DAY MENTORS + TRAINERS
DAY1 Mentors
DAY1 is nothing without our mentors. We have an ever growing number of people (300+ ) in the local community aged from 18 to 75 years, who have acted as DAY1 mentors and this number is ever growing. Our mentors come from all walks of life and include engineers, nurses, call centre managers, health promotion specialists, mechanics, business development managers, retail assistants, fire-fighters, sports coaches, administrators, production workers and many more.
All are fully trained in the skills required to act as a mentor and most find that their DAY1 training impacts positively and directly on their working life too.
Many of our mentors are now beginning a fifth, sixth or even eleventh year of mentoring and they are providing a wonderful focused and positive contribution not only to their individual young person but also to the wider community as well.
Training Personnel
Our trainers include: youth work experts, a training coordinator, an educationalist, business people, a clinical psychologist, a child protection expert, an ‘inspirational’ speaker, past DAY1 mentors, outdoor instructors and more.
Gillian has over 20 years experience in children’s services. Working with the “Highland Children’s Forum” from 2004-2011, Gillian has supported the participation of children with additional support needs involving them in service evaluation and policy development.
She was seconded on the to Getting it Right for Every Child Highland Pathfinder team, developing the business processes, guidance and training programme for the voluntary sector.
Gillian now works as an independent participation professional carrying out consultation and action research with service users and other stakeholders as part of influencing policy and service provision. She is also a part-time lecturer with Inverness College, provides staff training to other organisations in participation and person-centred planning and mentors young people with additional support needs.
Currently Gillian is working towards an MSc Health and Wellbeing and a Further Education Professional Development Award.
Gillian Newman (BA Hons Child and Youth Studies)
Dr Emma Burton BSc. Hons, D.Clin.Psychol.
Emma started her working career as a French Polisher then quickly developed an interest and skills in advanced woodworking and ran her own fine cabinet making business for five years. Looking for a new challenge, Emma became a volunteer mentor with “Off the Record”, an agency set up to support people through the transition from school to work and independent living and this lead to further work as a mentor in schools running workshops for children and young people experiencing hardship. This experience triggered an application to Stirling University and a career in Psychology, eventually leading to her gaining a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Edinburgh.
Emma’s experience is broad, having worked in the NHS mental health service since 2004. This has involved adult mental health, older adult’s mental health, adults with learning disability, autistic spectrum disorders and neuropsychology, with occasional medico-legal work thrown in for good measure. Her current and specific interest is in clinical psychology for children, young people and their families. She currently holds a part-time post in the NHS and runs her own private practice offering therapeutic interventions to help improve the physical and or mental well being of individuals experiencing psychological difficulties.