Youth Justice Mentoring Project – Stoke-on-Trent YJS (November 2020)

Summary:

Description of the role of volunteer mentor in Stoke-on-Trent YJS.

Description:

Stoke-on-Trent YOS have a bank of volunteers from a wide age range and experience to support children by acting as a positive role model and helping them to desist from crime by finding alternative ways to spend their time.

Mentors are relationship focused in their approach and use pro social modelling to support children into a crime-free life full of positive opportunities. The scope of what a Mentor can do with a child is pretty finite from accompanying them to the gym to accessing the library, teaching them to cook or to just simply be a listening ear.

Attached below in a word document are:

  1. volunteer mentor person specification – that describes some essential requirements that the volunteer must be able to demonstrate to be suitable for the role.
  2. volunteer job description – that describes the duties and responsibilities of the volunteer mentor.

Implementing the practice:

  • Case Managers refer for a Mentor.
  • Mentors are matched appropriately by the Mentor Coordinator based on interests, gender and need for the child.
  • The Mentor meets with the case manager to agree a programme of intervention and then begin building a relationship with the child. This is very needs led and is designed to have no time limit; however, there should be regular reviews and Mentors must submit a written contact sheet after every session outlining its content.

Contact:

Youth justice service: Stoke-on-Trent youth justice service
Name: Lindsay Leech
Email: lindsay.leech@stoke.gov.uk