Peer mentoring scheme prevents problems escalating
Joanne Parkes
Tuesday, April 27, 2021
More than Mentors trains young mentors in school and community settings to support other young people.
- The initiative’s aims include a reduction in early- or low-level mental health issues before a specialist referral
- The London-based scheme has paired 1,294 mentors and mentees since 2016, with an improvements in mental health reported
ACTION
Young people aged 11 to 16 and who are suffering early or low-level emotional and psychological distress, have a route to evidence-led support through the “More than Mentors” peer mentoring programme.
The model, co-produced by University College London Partners – the largest academic health science centre in the world – and delivered by social action charity Community Links, normally matches mentees with slightly older mentors aged between 12 and 20 years old.
Since a 2015 pilot launched in the London borough of Newham, the charity has delivered the model in various forms there and in the boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Haringey and Hackney. The programme was funded by the Department of Health and Social Care between 2016 and 2019 and more recently it has been funded by clinical commissioning groups, a local education service and the Youth Endowment Fund, which helps to target the work.
The initiative has been delivered in some form in all of Barking and Dagenham secondary schools at some point, while other boroughs have worked on more tailored strategies to meet the needs of specific schools or after identifying vulnerability around transition from primary school.
Youth workers, who provide the mentor training, are supported by clinical supervision from the Newham CAMHS (child and adolescent mental health services) team within East London Foundation Trust.
The mentors benefit from training, development of leadership skills, goal building and a role in their communities and those aged 14 and older have an opportunity to qualify in peer mentoring to Level 2.
Community Links programme manager Jason Turner explains: “The first step is making sure staff within the settings have a good understanding of the programme, our aims, objectives and potential impact.
“This is critical in supporting staff when thinking about the ages or year groups of young people taking part and raising awareness around young people who may be better suited to a peer mentoring intervention.”
Mentors are drawn from participating schools and youth settings and can either put themselves forward, or professionals may refer them if they feel they have the “skills, capacity and interest”, says Turner.
Drawn from the same school as mentees, mentors are given two full days’ worth of training before the mentoring relationship begins, with ongoing refreshers.
Training is normally provided by year group, and always by qualified youth workers, who also facilitate the mentoring sessions.
Youth workers train mentors in five core competencies that are based on established therapeutic principles (see box).
These underline the importance of relationships, resilience, and identifying negative core beliefs, and teach strategies for overcoming difficulties.
Training uses roleplay, self-reflection, discussion, debate and group work that supports future mentors to understand, challenge and shape their own reasoning.
Turner says: “Training enables the mentors to practice skills and techniques which they will use during the one-to-one mentoring phase, equipping mentors with the resources to support a young peer.
“Youth workers continually assess the mentors’ skills and their understanding of the five competencies and how to structure their mentoring sessions.”
Self-referral for peer mentoring is always an option open to young people and the programme is promoted directly to them in school assemblies, workshops and taster sessions.
“That may not work for all potential mentees and so staff can identify those who they feel would benefit from receiving mentoring from an older peer,” says Turner.
Expression of interest forms from mentors and mentees are screened by youth workers and supported by the clinical team before parental consent is gained.
Mentors are interviewed to assess their suitability and motivations for mentoring a younger student and mentees meet youth workers who provide reassurance about their participation.
This is followed by a “mixer session”, where matching takes place. “The session is designed to enable mentors and mentees to begin establishing relationships, building connections, confidence and getting to know each other,” says Turner.
During the session, “best fit cards” are filled out by the young people who indicate their preferences.
This is combined with youth worker observations and discussions with the clinical team, before the pairing is shared with school link staff for approval.
Over 10 weekly sessions lasting around an hour each, the mentor and mentee talk in their own space within a room.
A youth worker is present but the content is “young people-led,” says Turner.
Guided by mentors, mentees are “supported to identify and work towards solutions for challenges they may be experiencing with issues such as school, home, confidence, behaviour and peer groups”, he adds.
The sessions are split into three stages: building relationships, goal setting and endings.
Group supervision takes place at the end of every mentoring session with mentors encouraged to reflect on how it went and to exchange ideas with peers. Mentors can also raise issues during private supervision.
IMPACT
Evaluation by the Anna Freud Centre found that in the schools strand of the programme, for mentees overall mental health difficulties and resilience improved.
One remarked: “My confidence is a bit better. Every time I used to do things I used to go red. Now I can stand up and say things.”
For mentors, there were also improvements to participation in home and school life.
Turner says that the programme has a culture of co-refining and this process has led to adaptations including working with children who are transitioning from primary school to secondary school; at risk of exclusion and marginalisation from school; or, at risk of being impacted by serious youth violence.
Covid-19 has brought challenges and training and sessions have been offered online.
Turner says: “We see many opportunities for the More than Mentors programme. We feel that it has an integral role in the children and young people’s mental health offer for the foreseeable future.”
MORE THAN MENTORS CORE COMPETENCIES
- Understanding the role of a mentor
Defines the role, explains mentor/mentee boundaries, covers expectations and what mentors can gain from the programme, and youth workers’ role. - Building, sustaining and ending relationships
Explores relationship-building techniques and differences between relationships such as “normal” and “mentoring” friendships, how to build and sustain conversations and relationships naturally, active listening. Also how to raise the topic of “endings” in a mentoring relationship, as well as understanding previous or current experiences peers may have associated with the “ending” of a “relationship” and the impact this can have. - Taking notice
Mentors are taught about contextual safeguarding and how to recognise challenges young people are facing, how emotions affect behaviours and to promote mentee feedback with use of the session rating scale. - Supporting change
Mentors look at the importance of communication and how individuals process and understand the same information differently, goal setting, how to support mentees and to work towards achieving goals within the programme timeframes. - Taking care
Mentors are made aware of their chain of support and how to access it. They are taught the three legal frameworks that govern the programme (data protection, safeguarding, health and safety) and look at the dilemmas that mentors may face. They are guided on correct action and how and when to raise wellbeing and safeguarding concerns.
