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London What's Involved? When they enter the UK refugees face many barriers to successful integration. These include difficulties with language, a lack of knowledge about UK systems, such as where to find employment opportunities, financial hardship and often open hostility and discrimination from the host community. Mentoring is one of the most effective ways of overcoming these difficulties. Mentors support, encourage, motivate and guide their mentee as they seek to achieve their goals in education, employment and integration. Mentors spend 5 hours per month with their mentee for a period of 6 months to a year, meeting at least twice per month. Mentors help their mentee to feel more at home in the UK by sharing their knowledge and experience, and offering their friendship. This might mean doing anything from helping to write a CV, to visiting a museum or art gallery, to helping to practise English. Time Together provides full training and support to mentors and mentees throughout the course of the mentoring relationships. Since the project was launched in 2002, over 2,500 refugees have been matched with a volunteer mentor. Mentoring is one of the most rewarding ways of giving time. It offers a wonderful opportunity to use your own knowledge and experience to help another person while giving you the chance to develop your own skills.

‘Mentoring for Time Together sounded socially rewarding but I had no idea it would be fun, personally challenging and educational as well. Easily the best volunteer activity I have ever had the privilege to be involved in.’ - A mentor on Time Together

What is Mentoring? Mentoring has been described as a 'professional friendship'. The Home Office gives this definition: 'Mentoring is a one-to-one, non-judgemental relationship in which an individual mentor voluntarily gives time to support and encourage another. This relationship is typically developed at a time of transition in the mentee's life, and lasts for a significant and sustained period.' A mentor is someone who guides, encourages, motivates, teaches and inspires. Mentoring is based on mutual trust and respect. It is not a one-sided relationship but one of reciprocity, providing both mentee and mentor with the opportunity to learn new things and further their own personal development through their interactions with each other. Mentoring on Time Together is a unique experience. Some of the relationships mentors forge with their mentees are very informal, with mentors taking on a befriending role, visiting museums, chatting over coffee and helping their mentee feel less isolated. Other relationships are more formal and structured, with mentors offering professional support and assistance with specific goals, such as finding a job or requalifying in their professional field. Most relationships will be a mixture of these, as mentors and mentees combine a befriending approach while also focusing on specific goals the mentee wants to achieve, usually with regard to language or employment. The type of relationship that develops depends very much on the personalities of the people involved and the individual aims of the mentee. The training given by Co-ordinators to participants helps them to structure and manage their relationships by giving practical advice and clear guidelines on boundaries.

What will be expected of me as a mentor? Mentors are not expected to be professional counsellors, advisors or experts on immigration or asylum issues. However, they must be committed and reliable, and have an open mind. Mentors must be over 18 years old, speak fluent English and be either UK citizens or have lived in the UK long enough to have a real understanding of the culture and customs. A good mentor should: Be open-minded Show patience, consideration and respect Be an effective listener Have good communication skills Be self-aware Be keen to further their own learning Guide but not instruct

What training will I receive? All mentors are required to attend a one day group training session before they are matched. The training will provide mentors with: Knowledge of how Time Together works An understanding of the role of a Time Together mentor An understanding of the refugee issues The opportunity to develop mentoring skills

After being matched with their mentee, mentors will also be required to attend an evening workshop to equip them with the skills they need to communicate effectively and support individuals with low levels of English language.

What support will I receive? Mentors receive continual training and support throughout the course of their mentoring relationship. As well as the initial mentor training, pairs will have opportunities every 3 months to get together with other mentors in order to discuss and share experiences. The Time Together Coordinator will also be available by phone, email and in person to assist and guide mentors and mentees throughout their mentoring experience.

Who are the mentees? The mentees on the scheme come from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, with a range of professions and education levels. They are all refugees who are newly arrived to the UK and are currently accessing the Refugee Integration and Employment Service (RIES). You can find more information about RIES below. The standard of English varies, however it will mostly be quite basic as they will have only been in the UK for a few months. Their more immediate needs, such as housing, should have already been resolved by the other RIES services. The sorts of things mentees need support with include: Improving their English language Understanding the UK employment system and finding a job Accessing further education Getting to know their local community Understanding UK culture and customs

How do you match me with my mentee? Time Together has developed a careful system of matching refugees with a mentor, based on a number of key criteria. We take into account factors such as age, sex, proximity and mutual interests when deciding a match. Time Together aims to match mentors with mentees as soon as possible after training, however, sometimes there can be a wait whilst we find a suitable match.

What kind of things do mentors and mentees do together? This depends on what both parties want to get out of the mentoring relationship and what they enjoy doing. Mentors on the project have done a variety of things with their mentees including; visiting museums and art galleries, playing football together, writing a cv or looking for jobs or going on a picnic.

What is the Refugee Integration and Employment Service? The UK Border Agency established the Refugee Integration and Employment Service (RIES) in October 2008. RIES is delivered in every Government region of the UK and its support services are available to all newly arrived refugees to the UK. The Refugee Integration and Employment Service delivers support to refugees in 3 key areas: Mentoring Service - Refugees are matched with a volunteer mentor to support them to achieve goals around, employment, education and integration. Information Advice and Guidance Service - all newly arrived refugees are supported by a dedicated caseworker for a maximum of 6 months. The caseworker will help them develop a Personal Integration Plan and to resolve their more immediate needs such as housing, healthcare and benefits. Employment Advice Service - newly arrived refugees will receive support to set an Employment Action Plan and to start taking steps towards achieving their employment goals. Refugees are referred to Time Together by either their Caseworker or their Employment Advisor. This will

usually be 3- 6 months after they have been given their positive decision, allowing time for their basic needs, such as housing and benefits, to have been met. To find out more about RIES visit here. "My mentor and I have so much fun together. We visit places I have never been to before, like museums and galleries. I have lived in London for a year but had never visited Trafalgar Square or Buckingham Palace." A Time Together mentee "Time Together is not prescriptive in telling pairs what to do, however, Co-ordinators can offer plenty of suggestions and advice in helping pairs to set and achieve their goals." - A Time Together mentor. "It's reflecting, encouraging and supporting that's all. The progress is amazing. Mentoring has given my mentee the opportunity to talk things through with a neutral person. When I started I felt under pressure but there isn't any pressure at all. I get a real glow from the experience." - A Time Together mentor "With the help from my mentor I have been able to perfect my CV, improve my English and his experience and contacts in business have helped me with my own business ambitions." - A Time Together mentee c 2006 TimeBank London. All rights reserved. Home|Back top top|Print this page