Social Accounts

Each year or at the end of mentoring we ask our mentees, mentors, carers and teachers for feedback on the progression of the mentee throughout the year. These questions are based on the aims the organisation looks to achieve through mentoring, and enables us to create a mentoring journey for the young person.

Last year we mentored 329 distressed and vulnerable young people and worked with 75 schools. Thank you to all our mentors for their valuable work and the schools that we provide a service to. Here are our results with the pick of some fabulous feedback (names changed where necessary):

Mentee Feedback:

Jim has helped me talk to my Dad. Gave me the confidence to do it. Helped me figure out stuff with friend group and helped me see different perspectives of how they feel sometimes.

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Such a lot to say to my mentor that I can’t write it all, so thank you.

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I’ve been having fun whilst also improving the way I socialise with others.

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I think it’s brilliant already. Thank you for everything you have done for me, you have really helped and I am so much more confident now.

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Yes it is a useful service because when children have autism or other issues it’s helpful to have mentoring. It helps to improve and not feel uncomfortable around others.

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I feel I have developed a much more positive outlook to life and I now have many strategies that Cathy has suggested for every day life to cope with any difficulties. I will always be grateful to Cathy and Mentor link for the extreme positive impact that it has had on me and my life. Thank you so much!

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I do think this service is useful as it gives people a chance to open up and talk to someone with neutral opinions and personal experience. It is important for people to talk about their problems, and sometimes parents, teachers etc. do not feel like the right people to talk to.

Mentor Feedback: 

A is always pleased to see me and leaves class without hesitation. He doesn’t really like school but is interested in the world around him. He is a lot calmer and patient. I am hoping this comes out in class. Family life seems more settled sharing time between Mum and Dad. A seems happy to chat about parents and family. He seems more positive and keen to learn.

We have spent our sessions playing chess, draughts and other games. A has become more patient and willing to apply himself at times. He has developed a keen interest in microscopes which I’m working on. I feel developing his interests will help in self-confidence and engagement with learning.

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I feel my mentoring experience is progressing well, I have been through the feelings of “Am I going to make a difference” to “This is so important and worthwhile!”, and although achieving results in the short to medium term is a target that should be constantly reviewed, I am starting to believe the greatest impact will be in the future – when the mentees can constantly draw on the support and guidance they receive. So, thank you Mentor Link; plus, the support is fantastic.

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Has asked for help frequently on subjects such as zoning, motivation, fitness, CV & interview questions. And together we have mapped out his career aspirations and are currently putting together a one-page career road map.

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Speaking to their mother last week – she stated “he spoke about our session more than any other support worker he’d had in the past”.

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I helped her understand that she can’t change other people’s behaviour only her own. Instead of getting upset when her dad lets her down, I told her to tell him how it made her feel rather than attacking him for his behaviour. In our last session she told me that this was the most important thing she’d learned from me.

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P appears a lot happier and more accepting of her Nanny’s death, and is now able to remember the good times that they spent together. Her parents have helped greatly by talking to P and explaining death, etc. They have been open to her questions. In our sessions, we used a knitted worry cat toy, named Bella by P, to write and place notes in about her Nanny. She has expressed her sadness about her Nanny dying. By the end of our sessions together she no longer seems to need to talk about her Nanny as much.

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We have worked hard on reducing school based anxiety, spiralling thoughts and we have worked on the thought processes behind them, E has always been very keen to act upon advice and learn new strategies to help.

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I love the mentoring at Honeybourne school, I so look forward to going every week. Thank you for that opportunity, it’s amazing.

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At the start of the year, after telling me some time ago he did not want to talk about his feelings, F announced one week that he wanted to talk about how he felt about something that had happened. This felt like a major breakthrough. He now talks about them frequently and openly. On his form he mentions that mentoring had helped him to ‘put myself in someone else’s shoes’. I’m so pleased about this because F has ASD and struggles to understand his own feelings let alone anyone else’s. I feel like he has made huge progress in understanding and accepting difficult issues even if this doesn’t always show in his behaviour. I am optimistic that with practise and time this will follow.

Teacher Feedback:

“Please pass on my thanks to Bernie for all of her help and support; she certainly went over and above what could be expected in continuing to provide support within the home environment.”

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“I just wanted to say how happy we are with the work Tom has done with C. When Tom picked C up we had regular suspensions and I was afraid down the line C might be a candidate for a permanent exclusion. I am delighted to say that C’s attitude towards school has improved no end as has his behaviour and this I am sure is in no little part due to the work Tom has done with him.”

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Shown more confidence working with adults and making better eye contact. Less behavioural incidents. Less fights. J decided to go on our twilight programme to focus more on his studies and avoid disputes with other pupils. He has a complex set of needs and there will be no ‘quick fix’. Having an emotionally available adults present and interested in him has certainly helped though.

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I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and your team for the support that you have offered Oldbury Park this year.  I would particularly like to thank John, who has been working with JB.  He has been wonderful with him and has shown patience, calmness and care when dealing with this very complex child’s needs.

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T has built a lovely relationship with Hilary, and very much looks forward to his sessions with her. Hilary has also been committed enough to visit T participating in his extra-curricular activities. T has come a long way since Hilary first met with him, all the support and provisions that are currently in place for T, including Mentor Link, are helping him become a more confident, happy, safe pupil – which is lovely to see.

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J is no longer a flight risk and absconding from school. All very positive! Thank you for Hilary’s ongoing support. J is really benefiting from the provision.

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T is a complex young man with very extreme and challenging behaviour at times, and Paul has done very well to work with him considering he does not have much experience working with vulnerable young people.

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Just wanted to send you a quick message to say what a pleasure its been working with Sally.  She has been a real inspiring support to our Y6 pupil. I do not hesitate in recommending your services to whomever I speak to.