance, and where necessary, setting targets to be regularly reviewed during mentoring sessions.
· To assist the mentee to investigate future careers and college requirements, with the emphasis on encouraging them to gather information for themselves.
· To help provide opportunities for the mentee to improve their understanding of the world of work, through visits and discussions.
· To provide general support and constructive feedback to the mentee regarding their expectations, performance and behaviour.
A mentor is required to complete and submit the following:
· A Personal Development Plan (PDP) completed with the mentee and signed by both mentor and mentee at the first mentoring session and at the six, nine and twelve month points.
· A contact sheet each time you have contact with the mentee.
· A final mentee assessment, signed and submitted at the end of the mentoring relationship (12 months).
All of the above documents need to be submitted in one of the following ways:
o Original document submitted to the designated lead person at the mentees school
o Scanned in and emailed to the project coordinator
o Original document posted to project coordinator, using stamps provided.
A good mentor possesses the following qualities:
· A positive, non-judgemental and patient attitude towards young people
· A desire to help in the educational and personal development of young people.
· Good communication skills and a willingness to strengthen listening and facilitation skills.
· A respectful attitude towards people of different educational, economic, cultural and racial backgrounds.
· An ability to handle personal information sensitively.