Mentoring Co-ordinator

**Description of project**:
Pure Insight is a charity that has been established since 2013 as a direct response to issues highlighted by young people leaving care. We deliver services to young people in Stockport, Salford, Trafford, Warrington and Cheshire East.

Our Mentoring Programme provides practical and emotional support to youngsters age 16- 28 through an amazing army of volunteers from the local community.

By directly involving young people in the design and delivery of our projects we can link them into a variety of different support networks allowing them to access the help and advice they need to solve problems, overcome barriers, improve health and wellbeing, gain confidence and move forward with their lives.

The post of mentor co-ordinator is an established grade. The role of the co-ordinator is to take full responsibility for certain aspects of the projects work, as detailed below. All duties are to be carried out in line with current operating policies and procedures and any procedures of the partnership agency. In the first instance the post holder reports to the Operations Manager.

This role is 50% supporting young people and 50% recruiting, training and developing volunteers to provide sustainable support to young care leavers. This post involves remote lone working so it is essential you are self motivating, able to prioritise your own work and develop a schedule that works for the varied needs of the different people you will be supporting. We value people who can offer us flexibility and in return you get a huge amount of autonomy over how you do your role. This is not a typical 9-5, Monday to Friday role, we work some evenings and occasional weekends but offer lots of flexibility back around other commitments you may have. The admin aspects of this role can be completed remotely from home or in the Pure Insights office in Hazel Grove, with the remaining work in the community.

**The role of mentor co-ordinator is to**:

- Develop trusting relationships with young care leavers, support them to identify areas of their life they would like to change, develop or improve
- Take responsibility for volunteer mentor recruitment, selection and matching
- Deliver mentor training (10-week course run twice yearly in the evenings)
- Deliver volunteer mentor supervision, evaluation and support (often in the evenings)
- Provide suitable mentor relationships and additional support to young people as required to meet their assessed and expressed needs
- Liaise with referral agencies and funders, co-locate with them for some of the week, attend team meetings
- Develop and maintain relationships/partnerships with local organisations that can benefit the young people we support
- Keep appropriate records, interpret monitoring data and produce and present evaluation reports
- Provide information and advice to other project staff on specific areas of project activity that the post holder has responsibility for
- Cover any appropriate aspect of other team members roles in their absence
- Be self administrating
- Contribute to the development and promotion of Pure Insight
- Contribute to meeting project or departmental targets and objectives
- Take part in regular supervision with line manager
- Participate in the general development of the organisation through meetings, training and attendance of other events
- Create safe and realistic activities for young people and mentors
- Provide out of hours support (on a rota basis) for mentors and young people
- To carry out any other duties within the scope of the post.

**PERSON SPECIFICATION FOR THE POST OF MENTORING COORDINATOR**

**Essential**

1. Resilient

2. Ability to form trusting relationships with young people

3. Enjoys working in partnership with volunteers and other community organisations

4. Self motivating and self administrating

5. Experience of coordinating a project

6. Experience of managing, motivating and supporting volunteers or staff

7. Understanding of Safeguarding Procedures

8. Understanding of the issues faced by young people in care and care leavers

9. Minimum of 2 years experience working with vulnerable and disengaged groups

10. Experience of delivering training

11. Ability to develop strong working links and partnerships with other agencies.

12. Car driver and has the sole use of car for work

13. Ability to engage with young people

14. Passionate and committed to improving the lives of young people in care

15. Open minded

16. Non judgemental and non assuming

17. Ability to be solutions focussed and has a “Can Do” positive attitude

18. Excellent listening, communication and organisational skills

19. Ability to write and present reports

20. Ability to use Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, Powerpoint

21. Ability to use Social Media and manage social media groups

22. Ability to make presentations to groups and professionals

23. Ability to lonework/remote work

24. Good team player, willing to cover and support team