Volunteer mentor (Young Leaders)
We're a small team of passionate individuals, determined to support and empower displaced young people to know they are more than their status, and help them find their place within their local community.
About the role
You will offer emotional and practical support to a young person in either Guildford or Redhill (or
surrounding areas) helping build confidence, explore their thoughts and emotions arising from our Young Leaders programme, work towards personal objectives and support progression beyond the Young Leaders programme.
We’re looking for mentoring volunteers with excellent interpersonal and communication skills who are able to provide emotional support in a calm and responsible manner and offer guidance with compassion and understanding. You will be proactive, reliable and well organised and work easily with people from diverse backgrounds. An understanding of the issues and experiences of young people who are coming to the UK as asylum seekers and refugees is also desirable.
You must be able to commit to meeting once a week with your mentee for 4 months starting in January 2024. Successful candidates will need to attend one full day of compulsory training in November (date tbc), a ‘team day’ with other mentors and the Young Leaders in December and participate in peer network meetings once a month for the duration of the programme.
All candidates must be committed to Big Leaf’s core values of trust, equality and empowerment.
Hours: Variable depending on your mentee’s needs, but generally a weekly meeting of 1-2 hours, and peer network meetings once a month.
Salary: Voluntary, travel expenses (within Surrey) will be reimbursed.
Location: Guildford or Redhill and surrounding areas.
Induction & training: Date tbc
Team day (meet the Young Leaders): Saturday 16 December
surrounding areas) helping build confidence, explore their thoughts and emotions arising from our Young Leaders programme, work towards personal objectives and support progression beyond the Young Leaders programme.
We’re looking for mentoring volunteers with excellent interpersonal and communication skills who are able to provide emotional support in a calm and responsible manner and offer guidance with compassion and understanding. You will be proactive, reliable and well organised and work easily with people from diverse backgrounds. An understanding of the issues and experiences of young people who are coming to the UK as asylum seekers and refugees is also desirable.
You must be able to commit to meeting once a week with your mentee for 4 months starting in January 2024. Successful candidates will need to attend one full day of compulsory training in November (date tbc), a ‘team day’ with other mentors and the Young Leaders in December and participate in peer network meetings once a month for the duration of the programme.
All candidates must be committed to Big Leaf’s core values of trust, equality and empowerment.
Hours: Variable depending on your mentee’s needs, but generally a weekly meeting of 1-2 hours, and peer network meetings once a month.
Salary: Voluntary, travel expenses (within Surrey) will be reimbursed.
Location: Guildford or Redhill and surrounding areas.
Induction & training: Date tbc
Team day (meet the Young Leaders): Saturday 16 December
For more information and to apply, please download the following documents or see below:
Job description
WHAT WILL I BE DOING?
and respond appropriately to any safeguarding and protection issues arising during mentoring
sessions.
- Mentors will join the project once the young people have successfully completed the taught element of the leadership programme. It is the responsibility of the Mentor to help their Mentee to 'put their learning in to practice' in phase 2 of the programme, when the Mentee will choose and apply themselves to a personal project and/or progression route. Your role will involve:
- Supporting a displaced young person during a crucial stage in their social and emotional development.
- Meeting your mentee once a week for 1-2 hours at a time and for a fixed term of 4 months.
- Maintaining confidentiality and clear boundaries in all aspects of the role.
- Focusing on the individual needs of your mentee – building confidence, supporting resilience, working towards personal objectives and developing the tools to manage feelings for a positive future.
- Joining our network of mentors, staff and volunteers, building role confidence and sharing knowledge and experience.
- Receiving supervision support from the team and your peers once a month (min.) throughout the project.
- Participating in evaluation of the programme through completing report forms after every session.
and respond appropriately to any safeguarding and protection issues arising during mentoring
sessions.
Person specification
SKILLS
An understanding of the issues and experiences of young people who are coming to the UK as asylum seekers and refugees is also desirable.
WHAT WE PROVIDE
TO APPLY
If you feel that you have the skills, experience and motivation required for this role, download and complete our volunteer application form and return it to [email protected]
OUR COMMITMENT TO SAFEGUARDING
We are committed to the safeguarding and welfare of the young people we work with and this means recruiting volunteers that are suitable for the role and following safe recruitment practices. This role involves direct and regular contact with young people and as such an enhanced DBS check will be required.
DIVERSITY, INCLUSION AND EQUALITY
Big Leaf is looking for mentors who embrace and reflect the diverse societies in which we live and work. We particularly welcome applicants with experience of forced migration and/or a refugee background. We know that providing our mentees with access to diverse opportunities, people, professions and perspectives will help them make meaningful connections and lead to even greater results. We are an equal opportunities organisation and make recruitment decision based on the applicant’s suitability for the role regardless of their race, gender, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.
- Shared values | You share our determination to support and empower displaced young people to know they are more than their status, and help them find their place within their local community.
- Reliable | You understand that trust is the basis for a strong mentoring relationship and that being reliable is central to building trust. You’re committed to the role and attending all mentoring sessions.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills | You understand the importance of active listening and you communicate well with young people using compassion and empathy.
- Non-judgemental attitude | You demonstrate kindness and openness and do not impose personal values.
- Professional | You provide emotional support in a calm and responsible manner that respects boundaries and places safeguarding at its core.
- Positive and resilient | You meet challenges with optimism, seeing them as an opportunity to learn, and you instil confidence in others, supporting them at difficult and challenging times.
An understanding of the issues and experiences of young people who are coming to the UK as asylum seekers and refugees is also desirable.
WHAT WE PROVIDE
- Induction and training to ensure volunteers understand the remit of their role.
- Monthly supervision and debriefs after every mentoring session if needed.
- Expenses including travel costs within Surrey and a small budget for refreshments during in-person meetings.
TO APPLY
If you feel that you have the skills, experience and motivation required for this role, download and complete our volunteer application form and return it to [email protected]
OUR COMMITMENT TO SAFEGUARDING
We are committed to the safeguarding and welfare of the young people we work with and this means recruiting volunteers that are suitable for the role and following safe recruitment practices. This role involves direct and regular contact with young people and as such an enhanced DBS check will be required.
DIVERSITY, INCLUSION AND EQUALITY
Big Leaf is looking for mentors who embrace and reflect the diverse societies in which we live and work. We particularly welcome applicants with experience of forced migration and/or a refugee background. We know that providing our mentees with access to diverse opportunities, people, professions and perspectives will help them make meaningful connections and lead to even greater results. We are an equal opportunities organisation and make recruitment decision based on the applicant’s suitability for the role regardless of their race, gender, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.