children

 
 
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Mentees and Mentors
It’s amazing how small things can change your life. In this instance, I was sitting in my Moscow apartment on a snowy afternoon reading an old copy of the Guardian when a tiny advertisement for mentors caught my eye. That was it; 18 months later my mentoring relationship with 10 year old J is nearly over and I can’t imagine life before our weekly meetings...
I’d gained a lot of experience working with children in Moscow and had been an informal mentor to a young girl in a state orphanage who was awaiting adoption by an American couple.
The information pack I received was brilliant and I immediately fired off my application. I was excited to be offered a place on a training course. After three long Saturdays of training, an interview, and an agonising (although short) delay, I was matched up with J.

During the engagement stage I think we both had days when we really didn’t feel like mentoring, or being mentored, but we persevered. We gradually found our equilibrium and J and I both know what we can get away with (how much reading I can ask him to do; how much running around the library he can do) without upsetting the other person.

J officially graduated from the programme in June 2001. We have already agreed that we will maintain contact and will see each other on a regular basis (at least until J goes to’big school’ in September 2002). Hopefully by then I’ll be at ‘big school’ myself working towards a social work qualification! Until then, I’m going to cherish my time with J and make sure that our relationship ends as successfully as it started.
FAY JACKSON

 

Supporting comments from child and Mum
J (aged 10) on the benefits of mentoring….
“It’s fun having a mentor…….something to look forward to, going out. It gets boring at home and it’s fun to go out. It helps you more. You can read with them. Someone to talk to, you can tell them your problems that you wouldn’t tell anyone else.”

 
J’s mother on the impact of mentoring on her child…
“As a parent of J I’d like to say he has benefited tremendously from Chance. I have seen a positive change in his learning and behaviour after only 4 months; his whole attitude to what he does has changed as well; concentration is much better; he does a lot more things for himself and doesn’t rely on me so much. I am very pleased with all the hard work from his mentor Fay who is very committed and very positive with J.”

Quotes from Mentors
“I had a great deal of fun.”
“The best thing for me was that I was able to help bring about changes in the child’s behaviour.”
“I learned to negotiate and realised that children had excellent ideas too.”
“I felt I was doing something worthwhile.”
“I explored London with my child, I also learned a lot about the
education system.”
“I have made a friend for life in my child - I never expected that.”
“I learned to play!”
“It was harder than I expected (it to be, fitting this new person into my life) but it was also much more rewarding than I expected.”
“I had to learn to listen all over again.”

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Graduations
In Progress

Referrals
Please contact the Programme Manager for your local area if you would like to receive our Referral Information Pack.

Download MS Word file 'GUIDANCE FOR REFERRERS.doc

 

Results & Impact -

Outcomes
Chance UK mentoring programmes are designed to achieve the following outcomes for children :
  • encourage wider range of behavioural options
  • build confidence, self-esteem, self-image & self-control
  • increased social awareness and improved relationships
  • enhanced life skills, resiliency & cognitive abilities
  • increase individual & family protective factors
  • decreased risk of school/social exclusion, antisocial behaviour & criminal offending
Alongside the benefits for those participating directly in the programme, the costs can also be regarded as an investment for education and future employment, with an associated contribution of taxes and national insurance, against the potential of the very much higher costs of later statutory interventions, state benefits, health costs, criminality and youth justice interventions.

 

Monitoring & Evaluation
We collate and analyse a range of qualitative and quantitative information about progress and outcomes relating to our programmes. The quantitative measures include :

  • SDQ scores - baseline& outcome : referrer, parent & mentor
  • Educational Assessment : SAT/Teacher assessment scores, reading ages, attendance & exclusion
The qualitative measures include :
  • Interviews : referrer, parent, mentor & child
  • goals of mentoring
  • documented supervision sessions, mentoring session plans and reviews
  • evaluation of mentor training
Chance UKis in the process of identifying mechanisms and resources for longer term follow up of the children to ascertain long term impact. Some of the follow up may continue for up to five years from the end of mentoring.
Independent Evaluation
Chance UKhas built upon independent evaluations carried out by :
  • National Children's Bureau evaluation in 1996
  • Thomas Coram Research Unit of the Institute of Education (commissioned by the Home Office) from 1998-2000
The latter addressed the implementation of the mentoring programme and assessed immediate outcomes for the children in terms of changes in overall and individual SDQ scores and behaviour. Two groups of 25 children each were assessed. One group consisted of those who participated in the mentoring programme and the other group was a 'comparison or control' group of children with comparable problems who did not participate in the mentoring programme. Of the mothers interviewed, 75% saw positive changes in their child's behaviour; 81% saw the mentor as a good influence; and, 69% reported benefits for their own relationship with the child. All the mentors and teachers interviewed saw positive changes. The schools hold Chance UKin very high regard and also value the professionalism, accessibility and rapid response of our staff. A summary of the Research Findings is available on the Resources page.
The findings were underpinned by some of the comments from the children themselves on their relationship with their mentor:
"She makes thing better; shows me the way to find the answer".
"I've learned to control my feelings; not to get into a tantrum. She teaches me to count to ten."
"She helps me to get on with work and finish it; not to be rude to teacher; not to shout out; to put up my hand. I can talk to teacher now. She talks to my teacher."

"She explains the consequences. I've learned to deal with disappointments."