Launch of the National Mentoring Scheme
27 June 2016
Scottish Mentoring Network, through Iain Forbes, has been actively involved over the last few years in the development of a proposed scheme for care experienced young people. Iain was part of the LACSIG Advisory Group which proposed a National Mentoring Scheme for Looked After Children and Young People with the final report being submitted to the Scottish Government in November 2013.
When Bruce Harkin was appointed by the Scottish Government to take this forward, Iain was on the Working Group advising on how best to develop and introduce the scheme. Inspiring Scotland has been appointed by the Scottish Government as the Fund Manager and will be leading the further development of this national initiative initially aimed at giving support to children and young people aged 8 to 14 who are looked after by their local authority and are living at home.
Scottish Mentoring Network welcomes this move by the Scottish Government to provide much needed additional support to this potentially vulnerable group of young people. We look forward to working with Inspiring Scotland, members and partners to ensure this support achieves its objectives of improving outcomes for these young people.
Inspiring Scotland has released further information regarding the planned launch of the National Mentoring Scheme, which will support young people who are looked after by their local authority and living at home. The programme recognises a young person’s need to have at least one long term relationship with a positive adult role-model. The disruption children face leading up to and on coming into the care system can make this difficult to achieve within a family setting.
Young people who choose to take part in the scheme will be carefully matched with a trained volunteer and together they will build a positive, trusting, supportive and secure relationship. Effective mentoring relationships have been shown to be long term, frequent and regular.
The quality of the programme will be critically important. For example, organisations which receive funding will be expected to have achieved or to work towards the attainment of either the Befriending Networks’ Quality in Befriending Award or the Scottish Mentoring Network’s Quality Award.
Funded organisations will receive on-going support from the National Mentoring Scheme and Inspiring Scotland across a range of issues, such as volunteer recruitment and training, and capacity building. They will also have the opportunity to take part in co-designing approaches to evaluation, and will be expected to take part in agreed evaluation and reporting processes, overseen by Inspiring Scotland.
Eligibility for Funding
OSCR registered organisations interested in applying for funding to support 8-14 year olds who are looked after at home will be encouraged to apply for funding through Inspiring Scotland later this summer. Organisations should consider now what new mentoring support they can offer this group.
Whilst the term mentoring is used to describe the programme because the relationship is intended to have a goal orientation, it is recognised that many organisations deliver this to children and young people within a befriending service.
Applications are therefore encouraged from voluntary organisations with experience of working with vulnerable groups, particularly vulnerable children and young people, and / or providing mentoring or befriending services. Applications from a wider field will also be considered.
The online application process is planned to open by late summer with funding expected to be awarded in Q4 2016.
