Type of Activity:
x Mentoring
❑ Peer Mentoring
❑ Workshop
Relevant pillar: Bureaucracy, legislation and networking
Relevant competence(s): Transversal Elements, Social & Civic, Learning to Learn, Sense of Initiative & Entrepreneurship
Duration: minimum 4 hours (it is recommended to do it, at least, at two different moments in time)
Materials and Resources: laptop with internet access, printer, A4 paper, notebook, markers, pens.
One-to-one activity mentoring.
As the previous ones, this activity is organized in two components: (i) Promoting autonomy (creation and implementation of an automatization path, individual exploration, and actively build of intrapersonal reinforcement strategies) and (ii) to help the mentee identify opportunities, interests, willingness to pursue a personal constructive path regarding Bureaucracy, legislation and networking section.
Recommendations – If any of previous sessions were implemented, this topic is not of mandatory reading. Please go to the next topic.
Please take in consideration that this is a mentoring session – not a training or educational activity, or even a workshop! The Leaving Care Professional (LCP) is not a teacher/trainer/facilitator, he/she is a caring, more experienced individual(s) that will establish a relationship with a less experienced person resulting in the provision of support, friendship and constructive role modelling consistently over a period of time. The role of the LCP is to provide the young person with support, guidance, and assistance. The Leaving Care Professional through a mentoring relationship should be able to listen and ask questions that will challenge the mentee to identify the course of action they need to take in regard to their own development.
Flexibility is an asset! – This mentoring session can combine different activities, starting from getting-to-know each other and reflecting on the self, then building the relationship, until the stage of discussing specific topics.
- To reinforce development of a constructing relationship (Reinforce of autonomy – support during automatization, ensuring effective help in difficulties, frustration and/or during absence, support the enhancement of intrapersonal reinforcement strategies),
- To identify opportunities, interests, willingness to pursue a personal constructive path, specifically on Bureaucracy, legislation and networking.
Outcomes
- To enhance the autonomy skills and strategies being developed throughout the mentorship activities.
- Increase of the mentees’ ability to organize her/his sense of self and to positively express feelings about her/his self, life events, and significant people, specifically focused on the challenges that health (physical, psychological and social) can pose during the ageing out process.
- Develop the mentee’s awareness of her/his choices in creating adequate strategies regarding bureaucracy, legislation and networking.
Global considerations – If any of previous sessions were implemented, this topic is not of mandatory reading. Please go to Challenges section.
The mentoring process can be useful for a large diversity of situations and in different stages of the life trajectory. Because it is a flexible, people centred, and constructive process, where “an experienced and trusted advisor” (in this case an adult) share his/her experience and knowledge in a facilitative manner to support the development of the mentee it is particularly relevant for children integrate in state care system. It can be a very interesting opportunity for the mentee to know a positive and constructive influence in his/her life, and to develop a relationship based on trust, sharing, respect and caring.
To do that, the LCP will have a challenging role, in which he/she will be asked to:
- Actively listening
- Provide different perspectives (not only those of the LCP’s)
- Encourage self-analysis and self-reflexion
- Give constructive critics and accept that are other ways of seeing, feeling and being in this world
- Provide evidence-based feedback
- Ask questions to help understanding better situations or problems
- Both – LCP and mentee need to have open minded, positive approaches. Therefore, the LCP should avoid leading questions and always have in mind that decisions are made by the mentee.
- Provide information and knowledge, inform and share (in)formal networks
- Provide advice on educational and/or career development, and/or other topics considered relevant by the mentee
- Focus on relationship in positive and constructive approaches – provide support and encouragement.
Regarding key mentoring skills, the following are commonly expressed in the literature:
- Self-Awareness –implies a good understanding of his/her own strengths and development needs
- Credibility – on personal and professional level
- Accessibility –willingness and commitment in terms of time and availability for support and guidance
- Communication – great communication skills and be able to understand the ideas and feelings of others is a must!
- Ability to empower – the LCP should be able to create a learning/sharing environment where it is safe for mentees to disclose or try out different things,
- Creativity and Inventiveness – be open to new ways of doing things and different ways of learning/working
- Empathy – Ability to empathise with the mentees
- Understanding – ability to understand different perspectives, approaches and possibly backgrounds of different mentees.
-Self-confidence and self-concept might be low, which have a potential negative impact on the realization of initiatives/actions regarding Bureaucracy, legislation and networking. To discuss one’s difficulties and fragilities during an especially stressful period (ageing out of state care) may produce the intensification of negative emotions, fears and concerns.
