RESPECT mentoring and befriending programme

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Case study date: October 2007

Local authority in which project based: Hartlepool Borough Council

Date started: 2004

Type of organisation: Voluntary youth organisation

Brief description

Hartlepool based RESPECT (Reaching Every Social and Personal Effect Concerning Teenagers) provides a mentoring and befriending service with professional counselling support for young people aged 11-19. The overall aims of RESPECT are to help young people reduce self-harm, bullying and isolation, increase youth participation and improve holistic well-being. It operates a four tier support service - including counselling and referral to external services - enabling young people to access the appropriate level of support. This case study will focus on the services offered in levels one and two: befriending with group support, and mentoring.

RESPECT became a constituted voluntary organisation in 2004 and offers a range of services in addition to mentoring and befriending. These include accredited training schemes, issue based workshops, and an all year round drop in service.

Collaboration

The project works with a variety of local agencies including Hartlepool Voluntary Development Agency (HVDA), Hartlepool Youth Ltd (part of New Deal for Communities), the youth led Café 177, social services, and child and adolescent mental health services.

Funding

The project’s major funders include the Big Lottery Fund, the Northern Rock Foundation, and the Tudor Trust, plus grants from Awards for all, Youth Opportunity Fund, Community Chest, New Deal for Communities, Neighbourhood Renewal Fund and the Tees Valley Community Network Fund.

Staffing

There are four full-time members of staff, four qualified counsellors of whom two are volunteers, a mentor coordinator and an administrator

NATURE OF PROVISION

Which groups of young people does the project work with and why?

The project has 25 volunteer mentors, of whom roughly half are aged between 18-25 and up to eight befrienders aged 18 and under at any one time. The male-female ratio is about 30:70. Many of the young people who volunteer lack confidence and see mentoring as a way of developing their skills.

There are between 40-50 mentees aged between 11-19 at any one time. Some stay for over a year, others for a few months. There is roughly an equal split of male/female. Many have experienced bullying, racism, isolation, difficult relationships with family and friends, and problems with anger management. They may also self-harm and misuse substances. Five per cent of young people are from minority ethnic communities (minority ethnic communities constitute just two per cent of Hartlepool’s population).

How was the need for the project identified?

RESPECT was set up following a pilot study in three schools which showed a need for mentoring support for young people accessible independently of schools and parents/guardians.

How do young people become involved? what, if any, commitment do you ask for?

The majority of mentors are signposted to the project by the Hartlepool Voluntary Development Agency (HVDA). RESPECT has a good working relationship with HVDA to ensure that it is aware of the opportunities on offer. Young people also become involved as mentors through peer recommendation. Prospective mentors visit the project and meet existing mentors and staff to find out more about the role. Once they are accepted onto the project, they undertake the mentor training programme which includes child protection, first aid, drugs awareness, and health and safety.

Befrienders are former mentees who volunteer to take on the role because they want to give something back.

Referrals for mentees are made from a variety of sources including local youth centres, schools, children’s services and Connexions. Young people can also self refer or be referred by parents or other relatives.

What are the main approaches used and activities offered?

The project aims to offer a nurturing, welcoming environment where young people feel cared for, listened to and respected. This is a key part of the project’s approach, particularly as many young people who have been bullied have a severe lack of self-confidence and mistrust of their peers. All young people who come to RESPECT have an initial assessment by a counsellor to determine the level of support needed. A package of individual support is then tailored to their specific needs. Each young person has a designated mentor and can also access counselling, befriending, specialist services, and issue based workshops as needed. A typical package of support might involve a counsellor providing intense support, a named mentor providing social and personal development opportunities and the group support of peers through the befriending service under the supervision of the mentor.

The role of the mentor is varied and can include support for a young person in groupwork settings, advocacy with local agencies, and a listening ear. They receive one-to-one clinical supervision to support them in their role. Mentors liaise with the counsellors who provide in-depth support to address deep-rooted issues and problems. In addition, mentors offer practical support to the mentee to access specialist services provided by external agencies for issues such as substance misuse, child protection and mental health. Mentors also volunteer for local community events such as fundraising events and fun days. Two mentors have recently been awarded funding through the Big Lottery Fund’s Big Boost to develop a local theatre project and several others have been involved in a museum project in the town interviewing war veterans about their experiences.

Befrienders help create a welcoming and supportive environment in a variety of ways: welcoming newcomers with refreshments and showing them round the facility, buddying mentees and offering them chance to have a chat. When mentees are ready to move onto other community provision such as the local youth group or youth café, befrienders will offer support and accompany them until they feel ready to go alone. As the name suggests, the main role of a befriender is to be a ‘friend’ so it is important that they know where the boundaries lie. The expectations of the role are clearly outlined to them and they can access support from staff and mentors through an open door policy.

