Abstract

Youth mentoring can be an effective way of supporting troubled youth, helping them sustain positive mental health, cope with stress, and lead successful lives through adolescence and into adulthood.

This book is a comprehensive guide to youth mentoring programmes, illustrating how, if managed well, they can increase the social support available to young people. It outlines the objectives and benefits of mentoring, how it works, and how to mentor successfully. Youth mentoring in community and school settings is covered, as well as mentoring for vulnerable youth. The book illustrates different mentoring models and provides practical strategies for assessing, setting up, and monitoring the mentoring relationship and its outcomes for the young person. The challenges and difficulties associated with mentoring programmes and strategies to overcome them are also addressed.

This will be an essential guide for anyone working with young people, including youth workers, social workers, residential care staff, foster carers, community development workers, teachers and community police.

Many of us know from experience that a lasting relationship with a trusted and trustworthy adult can make all the difference in a young person's life. This book helpfully reviews the research evidence in order to offer practical advice on establishing effective mentoring schemes. It does not oversell or pretend that mentoring fits all and it does not forget that the mentors need proper support themselves. A good read for both established mentoring schemes and those just starting out.
Dr Liz Hoggarth, formerly senior research fellow, Youth Affairs Unit, De Montfort University
(...) a thoughtfully produced text and an excellent guide for a range of professionals who come into contact with troubled young people.
Young Minds Magazine
Over the last decade a solid body of evidence has emerged, showing which types of mentoring lead to the most significant outcomes for young people. This book is a timely summary of current understanding, and a well-structured and meticulously referenced tour of best practice... Whether you are a policymaker deciding whether to fund mentoring or a practitioner starting or improving a programme, A Guide to Youth Mentoring will help you to understand what works and why.
Children & Young People Now, Richard Turner, Chief Executive
Pat Dolan is UNESCO Chair and Director, Child and Family Research Centre, National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway, Ireland. He is an expert in Family Support and community-based interventions in helping adolescents, including youth mentoring models. He is co-editor, with John Canavan and John Pinkerton, of Family Support, Family Support as Reflective Practice, and Understanding Family Support, all published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Bernadine Brady is Senior Researcher, Child and Family Research Centre, NUI Galway, Ireland. She was lead researcher on a major evaluation of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Programme in Ireland, an internationally renowned youth mentoring programme. Her research interests include youth mentoring, family welfare conferencing and children's participation.