No Young Person Limited by Disadvantage

Schools and Mentoring

Young People First has had a presence in local schools for some time however it was in response to COVID19 that we dramatically increased our offer. We did so for several reasons.

Firstly, during Lockdown it was the only setting where we could continue to meet safely with vulnerable young people in need of additional support.

Secondly, we foresaw the impact that lockdown would have had on disadvantaged young people’s emotional and mental wellbeing, and their academic performance.

We offer schools a combination of one-to-one mentoring and small focused groups with up to 8 young people a session. These services are offered to schools for free and it is up to us to secure funding to finance the workers time.

Our one-to-one mentoring sessions are targeted towards young people who are at risk of exclusion or in crisis and are in urgent need of support. Referrals are made by schools and the length of our intervention depends on both the individual’s engagement and the need they are presenting.

We also offer bespoke early intervention with small groups for young people who need additional support around positive choices, safety, mental health, risk of exclusion and a wide range of other issues. Small group courses typically span a half term lasting one hour a session and led by two youth workers.

Young People First’s mentoring has had a huge impact on our students. The mentoring that takes place provides a safe place for students to open up and talk about issues to someone they can trust. Young People First have also been coming in each week to deliver group workshops, this educates students in e-safety, body image, self-confidence and other important topics. Students look forward to mentoring and all have given very positive feedback.

Sally Montague - Inclusion Manager at Myton School, Leamington

Schools and Mentoring Manager - Katrina Welton

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