The SMN annual Recognition Awards are designed to give recognition to mentoring projects that have made a significant impact in their area and are open to members of SMN.
History
The awards began in 2010 and have been presented to outstanding projects and individuals each year since. Award applications are invited from members in late Summer / early Autumn. All received applications are then assessed by an awards panel with knowlegde and expertise in mentoring and in the various sectors our members work in. The winners of our Recognition Awards are announced each year as part of our National Networking Event which is usually held in October or November.
Our Annual Recognition Awards are designed to give recognition to member mentoring projects and individuals that have made a significant impact over the past year. The awards, now in their ninth year, are open to all members of Scottish Mentoring Network. For 2019, SMN have decided to introduce set categories that projects can apply for.
Eligibility
- Any organisation that is a member of Scottish Mentoring Network is eligible to apply for the Recognition Awards.
- An organisation with more than one mentoring project can, if they wish, submit an application form for each project.
Award Categories
Award for Outstanding Practices in Safeguarding
The winning project in this category will have demonstrated that safeguarding is a key element of their mentoring programme. They will have evidenced in their application how safeguarding for their mentees, mentors and staff is embedded into the ethos of their mentoring project. Reference to the Scottish Mentoring Network Good Practice Guide’s Quality Practice Element 6: Active Safeguarding is desirable.
Award for Outstanding Practices in Mentor Development and Support
The winning project in this category will have demonstrated that they use a variety of techniques to support their mentors and their personal development needs. They will have evidenced in their application that they provide a sufficient level of support, supervision and recognition for their mentors. Reference to the Scottish Mentoring Network Good Practice Guide’s Quality Practice Element 4: Providing Committed Mentors is desirable.
Award for Outstanding Practices in Staff Training and Development
The winning project in this category will have demonstrated that they prioritise staff training and development when planning and implementing their programme. They will have evidenced in their application that they have implemented robust staff training, induction, performance management and self-evaluation practices. The judging panel will also be considering how the staff are encouraged to explore their personal and professional development and evidence of how this effects the culture of the organisation. Reference to the Scottish Mentoring Network Good Practice Guide’s Quality Practice Element 5: Employing Skilled Staff is desirable. References to any staff member having attended one or more of Scottish Mentoring Network’s training courses is also desirable.
Award for Most Promising New Project
The winning project in this category must be a new project which has been developed in the last 18 months. This can be a new project which sits within an existing organisation. The winning project will have evidenced that they have already demonstrated a dynamic and innovative approach to mentoring or will have demonstrated their commitment to implementing Quality Mentoring Practices.
Award for Championing Mentoring and Best Practice Sharing
The winning project in this category will have demonstrated their commitment to partnership working with other organisations, in order to share their experience of running a mentoring programme. This organisation will be active in championing mentoring at events and across a variety of media.
Project of the Year Award
This award will be presented to an organisation who has demonstrated excellence across all Quality Practice Indicators and is considered an example of a project which strives for excellence.
Mentor of the Year Award
All projects that submit an application will be given the opportunity to nominate an individual mentor who has made a special contribution over the past year to receive recognition and their own award at the National Event. The mentor nominated may be a member of your staff team if they fulfil the role of mentor. Organisations can only submit an application for Mentor of the Year if they have nominated a project for a category award.
Assessment
- After the closing date for receipt of award application forms, the assessment panel will meet to review all received applications and select the winning projects and individuals.
- If the assessment panel has any questions about your application or project you may be contacted for further information.
Important Information
- The Deadline for submitting Award Applications is 12 noon on Wednesday 2nd of October 2019.
- If you would like to be considered for more than one award category, please submit a separate application form for each category because you will need to demonstrate how you meet the criteria for each award.
- Assessment for the overall awards will be based on the evidence from the category awards.
- The Winners will be presented at the SMN National Event at St Paul’s & St George’s Church in Edinburgh on Wednesday 13th November 2019. We will be contacting winners in advance of the event to ensure that a representative from the winning organisations can attend.
- The winners of the Outstanding Practices in Safeguarding, Outstanding Practices in Mentor Development and Support and Outstanding Practices in Staff Training and Development will be asked to form a discussion panel. This discussion panel will be involved in a Q&A session during the National Event.
To download the 2019 Guidance Notes click here
To download the 2019 Application Form click here
Details of previous award winners can be found on the award pages for each year.
