Among the most vulnerable people in our society many will have suffered physical, psychological and emotional abuse, loss, deprivation and trauma.
We are passionate about providing support and empowering Looked After Children to start building the lives they want for themselves.
We inspire them to challenge the beliefs they have about themselves and the powerlessness they so often feel about determining the course of their own lives. By creating a safe, supportive space for these young people to be honest with and about themselves; our mentors are able to encourage a reframing of their worldview. We ask them to consider the challenges that have underpinned their experiences of relationships, education, trust and respect. We help them reflect on the external forces that have led them to where they are now, and then we inspire them to see the power they have in shaping their own futures.
Our mentoring programme for Looked After Children
Designed to help tackle the underlying beliefs these young people have about themselves and the world around them; our mentoring programme for Looked After Children comprises of 12 targeted steps aimed at encouraging young people to consider themselves in relation to the experiences they have lived through.
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.
We model relationships that are built on positive communication, trust and respect and aim to create a safe, nurturing, non-judgemental space for each young person to grow within.
It is through this safe space that our mentors are able to encourage young people to recognise and restructure the beliefs, thoughts and behaviours that are unhelpful to them, and encourage 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.
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.
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