Be clear about the commitment.
Predictable contact and realistic expectations help a young person understand the relationship. Promises need to match what can be delivered.
Recognise the wider circle.
Parents, schools and services may each hold useful knowledge. Agree how the mentoring work connects with that support.
Keep the child central.
Ask what they find useful and what they want to change. Their circumstances should inform the support without becoming a definition of their future.
From the ECNM journal
This reading edition adapts our published work. Explore the original articles below.