-Some concepts may be too abstract/difficult and seam irrelevant for the mentee (e.g., legislation on housing rights). Please focus on the aspects/dimensions of Bureaucracy, legislation and networking that are perceived as relevant and as a priority for the mentee.
-To maintain and continuously reinforce a positive, constructive and trustful relationship with the mentee (taking in consideration that children need time, opportunities to connect and develop activities together, and moments of confidence and sharing which require flexibility and support from the mentor).
-The LCP will be prepared to adequately address emotional distress and self-confidence/self-concept doubts/difficulties, especially in relation to Bureaucracy, legislation and networking
-The LCP will use common language (if technical concepts are needed, they will be explained through practical examples, analogies and/or personal experiences) to ensure the mentee properly understands what is being said.
-The LCP will focus on establishing a positive, constructing and trustful relationship with the mentee. To do so, he/she will have an open minded, flexible approach, and will ensure the mentoring process occurs accordingly to the mentee’s needs, interests, capacities and expectations. Let the child dictate the timings of disclosure and the evolution path of the mentoring process. This might implicate adjustments in the objectives, contents, methodologies and/or activities of each session- in order to enhance efficiency and efficacy of the mentorship. This does not mean, however, that this guideline is to be discarded – it will always guide the mentoring path, even though each path will, evidently, be unique.
Each mentoring path is singular, and this is part of its richness. Therefore, no structured mandatory activities will be suggested for the 9 sessions of mentoring. Instead we propose to give suggestions for LCP and mentee to consider and to implement, with the flexibility and adaptation that are needed.
For this meeting, the suggestion is for the LCP to focus on discussing:
Part A
- Review of the previous sessions’ experiences – major positive elements, what needs change/improvement, emotional state of mind during and after the sessions,
- Help develop a doable action plan and support its implementation (regarding the topics addressed so far): give support on identification of objectives, signalization of initiatives/actions, definition of major steps to accomplish objectives, definition of monitoring strategies.
- Provide constructive feedback
- Identify strengths and achievements and explore options
- Coach on specific areas of difficulty/needs if need
- Create opportunities for mentees to gain experience
Part B
- Bureaucracy, legislation and networking
a. What those concepts mean for the mentee – accordingly to this:
i. The impact of bureaucracy in my life
ii. Why do I need to be able to read and understand legislation?
iii. How to establish efficient (in)formal networks
A. Reinforce of autonomy
a. Give support during automatization
b. Provide support in difficulties, frustration and/or during absence
c. Support the enhancement of intrapersonal reinforcement strategies
B. Bureaucracy, legislation and networking
- Brief joint discussion on “the impact of bureaucracy in my life”
Justification: It is essential that mentee reflects critically on the impact of acknowledging that bureaucracy is a part of his/her life and, accordingly to this, to develop strategies to efficiently handle it. To accomplish this, we suggest a discussion on the topic, followed by the identification of key skills to be enhanced – many of those skills are already being developed (e.g., frustration management, planning in advance, etc) so there will be no need to a new action plan. Nevertheless, if new skills are identified and/or if there is a need to reinforce some skills we strongly suggest adjusting/adapt the action plan that is in place. Do not forget to promote intrapersonal management/reinforcement skills!
- “Why do I need to be able to read and understand legislation”
Justification: legislation is a part of all active citizens’ life and the mentee is no exception. To better help him/her understand the importance of legislation we suggest a practical activity: Mentee and LCP choose a topic the mentee is really interested in “doing something about” (e.g., write a letter to the municipality asking for more help from the government for children ageing out of care, making a formal complaint in an official organization, etc.) and they will revise two key legal documents on this topic to use them to write a formal statement. After the task is done, a brief joint oral assessment of satisfaction and learning should occur (“what have we learned today”, “did I like this? Why?”, “which were my main difficulties”, etc.).
- How to establish efficient (in)formal networks –
Justification: To establish and nurture (in)formal networks is a long-term process, which is not easy for children with long paths in the care system. In previous sessions mentee (the mentoring activities focusing on Community Participation and Communication and Interpersonal relationships) already did analysis/reflection and define some goals/actions on this matter. Therefore, the first part of this activity is to assess what has actually been done, what has not and why, major difficulties and achievements. Accordingly, to that, this part of the action plan should be revised. If needed, simulation of networking establishment can be done (e.g., how to contact and nurture a positive relationship with the landlord, how to establish and nurture friendships with people from the gym, etc.).