Mentoring Young People in the Highlands of Scotland

Mentoring

Mentoring is a goal-oriented process that supports informal learning and development. Goals are developed around the young person’s interests, abilities and aspirations.

A mentor is a caring individual who can provide young people with constructive support, counsel, and friendship while encouraging and inspiring them to develop to their fullest potential. You do not need to be a trained social worker or counselor to be a great mentor. Our DAY1 mentors come from all walks of life and include engineers, nurses, call centre managers, health promotion specialists, mechanics, business development managers, retail assistants, firefighters, sports coaches, administrators, production workers and many more. All they have in common is a willingness to learn and a desire to help young people to help themselves.

For 12 months you will meet with your young person (your Day1er) on a regular weekly basis and catch up with them by phone in between times as appropriate.

Before you start mentoring, you will be confidentially screened to ensure your suitability to work with young people and you will also have the opportunity to undertake DAY1’s excellent initial and on-going training in both formal and informal settings.

Having been carefully ‘matched’ with your Day1er, you will first meet with them at the ‘One to One focus’ stage, which is a well managed meeting with the additional presence of the DAY1 coordinator who already knows your Day1er well. DAY1 will almost always seek to make a gender match between you and the person you are mentoring.

Mentoring provides significant benefits. As a mentor, you will be:

	Making a real difference in someone’s life
	Learning about yourself
	Having fun
	Receiving an attractive remuneration for a job well done
	Giving back to the community and contributing to the future
	Learning skills directly relevant to the workplace
	Building your emotional intelligence (sometimes called EQ or Emotional Quotient)

A mentor is a caring, adult friend who devotes time to a young person. Mentors should understand they are not meant to replace a parent, guardian or teacher. A mentor is not a disciplinarian or decision maker for a child.

By sharing fun activities and exposing the young person to new experiences, a mentor encourages positive choices, promotes high self-esteem, supports academic achievement, and introduces the young person to new ideas.

A good Mentor will help their DAY1 young
person (their ‘Day1er’) by...

	Being a good listener and giving good feedback
	Acting as a role model, i.e. leading by example
	Building a warm sense of trust and non-judgemental friendship
	Helping them to set realistic goals and a plan to achieve them
	Encouraging them to develop to their fullest potential
	Focusing on the Day1er’s needs and NOT your own wants
	Encouraging a sense of ‘can do’ and positive thinking
	Helping them to improve their pride in themselves
	Being reliable and well organised, i.e. doing what you say you are going to do
	Maintaining a steady presence in the life of your Day1er
	Encouraging the adoption of life skills such as decision making, time planning and goal-setting
	Organising some fun activities which allow some focus to be made on the Day1er’s needs

A good mentor will be able to call
upon a range of skills including:

	Good listening and communication
	Empathy
	Creative use of activities
	Understanding of the value of goal-setting
	Being able to see solutions and opportunities
	Being well organised
	Motivational and inspirational
	Consistent
	Calm and patient
	Positive in your outlook on life
	Willingness to learn and train
	Commitment to your Day1er
	Helping find work opportunities (full training & detailed practical support available)