Mentoring relationships are encouraged to last as long as is beneficial for the young person. At the start you will be encouraged to discuss possible outcomes for the young person and set regular review dates to assess the ongoing need for the meetings. You will be guided throughout the process to acknowledge when support is no longer needed, or that alternative support would be more beneficial for the young person. If it is decided that the mentoring relationship should come to an end, you will be supported through the process of ending the sessions, which will include thoughts, reflection and, where necessary, referral for ongoing or alternative support for the young person. We will then be able to start the pairing process again to link you with another young person.

There may be times where mentoring relationships need to end suddenly due to unexpected circumstances, from the young person or the mentors themselves. We would support both the young person and mentor throughout this process as much as possible and come up with safe and appropriate ways forward.

It is likely that all communication will run remotely via phone or video call, although depending on geography there may be the option to meet in person in the future once restrictions ease. Any in-person work will be fully risk assessed, and have health and safety precautions in place.

If you are delivering a session online, you will need good WiFi/data connectivity, good hardware (ideally a computer with good audio and video), and a confidential space from which to call. If any of these are issues, please let us know so that we can discuss further.

Once you have completed the Proud Mentors training you will be ready to be paired with a young person. This will be done by staff at The Proud Trust and will be based on the information you have provided throughout the application process.We aim to pair Proud Mentors and young people based on a variety of things,such as:

• Shared Interest
• Shared experiences
• Potential for knowledge sharing
• Shared characteristics (e.g. faith, gender identity, race and disability)
• The young person’s preferences

The main responsibilities of a Proud Mentor are:

Regular interactions with young person (approx. 30-45 min at a time)

Creating an agreement with the young person to determine what will becovered in the session

Actively listening to the young person allowing them time and space to speak openly

Providing non-judgmental and non-directive support whilst providing clear, factual and realistic information and guidance

Encouraging the young person to think about their future in a positive and proactive way, setting goals together and regularly checking in on progress

Maintaining confidentiality and following The Proud Trusts’ Safeguarding and GDPR policies at all times

Recording all interactions and flagging any concerns in a timely mannerFor more information of specific responsibilities, please see Mentor Handbook for a full role description.