Safeguarding is at the core of the work of Chapter2. Chapter2 has consulted with local authority safeguarding teams, mentoring agencies and youth worker professionals to understand best practice for safeguarding and believe that a multi-faceted approach is required.
Chapter2 has two mentoring streams: Partnership and Centralised.
In our Partnership programmes we work with a Partner Organisation embedded within a local community. The Partner Organisation is responsible for managing and co-ordinating the mentors within their communities and are therefore also responsible for safeguarding consistent with their policies and procedures. Chapter2 will only partner with organisations which have a robust safeguarding policy.
In our Centralised Programme, the Chapter2 team directly oversees all mentoring activities, including all policies related to safeguarding. Further advice on safeguarding matters is also sought on a case-by-case basis from thirtyone:eight and local safeguarding teams.
Ensuring that appropriate mentors are recruited and provided with the adequate training and support is critical. Therefore, at a minimum, the following safeguards are in place for both the Partnership and Centralised programmes.
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Training
All potential mentors must undertake Chapter2’s mandatory training programme. The training programme will also be used to assess the suitability of the candidates.
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Application and references
All potential mentors are required to complete a formal application and to provide at least two character references.
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Background checks
All potential mentors with undergo an Enhanced Disclosure DBS check (formerly CRB) and barred list check where appropriate
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Mentor induction
Before matching, mentors are required to read the appropriate safeguarding policies, agree to a Code of Conduct and sign a Mentoring Agreement.
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Monitoring and support
Every mentor will be managed by a trained co-ordinator whose role is to provide regular supervision and support. All mentoring actitivies are recorded on our secure digital database.
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Guardian liaison
Reviews with the guardian are scheduled every 6 months to ensure the guardian is kept informed and to collect feedback to improve the mentoring relationship. Safeguarding procedures and key contact details are shared upon matching.
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Group support
The group activities provided by Chapter2 provide a further means to monitor and support the mentor and mentee.
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Interview
All potential mentors will be interviewed in person to assess suitability.
Download our safeguarding policy