Mentoring
I currently manage the Volunteer Mentoring service for the Blackpool Youth Offending Team who are part of the Children & Young People’s Department within Blackpool Borough Council. This involves mentoring young people who are referred by professional casemanagers as needing one-to-one support. Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) were set up in 1998 as part of a multi-agency approach under the Crime & Disorder Act and are managed by the Youth Justice Board. My colleague Pete Bowley is the Volunteer Co-ordinator on this project.
On 1st August 2007, Motivate were awarded Approved Provider Status by the National Mentoring & Befriending Foundation. This award is acknowledged by the Cabinet Office and the Department for Children, Schools & Families as achieving an approved standard in all aspects of mentoring provision.
Are you interested in becoming a Volunteer for this project?
We have about 30 volunteers and they become involved for a number of reasons. Some just want to put something back into the community; others are hoping to progress into a career of working with young people, whilst others may be studying at College or University and want to gain some valuable experience in this area of work.
I always welcome volunteers from a variety of backgrounds, experiences and am particularly keen to recruit individuals from black and minority ethnic communities. Previous criminal convictions do not disqualify applicants from volunteering on this project although obviously certain offences would. Motivate have a policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders and if you have any concerns in this area, then please contact me to discuss further.
Full training is provided and all expenses are refundable. You will be offered other free training opportunities and signposted to future career development within the area of working with young people.
At this time we are not currently recruiting for mentors but please visit this site on a regular basis for updates.
Mentoring courses for your organisation
I also provide Mentoring Training courses for other organisations who may be in the process of setting up a programme. These courses can be tailored to suit your needs. The cost for a full days training is £595, which includes design, preparation and delivery of the course, training materials and handouts. The cost rises to £895 for a 2-day course. I can also book the venue in a relaxing Lancashire countryside setting at an extra cost. (Please enquire for details).
