Young people in the Virtual Schools population are among the most vulnerable group accessing education. Many will have suffered physical, psychological and emotional abuse, loss, deprivation and trauma, and almost all will understandably be struggling to process their feelings. One of the first things that falls by the wayside when a young person is struggling with emotional, psychological and mental health issues is education.
Tackling complex underlying issues
We are passionate about working with Virtual Schools, to ensure education providers have access to a targeted support service aimed at tackling the complex underlying issues this population commonly faces, and helping remove barriers to education wherever possible. For a multitude of reasons, Looked After Children are four times more likely to have recognised special educational needs, and nine times more likely to have more complex needs that require the support of an EHC plan.
Our Challenging Me mentoring programme is one such service that is helping to drive positive change and improve outcomes for this vulnerable population.
By providing a safe, secure and nurturing environment, our 12-step mentoring programme encourages these young people to consider themselves in relation to the experiences they have lived through and to work towards re-engaging with learning. We personalise a plan of support for each young person we work with, collaborating with the Virtual School, the educational setting and any external support services to ensure we’re setting the right targets and can achieve the best results. And we give the young person a say in who it is they work with, challenging from the very beginning the beliefs they have about themselves, as well as the powerlessness they so often feel about determining the course of their own lives.
By adapting every element of the programme to suit the needs of each young person, we are able to create a safe, supportive, and individualised space for these young people to grow within.
Our mentors encourage them to be honest with and about themselves, working towards a reframing of their worldview and ultimately a re-engagement with learning. Young people who experience persistent social, emotional, behavioural and mental health difficulties are more vulnerable to drug and alcohol use, exploitation, knife crime, gang affiliation, criminality and prison. Those with the additional risk factor of having experienced inconsistent care and a lack of healthy, supportive relationships are even more vulnerable to finding themselves being drawn into risky situations that they are ill-equipped to manage.
The benefits of working with us
We work with Virtual Schools to ensure educational settings are able to provide the right support to their looked-after pupils, while also working with the young people themselves. Our highly-trained and specially selected mentors are able to encourage these young people to recognise and restructure the beliefs, thoughts and behaviours that are unhelpful to them, and then inspire them to become confident, resilient young people with hopes, aspirations and goals. Our mentors have been where these young people are; they have faced the same challenges and, with grit and determination, have made it to the other side. It is this real-life experience that forms the basis of everything we do in the Challenging Me programme.
EMPOWERMENT
We help to empower the young person to make positive, sustainable change.
ENGAGEMENT
We help to reduce conflict and increase engagement in the setting.
GROWTH
We help support growth by providing time, space and encouragement.
RESULTS
Through targeted, individualised support we drive meaningful results.
The first time I met Dave & Ian, I was working in a large high school in Manchester as a coordinator for ethnic minority achievement. Some of the pupils were having running battles, with groupings split firmly along ethnic lines, and the school had brought them in to try to stem the escalating violence. The techniques they used were eclectic but effective. The incidents of fights between different racial groups dropped to zero.
Mark Darbey
They understand, first hand, the pressures on teenagers in the inner city. They bridge the gulf between teacher and pupil, pupil and parent, and parent and school. The pupils hang on his every word, their respect self-evident. The year before, there had been seven expulsions. After the mentors arrived, there was one.
Oliver Swanton
There are no words to describe my mentor and how great he is. If I had to choose one word to describe the programme it would be Amazing! I didn’t think anything would help me but joining the programme was the best choice I ever made. My mentoring programme helped me to realise I can do things, not that I might be able to, that I can do this! I would recommend this programme to anyone.
Mentee – aged 16
Challenge Me has been an engaging programme for all of our young people in our residential placements. The mentors are hard hitting and can really relate to the young people through using their real life experiences. We have seen a significant change in behaviours and how the young people use coping mechanisms as a result of working with their mentor. We especially like that each mentor is matched appropriately with each young person, taking into consideration their needs. We would recommend the mentoring programme to other residential providers as we have found it massively beneficial for our young people.
Ana – Operations Manager for Triangle Care Residential.
In-depth information, not just about understanding the young people and their behaviour but how to emphasise the open mind and help through asking questions in a more productive way. The course was thoroughly enjoyable and beneficial. It would be a great addition to our current training.
Delegate from Care 4 Children
The course was relevant, valuable and full of enriching information. It was very educational and detailed; giving a different view of life in general. All content is useful and insightful equipping with transferable life skills.
Delegate from Triangle Care Group
Eye-opening. Thought-provoking. Empowering. Encouraging. Informative. Motivating. Vibrant. Inspiring. Refreshing. Relatable. Best training course and would love to do more training with the team at Challenge Me.
Key phrases from Residential Staff at Next Stage
We have seen an increase in attendance, behaviour and improvement in home life from the several pupils we have working with Challenge Me. I believe this is through having a 1:1 mentor and an individual programme that has been tailored to fit them. The young people see the mentors as good role models; who listens to them and understands their needs/issues. I would certainly promote the programme as being unique, bespoke, supportive, reliable, engaging and professional.
Debi Capper – Alternative Provision Coordinator at Impact Pupil Referral Unit
My grandson has a lot of very complex issues going on in his life and his mentor had a certain way of interacting with him, getting him to open up, which is something he finds difficult to do with his family. During his time on the programme his attitude and approach to these issues has definitely improved. We as a family can’t thank the mentor enough for the commitment to my grandson and his wellbeing.
Lynn Wright – Parent/Guardian
Ops Manager