SMN NEWS: Choose Your Breakout Session for the SMN National Event 2021!
We are delighted to announce that the breakout sessions for our National Event are now confirmed and available to choose from!
The synopses of each breakout session are below, so please read them and then head to Eventbrite to book your place. If you have already booked your place, you can log in to Eventbrite to pick your sessions.
Breakout sessions will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis and we will endeavour to ensure that all delegates can attend their first choice.
For your chosen breakout session, we will be emailing you some reading materials before hand. Please read these in advance because our workshop faciltators will be using these materials as talking points throughout the breakout session.
- Mentoring Activism: what social movements can teach us about developing Mentoring programmes
Synopsis: In this session, I will introduce some key ideas from my recent paper Applying the lens of Social Movements to Coaching and Mentoring, about how activism and organising based on the social movement literature can help us develop our mentoring schemes and reconnect our stakeholders with our scheme's purpose. Whether you run a charity, community or organisational mentoring scheme this session offers new ways of thinking about and practical suggestions for: organising, using our networks, rallying supporters and detractors and articulating the change at the root of our mentoring initiatives.
Dr Judie Gannon, International Centre for Coaching and Mentoring Studies, Oxford Brookes Business School, Oxford Brookes University.
- Mentoring as a solution to the poverty-attainment gap in Scotland: a review of the evidence
Synopsis: Commissioned by the Robertson Trust, this review examines the evidence on the effectiveness of mentoring programmes for children and young people living in poverty. Specifically, the review examines existing UK-based evidence on where, when, how and with whom mentoring programmes work best. A key aim of the review was also to identify gaps in evidence, policy and practice regarding the landscape of mentoring provision in Scotland.
Laura Robertson, The Poverty Alliance
- The Implementation of "Attain": A mentoring scheme for care experienced young people, those at risk of care and young carers in Renfrewshire A report produced for Aberlour and Renfrewshire Council
Synopsis: The Aberlour Attain mentoring scheme was introduced in Renfrewshire to support the educational attainment of young people with care experience, those at risk of care experience and young carers. This project was recently externally evaluated by Stirling University. This workshop will explore some of the conclusions of the evaluation report and invite participants to discuss the recommendations.
Lorna Farmer, Aberlour Attain
- Reflexive Mentors, Reflexive Mentees: Mentor Perspectives of Aspiring & Inspiring Cyclical Mentoring in IMN
Synopsis: The Intergenerational Mentoring Network (IMN) works towards equality of educational outcomes for young people based in Glasgow. Researchers, teachers and local communities collaborate to inform one-to-one mentoring to minimise social-class differences in attainment. The benefits of mentoring for mentees are well documented, but how do mentors themselves experience intergenerational mentoring? How does mentoring impact mentors? Narrative interviews with twenty-five mentors show that a reflexive approach to mentoring is key to developing successful mentor-mentee support and wider mentoring networks. Join us to discuss 'cyclical mentoring' and the benefits of promoting a reflexive approach to mentoring evaluation, future development and how to better support volunteer mentors.
Emily Mann, Intergenerational Mentoring Network
- Mentoring for Children in Care and Leaving Care
Synopsis: Research has shown that the needs of young people in care are often complex. While these professional supports, such as psychology or social work, will be required, research has shown that the availability of informal social support from a trusted adult can also make a significant difference. Our research has found that a supportive growth promoting relationship with an adult mentor has the potential to enable young people in care to cope better and indeed thrive. In this workshop, we present our research findings and facilitate participants to reflect on the messages for policy and practice arising from our research.
Bernadine Brady, Caroline MacGregor, Patrick Dolan
- Exploring Reverse Mentoring; "Win-Win" Relationships in The Multi-Generational Workplace
In this workshop we will be exploring the dynamics and potential of reverse mentoring, using the findings of this research paper. We will use this as an opportunity to pose the question, "What can we now do, and where does it now take us?"
Ian Browne