Mentees have access to a range of workshops, covering issues identified by the young people such as emotional literacy, social development, coping strategies, sexual health, self esteem and bullying. They also get involved in arts based activities. A project currently being developed is a comic, ‘The Monkey Crew’, with seven characters based on current mentees. Young people devise the storylines and identify issues they want to explore, such as bullying, peer pressure, binge drinking, and racism. The comic will be published every two months and distributed to young people through local youth clubs, schools and libraries. Another project is a drop-in breakfast club on Saturdays, Sundays and during school holidays. As well as providing the opportunity to prepare smoothies and eat a healthy breakfast, young people also learn social and communication skills. Mentors and befrienders are on hand for informal chats as needed.

How are young people involved in shaping the project?

Young people’s views have been integrated into all aspects of RESPECT’s work. The building in which it is based is young people friendly, with several rooms decorated by the young people themselves. The programme is developed based on the feedback received from young people: changes made include the development of the befriender role and an increase in the amount of counselling available. Young people also decide on the ground rules for groupwork and what constitutes acceptable behaviour. Mentors are able to share practice and tips at regular meetings which are used to inform the development of the work.

How does the project respond to the needs of different young people, particularly the most marginalised?

The project is situated in a ward which is in the top three per cent of deprived areas nationwide, with six other neighbouring wards in the top five per cent. The area has received regeneration funding through New Deal for Communities and the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund. Many families stay in the locality all their lives, so the project aims to broaden the young people’s expectations and horizons.

OUTCOMES OF WORK

How does the project contribute to the five Every Child Matters outcomes for young people?

Through the support of the mentors, young people develop coping strategies to help them stay safe from bullying and adopt healthier lifestyles. Mentors and befrienders make a positive contribution to the lives of young people in the local community.

What skills do young people gain through their involvement in the project?

Mentors report increased self esteem and confidence through their involvement with the project. Many go on to work and study in social care and youth work and continue to volunteer at the project even when they are in paid employment. They are seen by mentees as role models.

Mentees develop social skills and personal confidence and self-esteem. They learn to integrate more with their peer group and are able to re-engage with other providers of services for young people.

How are young people's progress and achievements measured and recorded?

Mentees’ and mentors’ achievements are recognised by in-house certificates. Mentors have the option of completing NVQs in health and social care, an option taken up by 15 of the current cohort. Befrienders can undertake training for which they receive an OCN accredited certificate.

What has changed for other young people, organisations or the wider community as a result of the project?

The local community benefits from the positive contribution that mentors and befrienders make in terms of increased youth participation and enhanced social networks.

MEASURING EFFECTIVENESS

How is the project evaluated and by whom?

The project submits a range of evaluative and monitoring information to its funders.

What are the findings of any evaluations (including Ofsted inspections) to date?

RESPECT has been accredited with the Approved Provider Standard, a national benchmark from the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation for organisations providing one-to-one volunteer mentoring or befriending. The organisation has also received Investors in People accreditation. The project also won the Runner up prize in the Best Education Project category of the 2007 National Lottery Awards.

Feedback from the mentees consistently shows that they value the project’s nurturing and caring atmosphere and the fact that they feel listened to.

What changes/developments have occurred as a result of evaluation?

The project is introducing a system to measure distance travelled and softer outcomes to ensure it is able to make the case for the effectiveness of its work.

What has worked well and why?

The project attributes its success to its accessibility (it is open 365 days a year till 7pm) and open door policy. Young people consistently report that they feel safe when at the project. The rapport between the mentors and mentees has also been a factor in the successful reengagement of young people.

What has been difficult and why?

When the project initially started in 2004, it took some time to establish credibility and contacts with external agencies.

PARTNERSHIP AND STRATEGIC IMPACT

What other agencies do you work with?

The project works in partnership with other voluntary and statutory agencies to signpost and refer young people to specialist support providers, such as those working in mental health and substance misuse.

What specific experience and expertise does your organisation/project bring to partnership work?

The project is able to offer a high level of personal support to mentees which enables them to access external support.

Have you experienced any particular difficulties in partnership working?

As different partners can be answerable to their individual management committees, workers are sometimes not able to make decisions without recourse to them.

How do you consider this project to be innovative?

The project believes its personalised combination of counselling, mentoring and befriending support is a key factor in the re-engagement of so many young people.

How do you disseminate the learning from the project?

The project director is part of a Regional Advisory Group which is run by the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation to shape the future direction of mentoring. Several (previously shy) mentees also recently spoke at the Foundation’s conference on how their lives have changed as a result of the support given by the project.

What plans do you have to sustain/develop this work?

As well as continue to look for future funding, the project is seeking to commission work from statutory services.

CONTACT DETAILS

Barbara Williams, RESPECT, Dimensional House, 81 Stranton, Hartlepool TS24 7QJ. Tel: 01429 244443. email: barbara.williams@hartlepool-respect.org.uk