Mentoring Children who are Looked After at Home

1. Mentoring Children who are Looked After at Home 29th March 2017 Dominique Harvey dominique.harvey@strath.ac.uk

2. Welcome and introductions • Housekeeping • Plan for today’s session • Getting to know each other…

3. Aims for today • To understand the needs of children who are looked after at home • To discuss the role of a mentor • To support mentors to respond to young people’s needs • To support Volunteer Mentor Co-ordinators to provide learning and development opportunities for mentors

4. Learning and development strategies Joyce and Showers (2002)

5. Research on mentoring Barriers to effective mentoring: • Mismatch between mentor and mentee • Time constraints • Training (or lack of it) • Recruitment of suitable mentors (Hall, 2003)

6. Understanding what being looked after at home means for children and families Group activity What does being looked after at home mean? • What do you understand it to mean? • What do you think it means for: - children and young people? - families? - workers supporting children and families? - panel members?

7. Scottish Government’s Perspective “Children who are looked after at home are not a single homogenous group. They are on compulsory supervision for a range of reasons including neglect, abuse, offending and non-attendance at school. They range in age from new-born babies to teenagers. We need to understand more about why compulsory supervision orders at home are used for so many reasons, beyond Kilbrandon’s initial suggestion that they be used to deal with offending behaviour. We also need to understand and provide the support and services that will make a difference to these children and young people.” Scottish Government (2015)

8. Understanding what being looked after at home means for children and families “The Scottish Government, in partnership with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), the Care Inspectorate and Children’s Hearings Scotland, should review knowledge and understanding of professionals and panel members with respect to the needs and entitlements of children looked after at home.” Barnardo’s, 2015

9. Legal Definition • Legal definition Child at risk Lack of co-operation from family Local authority responsible for ensuring the conditions of the order are implemented No condition of residence Maximum duration of 1 year (or until 18th birthday) Children (Scotland) Act 1995, Children’s Hearing (Scotland) Act 2011 • Purpose of Compulsory Supervision Orders

10. Understanding the needs of children looked after at home “Many of the specific needs experienced by children on home supervision are similar to those experienced by other children in need; what marks these children as different is that their needs are intense, often occurring in combination and potentially compounded by the nature of being on home supervision… the needs of many children and young people in the group overlap with a large proportion of children looked after away from home.” Lerpiniere, Welch, Young, Sadler and Fitzpatrick (2015)

11. Understanding the needs of children looked after at home • Lack of research into experiences, needs or outcomes • Top 5 areas of unmet need: mental health, stability and permanence, health and wellbeing, educational attainment and educational engagement • Around 75% of needs are unaddressed CELCIS (2014, 2015)

12. Number of children looked after in 2016 by type of accommodation Scottish Government, 2017

13. Support Networks Individual activity • Mapping our support networks

14. Role-play: part 1 MENTORING

15. Definition of ‘mentoring’ • “An experienced and trusted adviser” Oxford English Dictionary • "Mentoring is to support and encourage people to manage their own learning in order that they may maximise their potential, develop their skills, improve their performance and become the person they want to be."  Eric Parsloe If you look at your own network of support, who is your trusted adviser? Do you have a personal adviser and a work adviser? Do you have different people you consult about different issues?

16. Definition of ‘mentoring’ • ‘Mentoring’ is a relationship-based approach to supporting one person or a group of people by another or others to achieve a mutually agreed goal. Sandford, Copps and Yeowart (2007)

17. Definition of ‘mentoring’ • Mentoring is a relationship between two individuals based on a mutual desire for development towards… goals and objectives. The relationship is a non-reporting one... It is additional to other forms of assistance…” American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists

18. Definition of ‘mentoring’ • Mentoring is a relationship between two individuals based on a mutual desire for developmenttowards… goals and objectives. The relationship is a non-reporting one... It is additional to other forms of assistance…” American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists This ‘mutual desire for development’ is important because research suggests that young people or mentees value support from people who are getting something out of it too.

19. Role of a Mentor Group activity • What is the role of a mentor?

20. The role of a mentor Qualities of a successful mentoring relationship: • Being able to talk • Reciprocity • Based on respect, rather than authority • Mentor understands, and is interested in, young person • Having fun (Newburn and Shiner, 2005) Reciprocity The mentor giving something of him/ herself Time The opportunity to talk Willingness to share personal information Respect Many of the difficulties the mentees faced concerned parents, teachers, police officers. Mentors not imposing their priorities on the young person created the space for constructive dialogue and activities.

21. The role of a mentor Paired activity • What mentoring is… • What mentoring is not…

22. Role-play: part 2 MENTORING

23. Boundaries Would you…? • Give your mentee your home number? • Give your mentee your mobile number? • Take your mentee to your home? • Give out your home address? • Tell your mentee about your personal problems? • Let your mentee know anything about your family/living situation? • Tell your mentee why you wanted to do this type of voluntary work? • Accept a friend request from your mentee on Facebook? • Give a small amount of money to your mentee? • Accept a gift from your mentee on your birthday?

24. Mentors’ boundaries Volunteers should… • always make clear arrangements in advance • turn up to meetings on time • maintain confidentiality when appropriate (i.e. not sharing information with neighbours/ friends/ family but passing on concerns which impact child or young person’s safety, according to their agency’s child protection policy) • feel comfortable saying ‘no’ • be aware of the importance of boundaries • conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times • be friendly and approachable • talk to the Co-ordinator if they have any concerns about their relationship with their mentee • not continue with a meeting if they feel unsafe or if the child or young person’s behaviour is unacceptable • remember that working with children and young people is not a popularity contest – it is about supporting and encouraging them These lists are not exhaustive. If it’s useful I can anything we discuss today.

25. Mentors’ boundaries Volunteers should not… • disclose their home address, phone number or invite young person to their home • discuss personal problems and private life • give medical advice • swear or use inappropriate language • buy the young person gifts or accept gifts • take the young person to meet friends or family • be under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs

26. Active listening • Pay attention • Show that you’re listening • Provide feedback • Defer judgement • Respond appropriately www.mindtools.com

27. Active listening exercise Designed by Freepik

28. Confidentiality vs. protection • Group discussion • What is the difference between maintaining confidentiality and protecting children? • - Can you promise to keep a secret? • - How would you explain confidentiality? • - Child protection policy

29. Your role as Volunteer Mentor Co-ordinators Activity On a post-it… Write down something you’re looking forward to in your role as Volunteer Mentor Co-ordinator… Write down something you think you will find challenging about the role…

30. Your role as Volunteer Mentor Co-ordinator Activity Web of opportunities and challenges

31. Your role as Volunteer Mentor Co-ordinators Group discussion What types of support might volunteer mentors need? Image designed by Freepik

32. Learning and development strategies Individual activity How can you as co-ordinators promote ongoing learning and development for mentors? Answers on a postcard…

33. Learning and development strategies: peer support network Use each other! How?

34. Recap on aims for today • To understand the needs of children who are looked after at home • To discuss the role of a mentor • To support mentors to respond to young people’s needs • To support Volunteer Mentor Co-ordinators to provide learning and development opportunities for mentors

35. Round up and close • Questions • Action points • WWW/ EBI