The role of a mentor sits in a little niche somewhere between teacher, coach, counsellor, adviser and friend. The mentor plays a special role that is not any one of these, while to some degree it is a bit of all of them. The mentor is there to support, encourage, listen, build, advise and be a sounding board for the mentees as they journey through life.  

 A mentor aims to: 

• be a consistent, positive and encouraging role model to the young person. 
• facilitate a journey of self-discovery for the young person. promote positive physical and emotional wellbeing.  
• nurture the young person’s relationship with their peers and family. 
• encourage healthy life choices. 
• help the young person engage positively with school/learning. 
• take a genuine interest in the life of the young person while at the same time recognising appropriate and consistent boundaries. 
• safeguard the wellbeing of the young person at all times whilst responsible for their care. 

Starfish mentors are local corps or community members that are passionate about giving their time to journey alongside a young person in need.  

A Starfish mentor will be required to: 

• Attend mentoring training before commencing mentoring, facilitated by the Children and Youth team.  
• Meet with their mentee once a week for a set period of time. 
• Prepare fun and engaging one-to-one mentoring sessions.1 
• Assist mentees in the setting of, and working towards, their chosen goals/targets. 
• Use the Outcomes Star and Journey of Change to provide a focus for mentoring and to reinforce positive change. 
• Complete ​short ​session notes after every session. 
• Complete ​​additional reports for the school / referring agency. 
• Engage in regular supervision with the Starfish Co-ordinator. 
• Attend multi-agency meetings regarding the young person if required. 
• Have an up to date background check: Enhanced DBS (England/Wales), PVG (Scotland), Access NI (Northern Ireland) and Garda Check (Republic of Ireland) 

In return we provide training in a supportive environment and opportunity to further develop your mentoring skills.

For more information please click on the link here