Deciding to work with a mentor is a big step and it’s natural that there will be questions. The most common questions I get asked are covered here but it’s also perfectly understandable that you may have others to ask. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you can’t find all the answers here. My email is gill@inkpots.org and I will be very happy to chat some more.
If you are from a school, college or youth group you will probably have different types of queries to parents. Please don’t hesitate to contact me directly so that I can address your questions.
Thank you.
Gill
When can we book mentoring sessions?
My main mentoring days during term time are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3.30 pm onwards. I am also available on Saturday mornings. However, I really do understand the demands of a busy family life and will do my best to fit in with other commitments.
How do the sessions work?
The main bulk of the time is spent working on a 1:1 basis with the young person. However, at the end of each time period I will always summarise what we’ve covered with a parent either in person or by email
Do I need to provide any materials?
We may use paper and pens depending on what we’ll be talking about but I will always let you know in plenty of time.
Did your own children have mentoring?
My children are now grown up and mentoring wasn’t as widely available as it is now. But we went through a very difficult and challenging time when they were young teenagers and although I ensured they had ‘unofficial’ mentors, if something had been available, I would have jumped at the chance.
Do I need to stay with my son or daughter?
It’s preferable for a young person to have some space to focus of these sessions on their own with me. Every situation is different though, and I am always happy to discuss these details so that everyone is comfortable.
However, it is extremely important that an adult is in the house while these sessions are occurring in case of emergency.
What happens if we need to cancel a session?
I will always try to accommodate any change of date as I fully understand that family life can be complex!
What age range are the sessions suitable for?
Inkpots mentoring is for young people age 10 plus years.
Do you keep in touch?
Definitely. I follow up all sessions after one month and six months. A young person’s challenges often don’t disappear overnight and sometimes it helps to have a quick check in.
What information do you need from me?
Parents/carers are asked to complete a short form before we start work together. But any additional information is always helpful. Please be assured that information is kept confidential and only shared when absolutely essential for the safety of a young person.
My child has additional needs – can they still take part in sessions?
Absolutely! Inkpots is completely inclusive. If any adjustments need to be made, please do just let me know and we can discuss this and ensure those needs are met.
What’s your mentoring process?
My own Inkwell Programme has five steps:
- Helping a young person feel safe
- Building trust
- Working towards a balanced approach to any issues and problems
- Developing a toolkit of resources to be used in various situations
- Celebrating the development of resilience and a young person’s growing confidence in their own abilities.
The programme provides a framework as each young person’s needs are unique to them and everyone works through the programme at a different pace.
Is there a lot of paperwork?
If you decide that this kind of mentoring is for your child, I will send you a Welcome pack which covers confidentiality, and terms and conditions – explaining how we will deal with cancelled sessions, and payments. Obviously, I want to ensure everything is clear, but I hope that none of the paperwork is onerous and overwhelming as that rather defeats the object!
Are you insured?
I am indeed. I also have a current enhanced DBS check and my child protection training is up-to-date.
Do you offer payment plans?
I am always happy to discuss spreading the cost and we can do so at the time of booking.
Is there ‘homework’?
I don’t set homework as such as it’s not appropriate for these kinds of session. But if a young person is keen to try something out or there are some actions which we feel might help, then these will be suggested, and we can check in during the next session.
