Girls Mentoring Project, Rotherham Youth Justice Service
Summary:
In partnership with South Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, and Rotherham Youth Justice Service, Rotherham United Community Trust created a girl’s mentoring project, delivering a series of workshops, sharing resources and hosting guest speakers to speak to girls.
Description:
Ten female students in year 8 were referred to the girls programme by their school, based on concerns around their behaviour, attitudes, child exploitation and online safety.
Rotherham United Community Trust created a series of workshops and resources, which included topics on hate crime, mate crime, exploitation, healthy eating and the dangers of social media. Alongside this a range of guest speakers were invited to speak to the students on these topics.
Two interventions were delivered each week. The first was a topical workshop in a group setting and the second was individual mentoring sessions which focused on the girls’ individual needs. The students were also invited to evening youth hub sessions, which provide engagement opportunities for children aged 10 to 17. A celebration event has been planned to reward the students for their progress and achievements throughout the programme.
There was significant improvement in students’ engagement throughout the programme, with girls often opening up more to staff during mentoring sessions.
At the start of the project, girls completed the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale to identify their mental wellbeing needs. Following the project, the girls completed this scale and the data suggests an improvement in their overall confidence and optimism.
South Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council helped identify the school and locality where this programme would have the most impact in the community. Regular meetings took place to discuss progress and identify any challenges or concerns.
Overall, this practice cost £9,750, which includes, staffing costs, resources and stationary, travel expenses and the celebration event.
Contact:
| Name | Kelly Robinson |
| Kelly.Robinson@rotherham.gov.uk |