Centepoint Job Profile

Centrepoint: Volunteer mentor role profile

Title: Volunteer mentor – Marine Biologist

Team: Various services

Location: West London (Must be able to travel to Northolt if required)

Support and supervision from: Programme Coordinator

Time commitment: 5 hours a month for 10 months (including supervision, training and completing paperwork)

Background

Centrepoint is the UK’s leading charity that is working to provide services for young people aged 16 to 25, many of whom are socially excluded and who are at risk of or have experienced homelessness.

The young people we support come from a wide variety of backgrounds and nations. Many have experienced domestic abuse, family breakdown and poverty. Some are 'in care' with the local council, or have been. Some are ex-offenders. Some are single parents. Many must tackle mental health problems. Some depend on drugs and alcohol. About a third experience problems reading, writing and communicating.

All of them have potential – with Centrepoint and the volunteers that support us, they have the best chance of achieving this!

Centrepoint values are to be innovative, inspiring, professional and empowering. We expect all staff and volunteers to uphold these values in their work with young people.

What does mentoring for Centrepoint mean?

The role of a mentor at Centrepoint is an important one and we ask that mentors work with their young person (mentee) to help them achieve some personal objectives that will be agreed at the beginning of the mentoring partnership. To do this, it will be essential to build a trusting relationship with the young person, which can involve social elements but with the primary focus to achieve the young person’s agreed goals.

Mentors work with our young people to help them:

 build their confidence and self esteem  develop their social and communication skills

 improve their motivation  set goals and plan for their future  work on specific skills such as CV writing and interview skills  gain and sustain education and/or employment  move on into independent living

What do mentors do?

Activities should reflect the young person’s goals. If a young person would like to find a job, or a college course a mentor could help them to write a CV, complete an application form or practice interview techniques. Mentors could attend college open days or go to the library to research different industries or courses with their mentee. Alternatively, if independent living skills are a priority mentors could work with their young person on budgeting skills, cooking skills or plan a trip to the supermarket.

At the beginning of the relationship, mentors may also find that social activities are more appropriate, such as going bowling or having a coffee together.

Tasks and responsibilities:

 Meeting with a mentee for a minimum of three hours a month for up to 10 months  Provide specific support for a young person looking to pursue a career in the Marine Biology sector, including support around university applications, visits and trips to relevant attractions and assistance at pursuing work experience opportunities.  Attending two initial full day training sessions  Completing paperwork after each mentoring session  Attending supervision sessions and all relevant additional training  Have consistent and regular contact with the Mentoring Coordinators and attend review meetings when requested  Setting goals with your mentee and agreeing on actions.

Mentors should meet the following criteria:

Essential –  Display Centrepoint’s values in all volunteering activities  A professional background in Marine Biology including a relevant degree and work experience.  Be fully committed to the mentoring relationship for a period of 10 months and understand the importance of being reliable throughout  Understand the sometimes hectic and stressful lives of our young people and be willing to be flexible to adapt to these issues  Have a positive attitude  A good listener with a non-judgmental attitude  Have excellent communication and interpersonal skills  Appreciate and adhere to the requirements of completing paperwork and recording hours in a timely manner  Be responsive and accountable to the Volunteering Officers and Centrepoint  Have a friendly, approachable personality.

Desirable –

 Have experience of working with homeless people and/or experience of homelessness  Experience of working with young people  Experience of mentoring and/or having been mentored  Experience of working with people from a wide range of backgrounds.  Offer a specific skill set that can be of benefit to young people e.g. budgeting, IT skills, knowledge of music production.

Support for mentors

Mentors receive the following support throughout their volunteering:

 Structured induction and training  Ongoing support and supervision from the Volunteering Officers  Refresher training and regular volunteer peer support sessions  Travel and volunteering session expenses reimbursed

Interested?

If you are interested in applying for this position, the next step is to complete our application form. Application forms can be found on Centrepoint’s website at http://centrepoint.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer/current-opportunities

Please fill out the application form and return to [email protected]

For more information please call 0845 466 3400 and ask to speak to a member of the Volunteering Team.