In its report on Youth Mentoring, the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) makes a number of statements about the effectiveness of mentoring which the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation (MBF) disputes.
As an organisation representing 3,000 plus mentoring and befriending organisations, we are aware of many examples of successful mentoring programmes including many programmes working with disaffected young people to which the CPS report refers.
Mentoring programmes when well managed and appropriately resourced can have a positive effect on young people. Mable Kong-Rawlinson, Mentoring Co-ordinator at the National Skills Academy has direct experience of the difference mentoring can make and said:
“ Over the years I have been working on the programme, I have seen hundreds of students greatly benefit from mentoring, including gaining jobs, going to better universities, gaining a greater understanding of the business world, as well as significant increases in their confidence and self-esteem.”
Mentoring can work for those without consistent support in their life; mentors can act as excellent role models providing young people with a positive perspective on life. Mentors are not expected to replace professional workers or indeed parents but to provide young people with an additional support at a time of transition or need.
Mentoring is not a panacea to solve all ills for young people, MBF has always stated that it works best as part of a wider package of support rather than a stand-alone intervention. The range of mentoring approaches available should vary depending on the needs of the young person.
MBF works with many organisations to advise on the role that mentoring can or cannot play supporting young people. More recently, we have been working with the DCLG REACH team to develop their black male role model programme and we are also managing a national programme on behalf of the DCSF to look at how peer mentoring can be sued to support anti-bullying strategies in schools.
Research evidence highlighted within the CPS report suggests a negative picture. Further investigation however often concludes that when programmes are structured and reflect programme aims, the impact is high on the young person.
In 2004 the Joseph Rowntree Foundation research which focused on ‘Mentoring Plus’ found that positive interventions can be made that help bring about fairly substantial changes in the lives of even the most highly disaffected young people.
More recent research in 2007, based on a national mentoring pilot for looked after children, funded by DCSF and in which MBF was a partner found that the findings are relatively conclusive in terms of highlighting mentoring as a positive intervention for looked after young people.
Peter Collins, Chief Executive of MBF has always recognised and argued for more robust research into the benefits of mentoring.
“I encourage projects to evaluate impact to add to the growing evidence of how mentoring and befriending can work effectively. I would also welcome some longitudinal research studies.”
The CPS report suggests that mentoring should be a highly skilled intervention. Whilst it is important that mentors are well equipped to undertake the role we should however recognise that the mentor is a lay person providing a unique perspective ideally borne out of their own experiences and this does not require formal qualifications.
This, and the fact that the position is voluntary enhances their status in the eyes of the mentee and this should not be lost. This is the very essence of the diversity of mentoring, doing what the voluntary sector does best, meeting the personal needs of young people for additional support.
The valuable and positive work that is being carried out up and down the country to support young people cannot be dismissed and there is a wealth of impressive anecdotal evidence.
One example of a successful mentoring outcome is in the case of Emma* who has made huge progress in her life.
“My mentor has been great, as has everyone else who has helped me, because it is almost impossible to do it on your own”.
She now has her own place, no longer shoplifts and has a new partner. She is unequivocal about the benefits of having a mentor:
“I would like to tell [the Prime Minister] how important it is to have somewhere to go to and someone to support you when you first come out of prison. Everyone who leaves prison should have access to a mentor like mine.” She continues: “I feel like a real citizen now and we are paying our bills. By next year, I want to be in college; and when I am over everything that has happened to me, I want to get a job. One day I would like to be a mentor, so I can help someone like me.”
MBF strongly believes that mentoring is not a sticking plaster, programmes can have lasting impact when effective. MBF promotes good practice through its quality standard the Approved Provider Standard as well as through its training and resources.
