FAQs - Mentors
How long does training take?
Our online training takes about 90 mins, and we suggest it is completed within 7 days. Your progress is saved so you can do it however suits you – in one go, a few chunks or ‘bite-size’. You are also invited to attend an (optional) online group workshop – facilitated by 1MM – which lasts 2 hours. Sounds like a big commitment? It is, but time spent developing essential mentor skills will make you an effective mentor and that’s important. A few hours invested now will help a young person for the rest of their life.
How long does it take to be matched with a mentee and to start mentoring?
The average time from sign-up to meeting your first mentee is 4 weeks but it can vary considerably. We are looking for strong matches between a mentor’s experience and what a mentee has said they need, as well as accommodating ‘practical’ factors, so sometimes patience is required! If we can’t match you ‘immediately’, don’t be discouraged. The numbers of young people signing up are increasing month on month. We might not be able to find the right match for your skills just now, but you could well be the best match for the next young person that joins us.
How much choice do I have about who, and how/where, I mentor?
Mentors are encouraged to look at current opportunities [you can see our latest opportunities packs here] and let us know which they are (most) interested in. We also contact mentors when our system has suggested there is a suitable match based on the information both mentors and mentees provide. You will only be matched to a Youth Partner programme or an independent (over 18) mentee once you have agreed to the match. In both cases, if the opportunity is on a Youth Partner programme, practical information will be available to enable you to determine if their requirements fit with your availability etc. If you have said that you prefer, or are ok with, virtual mentoring then please note that the young person you are paired with could be located anywhere in the UK.
Are the days and times of mentoring sessions fixed, or is there some flexibility about when meetings happen?
If you are mentoring through a programme with a Youth Partner, the schedule for the group, and the way in which mentoring will happen (face-to-face, online, or a mix) will be fixed by them to fit in with their timetables (during the working day).If you are mentoring an independent mentee (over 18), then it is up to the two of you to agree when and how you will meet. [Please see also “Where can I meet my mentee?” below.]
Can I meet or communicate with my mentee outside of our mentoring sessions?
If your mentee is aged 18 years and above, and they agree to sharing their contact details, you can communicate via email or a professional social media platform such as LinkedIn or Twitter. If your mentee is under the age of 18, you will usually only communicate with your mentee during the (supervised) mentoring sessions. If you want/need to communicate something to your mentee outside of sessions, you must only do so via the mentoring coordinator.
Where can I meet my mentee?
If your mentee is under 18 years old, all meetings are arranged and supervised by our Youth Partner. Face-to-face sessions take place in a single room on the Youth Partners site. If the Youth Partner is facilitating online sessions for under 18’s, mentees will still be in a single room onsite. Mentors will be given a link to join the virtual meeting, and meet with their mentee in a breakout room, administered by the mentoring coordinator. If your mentee is over 18, face-to-face meetings can take place anywhere but must be in suitable public places (e.g. coffee shops, university campuses, employers office etc.). Online meetings should take place on one of the publicly available video conferencing platforms (e.g. Zoom, Teams…)
How long do mentoring relationships usually last?
Most 1MM mentoring relationships last between 9 months and one year. Occasionally a relationship will ‘finish early’ because both mentee and mentor feel that it has achieved its aims. Some independent mentees (over 18) and their mentors agree to continue with an informal relationship once their ‘official’ 1MM programme has ended. Sometimes a Youth Partner will request that a mentoring relationship continues (for under 18s) for longer than in a year. Mentors will, of course, be asked if they are able to do so in such circumstances.
What happens if my mentee and I do not ‘click’ or there is something else not working out with the relationship?
Usually, connections get stronger as people get to know one another, but if by the third session you still feel it’s not working – or if there is any other specific problem – mentors can reach out to us for advice and support including via our monthly check-in process.
What do I do if I have a concern about a mentee’s safety or wellbeing, or my mentee makes a disclosure?
We have a comprehensive section on safeguarding in our online training. For more information on safeguarding please click here. If you have a concern about a young person or vulnerable adult contact us at safeguarding@1mm.org.uk
Do mentors get paid or receive expenses?
1MM Mentor is a voluntary role and, as a charity offering programmes free of charge we do not reimburse any out-of-pocket expenses. We do not expect there to be any costs incurred during the mentoring process other than those for connecting online or, where in-person meetings take place, for some local travel.
What do I do if my mentee buys me a gift, or I want to treat my mentee?
As well as small gifts, this can take the form of food, drink and entertainment. Please see our full mentor gifts and hospitality policy which covers how to handle this whilst staying compliant with both the UK Bribery Act 2010 and 1MM’s commitment to safeguarding.
As a Mentor am I acting as an 'agent' for 1MM or as an individual?
Mentors are volunteers who provide valuable guidance, solutions and advice to mentees wanting to achieve specific goals, operating subject to and within our safeguarding policies – detailed here. As a mentor, you would be acting as an individual volunteer and not as an agent of 1MM, the latter being a more legally stringent role and would include powers to bind on behalf of the organisation which you, as a volunteer, do not have. 1MM has a framework and guidance within our online training, workshops and various tools & resources, which are designed to assist both mentors and mentees make the most of their mentoring sessions.
What protection, legal support and support with costs does 1MM provide to Mentors in the event of legal action being brought by a Mentee?
In the event of any safeguarding or legal issue that may arise, it is essential that the mentor and mentee raise this with 1MM so that we can assess the situation and follow up as needed. 1MM does not provide nor guarantee any specific legal or financial support to its volunteers but may refer matters to appropriate authorities where required.